Aid to Scholarly Journals: September 2025 Competition—Application Instructions
For these instructions, “applicant” and “project director” refer to individual applicants and the person acting on behalf of an institutional applicant.
SSHRC recommends clearing your browser cache to ensure the most up-to-date instructions are consulted. Verify the date modified at the bottom of this webpage to ensure these instructions are for the latest funding cycle.
On this page
- Documents to read before applying
- Application process
- Attaching a document
- Identification (mandatory)
- Journal data
- Journal management
- Journal format
- Research focus
- Article data
- Journal description and outline of future direction (mandatory)
- Description of peer review processes (mandatory)
- Core editorial board / publishing team (mandatory)
- Editorial board members (mandatory)
- Instructions to referees (mandatory)
- List of most frequently used referees
- List of authors (mandatory)
- Tables of contents (mandatory)
- Funds requested from SSHRC (mandatory)
- Budget justification and publication plan (mandatory)
- Readership data and impact measures
- Exclusion of potential reviewers
Documents to read before applying
Important links
For Aid to Scholarly Journals
- Aid to Scholarly Journals funding opportunity description
- Aid to Scholarly Journals frequently asked questions
For all grant applicants
- Institutional eligibility—guidelines and requirements
- Policies, regulations and guidelines
- Help: Online application form support
- Guidelines for cash and in-kind contributions
- Guidelines for effective knowledge mobilization
- Guidelines for effective research training
- Guidelines for research-creation support materials
- Guidelines for support of tools for research and related activities
- Guidelines for the merit review of Indigenous research
- Definitions of terms used in the grant application process
- Research Data Management Policy
- Tri-Agency Open Access Policy on Publications
- Tri-agency Guide on Financial Administration
Helpful tips
Write your proposal in clear, plain language. Use nontechnical terms that can be understood by a range of audiences with varied areas of expertise.
SSHRC advocates for the practices listed below when applicable in your application. In addition, costs related to these activities are eligible:
- responsible research data management strategies;
- open access publishing activities;
- dissemination in both official languages;
- promotion and support of official language minority communities; and
- effective research training.
Note: If you experience technical difficulties, contact the helpdesk as early as possible in the application process. The helpdesk has a higher volume of requests during peak periods (i.e., September 1 to December 1) and on deadline days.
Application process
Accommodations and accessibility
If you need help completing online application forms due to circumstances arising from a disability, contact your institution (scholarship liaison officer, research grant office or other applicant support office) as early in the application process as possible to investigate available supports. If your institution cannot provide help, or needs SSHRC to collaborate on a solution, contact accessibility-accessibilite@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca . You can also contact SSHRC if you have questions or are seeking specific adaptation arrangements. You do not need to share your medical or sensitive personal information, and, to protect your privacy, should avoid doing so.
Frequently requested accommodations include, but are not limited to:
- one-on-one phone or video appointments to clarify funding program information or the application process, or receive technical support;
- alternative formats of online materials to enable access using assistive technology; and
- submission of the application (in full or part) through alternate means or format (e.g., hard copy, voice recording, or data entry by SSHRC staff on the applicant’s behalf).
Applicant or project director responsibilities
By clicking “Submit,” the applicant or project director certifies that all information is accurate.
They are also responsible for:
- completing all mandatory fields (bold labels);
- attaching mandatory electronic files (application);
- ensuring all co-applicants and collaborators have submitted their “Accept Invitation Form;”
- verifying and correcting the data until the "Verification Report" confirms verification; and
- clicking “Submit” (to research administrator) for approval by your institution’s or organization’s internal deadline. The electronic submission process ensures validation of the information by an institution’s or organization’s administrator before they forward your application to SSHRC on your behalf (status is “Forwarded”). Once processed by SSHRC, the status will change to “Received.”
