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Canada Graduate Research Scholarship—Doctoral—Applicant instructions

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Documents to read before applying

Application process and deadlines

Accommodations and accessibility

If you need help completing online application forms because of a disability, contact your institution (scholarship liaison officer, research grant office or other applicant support office) as early as possible in the application process to investigate available supports. If your institution cannot provide help, or needs SSHRC to collaborate on a solution, refer to the Accessibility in programs and services webpage for information on requesting assistance or contact accessibility-accessibilite@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca directly. 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:

If submitting a request to accessibility-accessibilite@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca for an adaptive measure, provide:

Applicant responsibilities

You must complete and verify the online Canada Graduate Research Scholarship—Doctoral program (CGRS D) application form and your SSHRC web-based curriculum vitae (SSHRC web CV).

To ensure verification:

It is your responsibility to:

Important notes:

  • Your application must be completed, verified and submitted successfully to be considered in the competition.
  • Your application cannot be successfully verified and submitted until each referee form has been completed.
  • In most cases, your application will need to undergo an internal review before the institution forwards it to the agency for consideration. Contact your institution’s faculty of graduate studies (or its equivalent) for information on internal deadlines.
  • Applications must be submitted prior to the deadline. Late applications will not be considered in the competition.
  • No changes to the contents of the application can be made after it has been submitted.
  • Applications submitted to the incorrect agency are deemed ineligible and will not be submitted to a merit review committee.

For complete details on where to apply, see the table below:

If you are a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or protected person of Canada:

Your status at time of application Where to submit your application

Currently registered in a degree program at a Canadian institution with a doctoral award quota for the selected agency.

This includes if you are registered concurrently at a Canadian institution and a foreign institution (e.g., in a cotutelle).

The Canadian institution where you are currently registered.

Not currently registered in a degree program, but were registered at any other time during the calendar year of application in a degree program at a Canadian institution with a doctoral award quota for the selected agency.

Currently registered at a foreign institution or a Canadian institution without a doctoral award quota for the selected agency.

Directly to the appropriate agency.

Not registered at any time during the calendar year of application in a degree program at a Canadian institution with a doctoral award quota for the selected agency.

If you are an international applicant:

Your status at time of application Where to submit your application

Currently registered in a degree program at a Canadian institution with a doctoral award quota for the selected agency.

The Canadian institution where you are currently registered.

Currently registered at a Canadian institution without a doctoral award quota for the selected agency.

Directly to the appropriate agency.

If you are unsure of your registration status in the calendar year of application, contact your faculty of graduate studies (or its equivalent).

Ensure that you have accurately followed the instructions and provided all required information. SSHRC cannot accept additional information after the application deadline, nor can it confirm the completeness of applications.

Applicants requiring assistance while preparing their application are encouraged to communicate with their institution or with SSHRC’s Research Training Portfolio team at fellowships@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca well in advance of the application deadline.

For applicants submitting directly to SSHRC

The completed application, including the PDF attachments (uploads) and the SSHRC web CV must be submitted electronically using SSHRC’s online system before the application deadline of 8 p.m. (eastern) on October 17. If a deadline falls on a weekend or a public holiday observed in Ontario, where SSHRC's offices are, the online application system will remain open until 8 p.m. (eastern) on the next business day. While it can be viewed and printed, no changes or updates can be made to an application once it has been submitted, either before or after the deadline.

SSHRC strongly encourages applicants to submit applications ahead of the deadline date. Typically, the online system handles a very high volume of users on the last day, which could create delays and put timely submission at risk.

For applicants submitting through a Canadian institution with a doctoral awards quota

Most Canadian degree-granting institutions receive a quota for the number of SSHRC doctoral award applications they can submit to SSHRC’s national competition. If you are submitting through one of the Canadian institutions with a doctoral awards quota, you must submit your application by the date set by your institution, which may be well in advance of SSHRC’s deadline. The institution will coordinate a review of the application and, if recommended, the scholarship liaison officer (SLO) will forward it to SSHRC’s national competition. If changes are required, the SLO will return the application to you.

SLOs will be able to forward applications to SSHRC until 8 p.m. (eastern), November 21. If a deadline falls on a weekend or public holiday observed in Ontario, where SSHRC’s offices are, the online application system will remain open until 8 p.m. (eastern) on the next business day.

