Connection Grants — Joint Initiative for Digital Citizen Research

• SSHRC CV
• Research contributions and relevant experience attachment
• Career interruptions and special circumstances attachment, if applicable
• Institutional contact form
• Research administrator form – PDF (81 KB)

Who is eligible?

• Canadian universities and colleges
• Not-for-profit organizations
• Not-for-profit organizations that self-identify as Indigenous

Who is not eligible

• Federal, provincial, territorial and municipal government departments
• For-profit organizations and corporations
• Foreign institutions
• Institutions that are federated, affiliated with or a constituent portion of another institution, as they will not normally be accorded their own independent eligibility to administer grants and awards

Eligible expenses

• Personnel costs for students or non-students
• Travel and subsistence
• Professional and technical services
• Supplies and equipment
• Knowledge mobilization tools

Ineligible Costs and Activities

• Research activities such as literature reviews, field work, data collection, or interviews
• Standalone volumes, curriculum development, or teaching materials
• Conference registration fees
• Salaries or stipends for applicants, co-applicants, collaborators, or eligible faculty
• Retroactive events or activities already completed

• Capability evaluation criteria

• Step 1: Review program instructions
  • Read the funding opportunity description and applicant instructions.
  • Check institutional eligibility and project fit.
• Step 2: Prepare the application
  • Complete the online form.
  • Prepare the required PDF attachments and supporting documents.
  • Gather letters of support from sponsoring organizations.
• Step 3: Select the joint initiative
  • Choose the Joint or special initiative option in the application form.
• Step 4: Submit for institutional approval
  • Send the application to the research administrator or authorized signing representative.
  • Allow time for internal review before the deadline.
• Step 5: Final submission to SSHRC
  • The institution forwards the application electronically to SSHRC.
  • Keep the application number for future correspondence.

• An institution becomes eligible to administer grants and awards once both SSHRC and the organization sign the Agreement on the Administration of Agency Grants and Awards by Research Institutions or the Terms and Conditions for Not-for-Profit Organizations.
• If a grant/award is made and institutional eligibility is granted, the organization must establish and maintain policies, systems, procedures and controls that require and ensure compliance with SSHRC’s financial requirements.
• The organization must maintain a separate account per grant awarded by SSHRC and use the grant/award only for the purpose for which it is awarded.
• Upon reasonable notice, the organization must allow SSHRC representatives access to its premises and facilities to carry out monitoring reviews and compliance audits, provide access to all accounts, records and other information related to a grant or award, and respond fully and accurately to inquiries.
• In cases of serious breach, SSHRC may publicly disclose the grant/award holder’s name and the nature of the breach, demand corrective action, cease payments, terminate funding obligations, require repayment, or in exceptional cases declare the organization ineligible to apply for funding.

• Only one application per calendar year.
• Applicants must secure matching support from sponsoring organizations.
• Grant holders must submit reporting after the project.