Research or financial administrator responsibilities
By clicking "Forward" (Forward to SSHRC), the research administrator or designated financial administrator for not-for-profit organizations (institutional approval) certifies:
- the applicant or project director:
- is affiliated with the institution or organization
- the postsecondary institution or not-for-profit organization:
- is willing to administer any grant received following SSHRC policies;
- agrees to take the necessary steps to ensure machine-readable files or computer databases are preserved and accessible under conditions agreed to by the institution or organization and the researcher;
- will release funds to the successful candidate once all necessary certification requirements and conditions have been met;
- will notify SSHRC of any change in the grant holder's status during the tenure of the grant; and
- has verified that the budgetary estimates are in accordance with its rates and policies.
If changes are required, the administrator will send a message to the applicant using the Message Centre function. The applicant can access the Message Centre by clicking “Messages” in the top navigation bar of their Portfolio.
Electronic submission process and acknowledgement of receipt of applications
Applicants must allow enough time for their institution’s or organization’s internal approval process, as specified by the relevant authorities. SSHRC will acknowledge receipt of your electronic application form and will assign you an application number. Cite this number in all correspondence with us.
Applications remain available for download via the SSHRC online system for 30 days after the deadline, after which they are deleted.
Attaching a document
Many modules in your application will require you to attach a PDF file. You must follow the specified requirements for margins and font size, or your application will be deemed ineligible. An error message will appear if the file you are trying to attach does not meet the required specifications for page length and file size. Once you have attached the electronic file, we recommend you click “View attached file” to ensure you have the proper file and it is not corrupted.
Identification (mandatory)
Names and initials
This information has automatically been transferred from your account. To change your family name or first name, you must contact webgrants@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca. To change your initials, you must return to the “My Account” section of your portfolio to update the information.
Organization
The organization name has automatically been transferred from the “current position” screen of your CV. To have a different affiliation on record for this application, click “List…” and make the necessary selection.
Note: If the journal is run by an editorial collective, a co-editor who is affiliated with a SSHRC-eligible institution must be named as the applicant and assume responsibility for the grant.
Journal contact
If the main contact for the journal is someone other the applicant, indicate their name and institutional affiliation. They should be either a postsecondary institution employee or a permanent employee of either the journal or the eligible organization. Follow the instructions above for names and initials. Include an email address as well.
Journal
Select the funding stream to which the journal is applying. To apply as an emerging journal, the journal must have been founded within the two years prior to the application deadline (i.e., after September 10, 2023). To apply as an established journal, the journal must have been founded two years or more prior to the application deadline.
Select the name of the journal using the “List…” button. If the journal is not listed, select “Other” from the list and type the name of the journal in the box provided.
Administering organization (individuals grants) or lead organization (institutional grants)
Only an eligible Canadian institution or organization can administer grant funds. Institutions or not-for-profit organizations interested in administering SSHRC individual or institutional grants must meet the institutional eligibility requirements for the administration of grants and awards, which is independent of this application process.
If your organization was granted restricted eligibility to administer an Aid to Scholarly Journals grant in the past, it must submit an application to renew its eligibility. To do so, contact SSHRC’s institutional eligibility team at least 10 business days before the application deadline. If you do not contact SSHRC to begin this process, your institution will not be added to the list of administering organizations and you will not be able to complete your application.Note: SSHRC prefers grants be administered by the applicant’s institution.
Journal data
If your journal has an English and French title, list both. If not, enter the title used. Provide former journal titles only if applicable.
Date the journal was founded
Indicate the month and year the journal was founded.
Primary language of publication
Indicate the primary language of publication. If English and French are used equally, check both boxes.
Address
Enter the complete current address for the journal. Notify SSHRC promptly of any changes to this address.
Phone number
Provide a phone number for the journal.
Email address
Provide an email address for the journal.
Journal web address
Enter the journal’s website address.
Journal management
Journal ownership
Using the dropdown menu, indicate whether the journal is owned by a Canadian organization. If it is, indicate the organization’s name in the text box provided. Provide the current membership total (numerically with no commas). In the text box, provide a brief description of the role played by the organization in the administration, publication and financing of the journal. Indicate the status of the organization (for-profit or not-for-profit), as well as the owner of the journal title.
