SSHRC – Standard Research Grant Program

1. SSHRC – Standard Research Grant Program Presented by: Dr. Jo Ann Lévesque Director Office of Research Opportunities Faculty of Arts, McGill University

2. SSHRC – Standard Research Grant Program (SRG) Questions: • Why this particular program? • What are the characteristics of this program? • What are the main difficulties professors face in writing their SRG applications? • What is McGill’s success rate for the SSHRC-Standard Research Grant Program? • What are the key aspects to success in research grant proposals? Dr. Jo Ann Lévesque

3. SSHRC – Standard Research Grant Program (SRG) Why this particular program? • National Competition • Prestigious Research Program • Recognized by peers • Evaluated by peers • Oldest Research Program Fund in the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council • Objectives very precise • Strong experience in the Assessment of Proposals - Evaluated by Peers - On 21 Different Committees • Research structural basis • Bread and Butter Dr. Jo Ann Lévesque

4. SSHRC – Standard Research Grant Program (SRG) What are the characteristics of this program? Main objective: The broad purpose of the Standard Research Grants program is to support research and develop excellence in research activities in the social sciences and humanities. Dr. Jo Ann Lévesque

5. SSHRC – Standard Research Grant Program (SRG) What are the characteristics of this program? Specific objectives of the program are to: • support high quality independent programs of research, as proposed by scholars and judged by their peers; • provide opportunities for the training of future researchers; • contribute to the development or elaboration of new theoretical or methodological approaches to research; • maintain and develop vigorous disciplinary research activities; • foster and develop vigorous collaborative, multidisciplinary research activities among researchers in the social sciences and humanities; • and assist the communication of research results both within and beyond the academic community. Dr. Jo Ann Lévesque

6. SSHRC – Standard Research Grant Program (SRG) What are the characteristics of this program? Support a program of research: Defined here as research composed of several research axes or objectives, conducted by a sole principal investigator or a principal investigator and his research team, on themes of researcher interests, often tied to researcher’s publications. Dr. Jo Ann Lévesque

7. SSHRC – Standard Research Grant Program (SRG) What are the characteristics of this program? Duration Three - year research program Value Maximum of $100,000 per year, but not totaling more than $250,000 for the three years of the program Deadline October 15, 2005 Dr. Jo Ann Lévesque

8. SSHRC – Standard Research Grant Program (SRG) What are the characteristics of this program? Eligibility: Submitted by an individual researcher or a team of researchers: • Composed of a principal investigator, one or more co-applicants (around 2 or 3) and with an increasing number of collaborators • Three different types of status within the research program - Status giving access to different possibilities Dr. Jo Ann Lévesque

9. SSHRC – Standard Research Grant Program (SRG) What are the characteristics of this program? Evaluation of the research program based on: • Record of Research Achievement • The focus of the evaluation is on the most recent six-year period of activity • Program of Research • The context, problem, questions, theoretical framework, methodology and dissemination strategies of the proposed program of research Dr. Jo Ann Lévesque

10. SSHRC – Standard Research Grant Program (SRG) What are the characteristics of this program? Scoring: • For a regular professor • The record of research achievement accounts for 60% of the overall score, and the score on the program of research accounts for 40% of the overall score • For a new professor • The record of research achievement and the program of research are weighted in the overall score such that either a 60/40 or 40/60 ratio will apply, depending on which will produce the more favorable overall score Dr. Jo Ann Lévesque

11. SSHRC – Standard Research Grant Program (SRG) What are the main difficulties professors face in writing their SRG applications? Record of Achievement: • Quality and rate of publications • Publications in recognized scholarly journals Dr. Jo Ann Lévesque

12. SSHRC – Standard Research Grant Program (SRG) What are the main difficulties professors face in writing their SRG applications? Program of Research: Quality of the proposal: • Instructions not followed • Lack of clarity and coherence • Subject of research is outside of SSHRC’s realm Dr. Jo Ann Lévesque

13. SSHRC – Standard Research Grant Program (SRG) What are the main difficulties professors face in writing their SRG applications? Program of Research: Research Questions 1: • Questions were too ambitious or broad for a three-year program • Too many research questions Research Questions 2: • Lack of precision and clarity • Better justification • Too narrow in scope • Modify or reformulate research questions Dr. Jo Ann Lévesque

14. SSHRC – Standard Research Grant Program (SRG) What are the main difficulties professors face in writing their SRG applications? Program of Research: Literature review: • Broadening of literature review needed • Missing works by specific authors • Lack of links between literature review and the area of research • Update literature review with newer sources • Absence of literature review Dr. Jo Ann Lévesque

15. SSHRC – Standard Research Grant Program (SRG) What are the main difficulties professors face in writing their SRG applications? Program of Research: Theoretical Framework: • Theoretical framework not linked well to literature review, methodology, or research objectives • Need further development • Lack of clarity • Need refinement • Weak theoretical framework • Not appropriate for the research questions Dr. Jo Ann Lévesque

16. SSHRC – Standard Research Grant Program (SRG) What are the main difficulties professors face in writing their SRG applications? Program of Research: Methodology: • Need further development • Need clarification • Need justification • Methodology not linked well to theoretical framework or research objectives • Unfeasible or inadequate Dr. Jo Ann Lévesque

17. SSHRC – Standard Research Grant Program (SRG) What are the main difficulties professors face in writing their SRG applications? McGill Faculty of Arts SRG success rate in: 2002: 47% 2003: 55% 2004: 63% 2005: 49% 2006: 55% Dr. Jo Ann Lévesque

18. SSHRC – Standard Research Grant Program (SRG) What is McGill’s success rate for the SSHRC- Standard Research Grant program? Number of proposals awarded by SSHRC Standard Research Grant Program (1992-2002) in the top Universities in Canada Universities Nb. Nb. Dollars • Toronto 770 3267 47 295 835$ • Montréal 533 2682 35 548 241$ • British Columbia 501 2080 32 572 705$ • McGill 424 1877 28 456 250$ • Laval 389 2100 25 115 379$ • Du Québec à Montréal 356 1996 24 492 975$ Dr. Jo Ann Lévesque

19. SSHRC – Standard Research Grant Program (SRG) What is McGill’s success rate for the SSHRC- Standard Research Grant program? Researchers from the Province of Québec, in particular, those working in Montreal areas, are the most productive researchers in Social Sciences and Humanities in Canada. Dr. Jo Ann Lévesque

20. FQRSC – Programme d’Établissement des nouveaux professeurs-chercheurs Grant Program: • very similar to SSHRC • very strong chance of success for McGill new professors 62% (2004) Dr. Jo Ann Lévesque

21. Faculty of Arts’ New Professors Invited to submit a research program proposal to SSHRC- Standard Research Grant Program and to FQRSC- Établissement des nouveaux professeurs-chercheurs program Dr. Jo Ann Lévesque

22. Faculty of Arts’ New Professors Grant Agencies: SSHRC www.SSHRC.ca RGO’s representant: Rupa Narasimhadevara FQRSC www.fqrsc.gouv.qc.ca/ RGO’s Representant: Linda Kemp ORO Office of Research Opportunities Dr. Jo Ann Lévesque: (514) 398-3461 joann.levesque@mcgill.ca Dr. Jo Ann Lévesque