Note: Once the application deadline has passed for direct applicants (8:00 p.m. (eastern) on October 17), the application form will be offline and applications will not be accepted for 48 hours. Once back online, only applications from Canadian institutions with a doctoral application quota will be accepted for the November 21 deadline.

Attaching a document

Many modules in your application will require you to attach a PDF file. You must follow the requirements for margins and font size specified in the application portal. An error message will appear if the file you are trying to attach does not meet the required specifications for page length and/or file size. Once you have attached the electronic file, we recommend you click “View attached file” to ensure it is the proper file and it is not corrupted.

Electronic submission process and acknowledgement of receipt of applications

After SSHRC receives your verified and completed application form, the data provided in your application and CVs are transferred to SSHRC’s corporate database. SSHRC will acknowledge receipt of your electronic application form and will assign you an application number. Cite this number in all correspondence with us.

The email acknowledging receipt of your application form will be sent to your primary email address as entered in the CV. It will arrive four to six weeks after the deadline date. If you do not receive an email from the Research Training Portfolio team within six weeks of the deadline date, contact us at fellowships@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca.

You can download a copy of your completed application (with the exception of the Letters of Appraisal) via the SSHRC online system for 30 days after the deadline, after which applications are deleted.

Application profile

Application title

Provide a short, descriptive title for your research proposal using non-technical terms. Restrict use of acronyms (e.g., UN, NATO). Use upper case only for the first word of the title, proper nouns and acronyms. Your application title will automatically be included in the “Activity details” screen.

Preferred selection committee

Based on the subject and discipline(s) of your proposed research, choose the most appropriate committee using the “List…” button.

The disciplines represented by each committee are:

Committee 1 (7521)

Fine arts, literature (all types)

Committee 2 (7522)

Classical archaeology, classical and dead languages, classics, history, mediaeval studies, philosophy, religious studies

Committee 3 (7523)

Anthropology, archaeology (except classical archaeology), archival science, communications and media studies, criminology, demography, environmental studies, folklore, geography, library and information science, sociology, urban and regional studies
Committee 4 (7524)

Education, linguistics, psychology, social work

Committee 5 (7525)

Business, administrative studies, economics, industrial relations, law, management, political science

For example, if your main discipline is women’s or gender studies, choose the appropriate committee for the focus of the research you are working on. For example, if your research involves women’s literature, you should choose Committee 1.

If your main discipline is interdisciplinary studies, choose the appropriate committee for your principal research subject. Committees are composed of experts in the disciplines listed. As SSHRC cannot guarantee expertise in each discipline, select the committee most relevant to your research proposal and career trajectory. Applicants are solely responsible for choosing the relevant review committee.

Supplemental awards

If you wish to be considered for a supplemental award, and meet the eligibility criteria, select the supplement from the drop-down menu. For each supplement selected, provide a maximum one-page justification. Successful applicants will be notified.

Joint or special initiative

If you wish to be considered for a joint or special initiative, and meet the eligibility criteria, select the initiative from the drop-down menu. For each initiative, provide a maximum one-page justification or other required information or form, as applicable. Successful applicants will be notified in the months following the competition results.

Note: By indicating you wish to be considered for a supplement and/or a joint or special initiative, you are agreeing to have SSHRC share information with the partner organization.

Does your proposal involve Indigenous research, as defined by SSHRC??

SSHRC is committed to supporting and promoting research by and with Indigenous Peoples. As such, SSHRC’s Guidelines for the merit review of Indigenous research are provided to merit reviewers to help build understanding of Indigenous research and research-related activities, and to assist committee members in interpreting SSHRC’s specific evaluation criteria in the context of Indigenous research. Concerted efforts are made to include experts in Indigenous research in doctoral merit review committees.

Review SSHRC's Indigenous Research Statement of Principles and its Guidelines for the merit review of Indigenous research. Applications that meet SSHRC’s definition of Indigenous research will be reviewed in the context of these guidelines. Select “Yes” in the application form to signal to the multidisciplinary merit review committee members that your application should be reviewed according to these guidelines.