Journal publisher
Provide the name and address of the journal’s publisher.
In the text box, describe the journal’s copyright ownership policy, and the journal’s publication agreement with authors for the dissemination of articles.
Note: From 2028 onwards, journals will be required to publish under an open license (Creative Commons or equivalent).
Journal format
Distribution format
Indicate whether the journal disseminates its scholarly content electronically or in both print and electronic formats.
If the journal uses a digital content and distribution platform, provide the name of the platform(s) in the text box. A digital content and distribution platform is defined as a platform that disseminates journal content to the public. If more than one platform is being used, list them all.
In addition, briefly explain the rationale for the journal’s chosen means of dissemination, including services offered, technical support and metadata quality, if relevant.
Login information
If the journal is not currently published in immediate open access, provide login instructions to allow SSHRC staff and merit review committee members to electronically access the issues/articles published since June 1, 2023.
Business model
Identify the journal’s business model: subscription with delayed open access (OA) (embargo); OA with article processing charges (APCs) (gold); or OA without a subscription or APCs (diamond, i.e., neither author nor reader pays). If the journal uses an embargo, indicate the length of the embargo period, in months, in the space provided. If the journal has APCs, indicate the amount in the text box.
Provide a brief explanation of the journal’s business model and its revenue sources (cash and in-kind).
If the journal is published and/or distributed by a commercial organization, explain why SSHRC funds are required.
Note: Established journals publishing in delayed OA or that have APCs must provide an explanation as to how they will transition to immediate open access without a subscription or APCs by 2028 in the “Journal description and outline of future direction” section. Immediate open access without a subscription or APCs will be required for all eligible journals for the 2028 Aid to Scholarly Journals competition.
Directory of Open Access Journals
Select the appropriate Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) status from the menu: “Indexed in DOAJ”; “Aligned with DOAJ inclusion criteria” (if aligned with DOAJ inclusion criteria but not indexed in the directory); or “Neither indexed nor aligned with DOAJ”. DOAJ inclusion criteria can be found in the Guide to applying on the DOAJ website.
Note: All journals will be required to be indexed in the DOAJ or aligned with DOAJ inclusion criteria by 2028. DOAJ criteria include the requirement to publish under an open license (Creative Commons or equivalent). Journals not currently indexed in the DOAJ or aligned with DOAJ inclusion criteria must provide a plan to align with DOAJ criteria by 2028 in the “Journal description and outline of future direction” section.
Research focus
Select appropriate entries for each section by clicking the “List…” button. Duplicate entries are not permitted.
Keywords
List keywords, separated by semicolons, that best describe the journal’s content.
Disciplines and areas of research
Indicate and rank each entry relevant to your proposal, with Entry 1 as the most relevant and the last entry as the least relevant.
Article data
List information about the issues and articles published between June 1, 2023, and May 31, 2025. For established journals, enter minimum and maximum values to account for variations in the quantity of scholarly articles published during this time period. For multi-authored publications, apply the status of the lead author.
An “article” is defined as a record of previously unpublished, high-quality, original research or scholarship that has been accepted for publication after a peer review process. Eligible article types include but are not limited to: research or theoretical articles and/or essays, literature reviews, and nontraditional short-form research results (e.g., podcasts, comics), provided they meet the other criteria of being original, peer reviewed and high quality. Ineligible pieces include: introductions; individual book, article or event reviews; letters to the editor; and editorials.
Journal description and outline of future direction (mandatory)
Maximum three pages for this information: Attach a PDF copy of the journal description and outline of future direction. Include information about the journal’s history, mandate and current focus, including the relevance of the articles published in relation to the journal’s objectives. Describe the distinctiveness of the journal’s content and/or objectives, and the value of the contribution the journal has made to its field(s) of research and to other relevant user communities, if applicable. For emerging journals, describe the potential contribution of the journal to its field(s) of research and relevant user communities, if applicable.
If the figures provided under Article data are not representative of the typical output of the journal, provide an explanation here.
