Our mandate

SSHRC is a federal research funding agency, created in 1977 under the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Act.

SSHRC is part of the Innovation, Science and Economic Development portfolio and reports to Parliament through the Minister of Industry.

SSHRC’s role is to:

• promote and support postsecondary-based research and training in the social sciences and humanities; and
• advise the minister on matters relating to social sciences and humanities research.

Through grants, fellowships and scholarships, SSHRC helps Canada’s researchers do what they do best: train the next generation of talented, creative thinkers and doers; build knowledge and understanding about people, cultures and societies; and drive the innovations that address the challenges of today and tomorrow.

SSHRC also hosts the Canada Research Coordinating Committee secretariat and the Tri-agency Institutional Programs Secretariat, through which SSHRC administers several national research programs on behalf of the three federal research funding agencies—the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and SSHRC. These programs include the:

• Canada 150 Research Chairs
• Canada Biomedical Research Fund
• Canada Excellence Research Chairs
• Canada First Research Excellence Fund
• Canada Research Chairs
• New Frontiers in Research Fund.
• Research Support Fund