Option for self-identified Indigenous applicants

If you select this option, you choose to have your doctoral application considered for submission beyond your institution’s doctoral awards quota. Applications from self-identified Indigenous applicants who are required to submit directly to SSHRC are automatically evaluated in the national competition.

For more information, consult SSHRC’s Indigenous Talent Measures.

Program information

Select the appropriate option below:

  1. You are currently registered in a degree program at a Canadian institution with a doctoral awards quota.
  2. You are not currently registered in a degree program but were registered at any other time during the calendar year of application in a degree program at a Canadian institution with a doctoral awards quota.
  3. You are currently registered at an institution without a doctoral awards quota (Canadian or foreign).
  4. You were not registered at any time during the calendar year of application in a degree program at a Canadian institution with a doctoral awards quota.

Organization at time of application

If you selected option A or B, indicate the name of the institution and department. Your application will be sent to this institution for an internal merit review and, if recommended, the institution will forward it to SSHRC’s national competition.

Degree sought through this application

Type in the degree name (e.g., PhD, DPhil, SJD) and select the institution and the department/division that will award the degree. If the institution or department/division is not listed, select “Other” from the list and type the information in the box provided.

Applicants applying to multiple doctoral-level degree programs must list their preferred program and institution in the application form.

Indicate the date you started or expect to start the program for which you seek support.

Expected start date of the award

Indicate when you propose to take up your award should you be successful in the current competition. The award can begin only on the first of May, September or January and should align with the start date of your program. You must not select a start date for the award that precedes the beginning of your program.

Number of months of doctoral studies

Eligibility for CGRS D is based on the number of months of full-time study, including summer months, you completed by December 31 of the calendar year of your application towards the degree for which you are requesting funding. Two terms of part-time study count as one term of full-time study.

The agencies count all studies toward the doctoral degree for which funding is requested, whether or not they were completed in the same program or at the same institution. You must include all previous doctoral-level studies (full-time and part-time) that were credited to the degree for which funding is requested, including studies completed before you were officially registered in your doctoral program.

You must include all previous doctoral-level studies (full-time and part-time) that were credited to the degree for which funding is requested, including studies completed before you were officially registered in your doctoral program. If you studied on a part-time basis or interrupted your studies with your institution’s official approval, you must append an official letter from the institution’s registrar (or assigned designate) to your application, specifying the dates of the change of registration status in your doctoral program.

Languages

Specify the language(s) required to carry out your proposed research and indicate your current proficiency in each.

Areas of study

The information provided in this section refers to your research/study. The information you submit in this section may be used to identify your application for designated funding if it aligns with priority areas identified by the three agencies.

Ethics

State whether or not your proposed research/study will involve human beings as research subjects. If it does, select “Yes,” and consult the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans and submit your proposal to the research ethics board of the institution where you will undertake your research. If applicable, you must also ensure that an ethics review is conducted in the host country (as per article 8.3 of the policy). You do not need to submit your proposal to the research ethics board before submitting your doctoral award application.

Keywords

List keywords, separated by semicolons, that best describe your research / area of study disciplines.

Select appropriate entries under each of the sections below using the “List…” button. Duplicate entries are not permitted.

Disciplines

Indicate and rank up to three disciplines relevant to your proposed research / area of study, with Entry 1 being the most relevant and Entry 3 the least relevant. Entry 1 must be a main discipline (main discipline codes end in 00). Entry 1 cannot be “Health.” “Health” is available as an option only for Entry 2 and Entry 3. For entries 2 and 3, if the applicable discipline is not listed, you can select an entry such as “Other (relevant discipline)” (e.g., Other psychology, Other anthropology, Other sociology) from the list, and provide the information in the box provided.

You can choose “Other (relevant discipline)” only once. For instance, you cannot choose “Other psychology” in Entry 2 and then choose it again in Entry 3. Also, you can only choose “Other” (with an explanation) once.

Example:

Entry 1 Sociology
Entry 2 Other psychology
Entry 3 Other

Areas of research

Indicate and rank up to two areas of research related to your proposed research / area of study, with Entry 1 as the most important and Entry 2 as the next most important.

Temporal period

If applicable, indicate the historical period covered by your proposed research/study.