Address potential areas for improvement in the journal’s academic quality or administration. Describe the nature and extent of the journal’s current readership, as well as the journal’s strategies for increasing or broadening the journal’s readership, such as plans to implement publishing best practices (including metadata quality), innovative practices and/or features. Describe plans for the journal’s future direction.
Maximum one additional page: Journals that are currently publishing in delayed OA or have APCs must describe the plan to transition to immediate OA without APCs by 2028. Journals not currently indexed in the DOAJ or aligned with DOAJ inclusion criteria (including the requirement to publish under an open license, Creative Commons or equivalent) must describe the plan to bring the journal into alignment with DOAJ inclusion criteria by 2028.
Description of peer review processes (mandatory)
Attach a PDF copy of the description of the peer review process in place at the journal. Describe the editor-in-chief’s role and how board members contribute to the editorial process. Outline how the journal’s editorial policies and practices help attract original, high-quality contributions. Give evidence of individual editorial board members’ active participation in the process. If the editorial board is assisted by an advisory board or scientific committee, explain that body’s role. Describe in detail how the peer review process is managed. Include information on how referees are selected and used.
Core editorial board / publishing team (mandatory)
Attach a PDF copy of your description of the structure of the core editorial board / publishing team, how board members are chosen and how membership is renewed.
List the current core editorial board / publishing team members and include their:
- names and institutional affiliations;
- professional backgrounds and research interests; and
- roles and responsibilities.
A minimum of one third of the core editorial board must be affiliated with a Canadian postsecondary institution, unless you demonstrate in your application that the journal is owned by a Canadian not-for-profit organization (see “Journal management” section).
Editorial board members (mandatory)
Attach a PDF document listing the names of each member of the current editorial board—excluding the editor-in-chief and any members listed in the previous module (Core editorial board / publishing team). For each member, provide the following information, in table format:
| Family Name | Given Name | Initials | Organization | Department/Division | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Instructions to referees (mandatory)
Attach a PDF copy of the journal’s instructions to its referees.
List of most frequently used referees
Emerging journals are not required to provide a list of the most frequently used referees and may leave this module blank.
For established journals (mandatory): Attach a PDF document listing the referees most often used in the peer review process between June 1, 2023, and May 31, 2025. Indicate their institutional affiliation and the number of articles they each reviewed. We suggest presenting this information in table format for ease of review by merit review committee members.
List of authors (mandatory)
Attach a PDF copy of the list of researchers whose work was accepted or published in the journal between June 1, 2023, and May 31, 2025. For co-authored works, include all authors. List only the author(s) for works that meet the SSHRC definition of an article.
For each author, indicate their institutional affiliation and the number of articles that were published in the journal during the above-noted period. We suggest presenting this information in table format for ease of review by merit review committee members.Tables of contents (mandatory)
Attach a PDF copy of the table of contents for each journal issue published between June 1, 2023, and May 31, 2025.
Funds requested from SSHRC (mandatory)
For each budget year of the grant, select the appropriate per-article funding rate and estimate as accurately as possible the number of peer reviewed articles that will be published. This number will automatically be multiplied by the appropriate per-article funding rate to arrive at the total publication costs requested.
Per-article funding rates:
- $1,800 per article for emerging journals
- $1,000 per article for immediate OA journals that have APCs (gold)
- $1,800 per article for journals that have a subscription and are published in delayed open access with an embargo of 12 months or less
- $2,000 per article for immediate OA journals that don’t require a subscription and do not have APCs (diamond)
Note: Journals applying to the emerging journals stream must select the emerging journals funding rate for the three budget years.
Note: Journals that plan to transition to a model that doesn’t include subscriptions or APCs (diamond) within the first two years of the grant can request the higher per-article rate for the funding year(s) where the journal will be published in immediate OA without APCs. The journal has to describe its plan to transition to immediate OA without subscriptions in the “Journal description and outline of future direction” section. Funding at the higher level will be contingent on the journal confirming it has transitioned to an OA model without subscriptions or APCs. The entire grant payment for that year will be held back until the journal can confirm the transition has been made. For administrative purposes, the transition must be made prior to the payment of the third and final grant installment.
