SSHRC Exchange

If you receive a SSHRC Exchange grant, you have U of L colleagues to thank for their efforts to receive SSHRC external funding. If they hadn’t applied externally and been successful, these resources would not be available to you. Grant recipients are asked to “pay it forward” to other U of L colleagues by applying to external SSHRC competitions so that we may continue to offer this funding.

Description

The SSHRC Exchange Grant supports knowledge exchange and mobilization activities such as conference travel, workshop/seminar organization, publications, digital resource creation, exhibitions, and other knowledge mobilization activities.

Eligibility

You are eligible to apply if you meet the following criteria:

• Hold a full-time faculty appointment (tenured or tenure-track) or postdoctoral affiliation at the U of L and the appointment does not end within 12 months from the date of application.
  • If you hold a limited-term appointment or are a postdoctoral fellow, you must maintain your affiliation for the grant period. Please note that while postdoctoral researchers may apply, their supervisor must be listed as the co-applicant and funds will be held in their supervisor’s name.
• Conduct research in a discipline supported by SSHRC.
• Do not hold an active Exchange grant as of the application date and have held no more than 2 SSHRC Exchange or Explore grants in the last 3 fiscal years.
• Have applied to an external SSHRC competition or held an external SSHRC grant as Principal Investigator within the previous three years. Emerging scholars and postdoctoral fellows can receive the SSHRC Exchange grant without seeking external SSHRC funds.
  • An emerging scholar is defined as someone who has not yet had the opportunity to establish an extensive record of research achievement but is in the process of building one.

Proposed activities must:

• Meet SSHRC subject matter criteria,
• Fall within SSHRC’s definition of knowledge mobilization,
• Have not previously been supported by other internal funding opportunities, and
• Help seed new external grant applications in the social sciences and humanities or disseminate the results of SSHRC-funded research.

Multiple applications and concurrent funding

• Applicants may only apply once to the SSHRC Exchange program per fiscal year.
• Applicants cannot hold more than one SSHRC Exchange at a time.
• Applicants cannot receive multiple or consecutive SSHRC Exchange awards for the same project.
• Applicants cannot simultaneously hold multiple awards from internal funding sources regardless of the project. Applicants are permitted, however, to hold a University of Lethbridge Travel Fund (ULTF) award concurrently with the SSHRC Exchange, if travel for ULTF is unrelated to any travel expenses for the SSHRC Exchange.

Value and Duration

Applicants may apply to one of two streams:

• Stream 1. Costs associated with disseminating research or artistic work at a scholarly conference or other dissemination venue (maximum award is $2,000).
• Stream 2. Costs associated with organizing or creating a knowledge mobilization activity or output. (maximum award is $7,000) Eligible activities include:
  • Organizing workshops and seminars
  • Preparing or creating knowledge mobilization “products” such as digital resources (websites, databases); book preparation costs (subventions, translation fees, indexing fees, copyright and image fees); open access fees; policy briefs and reports; media events; summer schools/institutes; speaker series; artistic exhibits, performances or festivals; and podcasts.

*Note: Applications submitted to Stream 1 or Stream 2 will be reviewed together. If the total ask exceeds the available budget, the applications will be ranked as a group.  There will not be separate rankings for the different streams.

Eligible expenses

Expenses must be eligible under the Tri-Agency Guide on Financial Administration and can include the following:

• Knowledge Mobilization activities (e.g. conferences, workshops, events, forums, etc.) and products (e.g. digital resources, databases, adaptation of texts, policy briefs, etc.)
• Stipends to students and postdoctoral fellows
• Salaries of technical and professional staff
• Speaker travel and accommodations
• Materials, supplies and services, including technical services
• Rental of equipment and space (e.g. for workshops, meetings)
• Open access publication costs, to maximum of $750. Note that this is restricted to those who have not already received open access funding through the Library’s CURIE Fund for the same project. 
• If requesting funding for non-traditional publications, please note that the overall application must address all of the evaluation criteria listed below.

Expenses that are NOT eligible include the following:

• Research activities (e.g. field work, clinical trials, data gathering, etc.)
• Traditional scholarly publication costs (book, journal article, etc.), except open access publication costs
• Teaching Release
• Collection or preparation of material primarily intended for personal classroom needs or teaching purposes
• Purchase of equipment
• Technology transfer costs (e.g. patent filing)
• Alcoholic beverages
• Projects requesting retroactive funding prior to the application deadline or requesting funding for teaching development will not be considered.

Funds cannot be used as matching on any external SSHRC Grant because they are awarded through the SSHRC Institutional Grant. SSHRC funds cannot be used as a required contribution to any SSHRC program.