Geographical regions

If applicable, indicate and rank up to two geographical regions covered by or related to your proposed research/study, with Entry 1 as the most important and Entry 2 as the next most important.

Countries

If applicable, indicate and rank up to five countries covered by or related to your proposed research/study, with Entry 1 as the most important and Entry 5 as the least important.

Research proposal

Maximum two pages

Attach a PDF copy of your research proposal. Write your proposal in clear, plain language. Avoid discipline-specific jargon, acronyms and highly technical terms. Your application will be reviewed by members of a multidisciplinary selection committee, not all of whom will be familiar with your area of research.

Ensure that your text includes the following required elements, especially with respect to your research proposal.

If you are not currently enrolled in a doctoral degree program:

If you are currently enrolled in a doctoral degree program:

Notes:

  • If your proposed research overlaps with areas supported by other federal research funding agencies, justify why you are submitting this proposal to SSHRC rather than to the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council or the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, based on the General guidelines for the eligibility of subject matter at SSHRC. If in doubt about the eligibility of your proposed research, consult SSHRC staff by emailing fellowships@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca before submitting your application.
  • If your project involves Indigenous research, refer to the section Does your proposal involve Indigenous research, as defined by SSHRC? before preparing your proposal.
  • If your project uses a research-creation approach, clearly indicate its research component. Outline the objectives of your research and the context, methodology and expected contribution to the advancement of knowledge.

Bibliography and citations

Maximum five pages

Attach a PDF file that includes:

SSHRC recognizes and allows the use of different referencing styles.

Diversity considerations in research design module

After you’ve answered “yes” or “no” to the question “Do diversity considerations apply to your proposed research design?”, indicate in the text box how diversity considerations are applicable or not to your research proposal (maximum 1,700 characters).

Before completing this module, read the Guide to including diversity considerations in research design for doctoral and postdoctoral award applicants.

Note: Although mandatory, this module is not subject to merit review and is not shared with committee members.

Transcripts

Include up-to-date official transcripts of all your undergraduate and graduate studies in the application. Retain the paper copies of any uploaded transcripts, as you could be asked to provide them for verification purposes.

Up-to-date official transcripts are defined as transcripts issued by the institution’s registrar’s office and dated or issued in the fall session of the year of application (if currently registered) or after the last term completed (if not currently registered).

If you are applying through an eligible Canadian institution, it is your responsibility to confirm the institution’s policy on unofficial transcripts with your faculty of graduate studies (or equivalent) to ensure these can be accepted as part of the institution’s internal review process. The final decision on acceptance of unofficial transcripts in the institutional review process is that of the eligible Canadian institution through which you apply. For the national review process at SSHRC, applications submitted with unofficial transcripts will not be rejected on this basis.

Requirements:
  • If you submit transcripts written in a language other than English or French, you must provide a certified English or French translation.
  • If you are or were registered at an institution that does not provide transcripts, you must instead submit a letter bearing the official institution seal/stamp or a letter signed by the dean of graduate studies, confirming:
    • your program of study;
    • your registration status;
    • the date of initial registration;
    • the degree obtained or sought; and
    • that the institution does not provide transcripts.

Note: Applications without transcripts are considered incomplete as the selection committee(s) will have less information on which to base the assessment.

Official letter to confirm part-time study and/or leave of absence (if applicable)

Maximum one page

If applicable, combine this official letter with the PDF of your transcripts.

In calculating the value and duration of awards, SSHRC assumes that all doctoral studies were full-time and uninterrupted. If, as part of your doctoral studies, you studied part-time, or interrupted your studies with your institution’s official approval, you must upload an official letter from the institution’s registrar (or assigned designate) confirming the change of registration status in your doctoral program (including dates and duration). No deduction of months of study will be made unless you include an official letter with your application.

Allowable inclusions (if applicable)

Maximum one page

If applicable, attach a PDF document indicating your allowable inclusions.

SSHRC asks its selection committees to consider special circumstances that could have affected applicants’ research, professional career, record of academic or research achievement, or completion of degrees. Relevant circumstances could include administrative responsibilities, maternity/parental leave, child-rearing, illness, disability, cultural or community responsibilities, socio-economic context, health-related family responsibilities, trauma and loss, or the COVID-19 pandemic. Specify the dates for any delays or interruptions.