Funds requested from SSHRC must never exceed the maximums allowed. If the journal plans to publish a number of articles per year that would exceed the maximum allowed, the number of articles should be adjusted down to fit within the maximums. The actual number of articles the journal intends to publish may still be indicated in the journal’s publication plan in the “Budget justification and publication plan” section.
For both emerging and established journals, enter the projected costs related to the development and implementation of publishing best practices and/or other innovative practices, to a maximum of $10,000 per year. The total amount requested from SSHRC, including the innovation supplement, cannot exceed $42,400 per year for emerging journals or $52,000 per year for established journals.
Budget justification and publication plan (mandatory)
Attach a PDF copy of the budget justification and publication plan. Justify the number of scholarly articles for which funds are requested by outlining the journal’s publication plan for the grant period. Explain the journal’s projected output in relation to its output to date and in terms of its editorial objectives. If the journal projects a significant increase in output, demonstrate how it will achieve this while maintaining quality.
If the journal is transitioning to a business model that doesn’t include subscriptions or APCs, describe the plan to transition to immediate OA without APCs in the “Journal description and outline of future direction” section.
Describe any publishing best practices, such as technical improvements (e.g., improvement of metadata and dissemination quality, such as: indexing, search functionalities, reference set, metadata standards, digital object identifiers, interoperability, referencing, harvesting, metrics); digital accessibility; diversity, equity and inclusivity best practices; and/or innovative dissemination practices (e.g., developing a social media strategy aimed at increasing the dissemination and impact of the journal’s articles and/or content; developing innovative layouts and structures for articles; producing high quality graphics, videos and podcasts; offering interactivity for after-publication discussions) your journal will put in place during the grant period. Itemize the projected costs related to their development and implementation, and provide a justification for the amount requested under the innovation supplement.
Readership data and impact measures
Note: Emerging journals are not required to provide readership data and impact measures and may leave this module blank. However, emerging journals must provide a description of their plan to acquire and/or increase their readership and impact in the “Journal description and outline of future direction” section.
Established Journals (mandatory): Attach a PDF document listing your readership data and your impact measures between June 1, 2023, and May 31, 2025.
Where available, provide RSS feed statistics, repositories usage statistics (when published articles are also deposited) as well as a consolidated summary of web usage statistics (e.g., Google Analytics) confirming readership figures. Where relevant, provide subscription statistics (e.g., paid, unpaid, individual, institutional).
Web usage statistics can be formatted in the manner most appropriate to the journal.
If possible, specific data elements should be included, such as the:
- average number of visits per day;
- number of visitors per month;
- number of unique visitors per month;
- percentage of new vs. returning visitors;
- average visit duration;
- average number of pages viewed per visit;
- geographic locations of visitors; and
- number of full-text article downloads per month.
If available, include a sampling of article-level data (e.g., views and downloads). If possible, provide the average number of full-text views for the top 20 articles.
If usage statistics have been impacted by circumstances beyond the control of the journal, describe these impacts here.
Include a self-evaluation of the journal’s impact, drawing attention to the impacts and/or influence the articles, essays, book reviews, editorials, etc., have had on the journals’ discipline(s) or subject area, the excellence of the scholars who publish in the journal, and/or the influence publishing in the journal can have on a scholar’s career. Where relevant, provide the names of all indexes and journal aggregators that list the journal. If needed, include any challenges the journal has faced with these service providers.
Exclusion of potential reviewers
List potential reviewers who, in your opinion, would be unlikely to provide an impartial review. Provide a justification for excluding potential reviewers (e.g., experts with whom anyone on the journal’s core publication team has had serious disputes). While SSHRC cannot be bound by this information, it will be taken into consideration in the selection of reviewers.
This information will be held in strictest confidence and will not be provided to reviewers (members of the merit review committee).