Timeline

This competition has two intakes: June 1 and December 1 (subject to available funds). Results and Notices of Award will be communicated roughly three (3) months after submission.

Use of Funds

It is the responsibility of the applicant(s) to adequately justify the expenditures included in the application. Funds can be requested in line with the following criteria:

How to Apply

An application consists of a form (

sshrc_exchange_form_mar2024.docx

sshrc_exchange_form_mar2024.docx

NOTE: Do not complete the online form until your attachment is complete and ready to be uploaded, as you cannot save the online form for completion later.

Complete applications require the following components

• Completion of the online application form available through the BRIDGE using the Internal Grant Application Form; and
• Complete all sections of the application form and append all required supporting documents. The form must be uploaded as a single PDF.

Application Attachment Instructions

The application should be clear and concise and justify the use of all funding and provide all requested information.

1. Abstract and Key Words (max 1 page):  Provide a succinct project description so that a non-expert in the field of study can understand the proposed activities, scope and objectives of the project. Also, outline the potential significance of the knowledge mobilization to the University, discipline, researcher, students, and/or society at large. Key words: At the end of your Abstract, provide a list of up to 10 key words which describe your project. These words can include: themes; areas of research or creative activity; objectives; methods/approaches; study populations/experimental systems; and outcomes, among others. The Key Words will assist the Multidisciplinary Review SSHRC Sub-committee in gauging their level of expertise in reviewing your proposal. 
2. Dissemination Proposal (max 2 pages): Organize the detailed narrative under the following headlines:
   • Background: Define the research undertaken that relates to the knowledge mobilization activities, providing any background information essential to understanding the importance of the work. 
   • Theoretical Framework, Methodology and Proposed Outcomes: Outline the theoretical framework governing the work proposed, the methodologies to be undertaken and the proposed outcomes. For collaborative applications with multiple applicants, indicate each applicant’s unique role in ensuring the proposed outcomes. Describe how the anticipated outcomes will contribute to each applicant’s knowledge mobilization. Indicate which research program the proposed knowledge mobilization falls in.
   • Significance and Dissemination: Include statements of the potential significance, future use, relevance or application of the results. Explain how the proposed dissemination is situated within the PI’s larger research plan.
3. Budget and Justification (max 2 pages): Applicants must provide a breakdown of the expenses equalling the total amount requested. Applicants must provide information on other sources of funding for the project if the proposed costs exceed the maximum provided by this fund. Provide a concise justification for each budget item under the headlines below, where applicable. 
4. Reviewer Information (optional) (max 1 page): If desired, applicants can include an additional page with the names of suggested (internal) reviewers, and any reviewers who should be excluded due to Conflict of Interest.

Terms and Conditions of the Award

1. Use of Funds: Expenditures may be made only for those cost elements identified in the application or as limited in the Request for New Fund Form. Special conditions may include human subject research or animal welfare approval, expenditure limitations, etc. Minor transfers of funds from one budget category to another are permitted. Expenditures included in the application budget may be eligible if incurred between the application deadline and the Notice of Decision of the SSHRC Exchange Competition if prior approval is granted by ORIS. Major transfers or the use of funds for a previously unspecified expense or a new budget item requires approval by ORIS. 
2. Term: The term of an award is twelve (12) months or less, in accordance with the applicant's request. No extensions will be granted. Projects must commence within six months of the notice of award.
3. Reports: A final report on the work funded by the SSHRC Exchange must be submitted within six months of the termination date. Subsequent applications can be considered only after receipt of satisfactory final reports and/or progress reports for previous or existing grants.
4. Acknowledgement: Support from the SSHRC Exchange Grant must be acknowledged in any resulting publications or presentations.
5. Equipment & Library Acquisitions: Equipment or library materials acquired with grant funds remain as property of the UofL in accordance with university policy.
6. Research assistants: Research assistant employed with grant funds are not regular University employees and are not covered by the provisions of the collective agreement with support staff.

Application evaluation

The adjudication committee will review all requests and may decide to provide full, partial or no funding, based on the applicant’s need for support; the quality of the proposal; and the research record, or potential, of the applicant. 

In reviewing the proposal's budget the adjudication committee will consider (1) the budget’s appropriateness, comprehensiveness and clarity, including a balancing of revenues and expenditures, (2) the extent to which the applicant is pursing all potential sources of support, and (3) the need for funding support from the SSHRC Exchange relative to other funds available. A cost-effective use of funds is encouraged.

Final funding decisions rest with the Vice-President (Research).  Due to limits on funding availability, appeals will not be considered.