As part of the Indigenous Talent Measures, Indigenous applicants are encouraged to use the “Allowable inclusions” section of their application to describe special circumstances that could have affected their academic or career paths.

All information provided to SSHRC is subject to the Privacy Act. Applicants are reminded that the information included in the “Allowable inclusions” section of their application will be shared with selection committee members for consideration as part of their application. SSHRC merit reviewers cannot share this information outside the merit review process, which is subject to the Tri-Agency Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality policy. For more information, see the principles for SSHRC merit review.

Research contributions, relevant experience and activities

Maximum two pages

Attach a PDF copy of your research contributions, including any knowledge translation outputs, as well as a description of your relevant experience and activities.

Given the page limits, be selective and summarize information where appropriate. Provide information in the two sections listed below. You can only use a maximum of two pages for both sections combined.

Part I—Research contributions

Provide details, as appropriate, on the contributions you list, as follows:

Note: A thesis is not considered a refereed publication.

Include all relevant information in the application package. Do not refer members to URLs or other publications for supplemental information, except for examples of your research-creation achievements.

Group your contributions by category in the following order, listing your most recent contributions first:

Refereed contributions

Examples include books (where applicable, subdivide according to those that are single-authored, co-authored and edited works), monographs, book chapters, articles in scholarly refereed journals, conference proceedings, etc.

Other refereed contributions

Examples include papers presented at scholarly meetings or conferences, articles in professional or trade journals, etc.

Non-refereed contributions

Examples include book reviews, published reviews of your work, research reports, policy papers, public lectures, posters, community products, etc.

Forthcoming contributions

Indicate one of the following statuses: “submitted,” “revised and submitted,” “accepted” or “in press.” Provide the name of the journal or book publisher and the number of pages. Contributions not yet submitted should not be listed.

Creative outputs

Applicants whose research outputs include an artistic creation can list their most significant achievements, starting with the most recent, in a separate category: “Creative outputs.” Examples of creative outputs include exhibitions, performances, publications, presentations, and film, video and audio recordings.

Although it is possible to list research contributions, SSHRC recognizes that some applicants might not yet have publications or other research contributions to list.

Note: Contributions in the context of Indigenous research can be listed within existing or additional categories, in line with the Scholarships and fellowships section of the guidelines for the merit review of Indigenous research.

Part II—Applicant’s statement

In this section, group your comments under the following headings:

Relevant experience

Describe the research abilities you have gained through your past research experience, including special projects, honours/master’s thesis, co-op reports, etc. If you have relevant work experience, discuss its relevance to your proposed area of study/research and any benefits you gained from it.

This section can also be used to describe any training relevant to your proposed research, such as knowledge gained through lived experience and traditional teachings.

Relevant activities

Describe your participation in relevant professional, academic and extracurricular activities, as well as collaborations with supervisors, colleagues, peers, students and community members, such as:

Supplement justification (if applicable)

Provide a maximum one-page justification for each supplement selected in the “Application profile” section indicating how your research proposal responds to the supplement’s objectives.

Aileen D. Ross Fellowship

Queen’s Fellowship

Successful candidates will be notified.

Joint or special initiatives justification (if applicable)

Provide a maximum one-page justification per initiative selected in the “Application profile” section, indicating how your proposed research responds to the initiative’s objectives.

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation-SSHRC Housing Research Scholarship Program

SSHRC and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) partner to offer doctoral awards to individuals conducting social sciences and humanities research in areas related to the National Housing Strategy’s priority areas for action. The CMHC-SSHRC Housing Research doctoral awards are valued at $40,000 per year and are tenable for up to 12 months. Learn more about the CMHC-SSHRC Housing Research Scholarship Program. If you are offered a SSHRC CGRS D, the CMHC-SSHRC Housing Research Scholarship would replace the first year of funding of your CGRS D award. After that, the award would resume for the remainder of the funding previously accepted.

To be considered for this initiative, you must:

Department of National Defence MINDS Scholarship Initiative

SSHRC and the Department of National Defence (DND) partner to offer doctoral awards to individuals conducting social sciences and humanities research in areas related to the Mobilizing Insights in Defence and Security (MINDS) Policy Challenges and/or Canada’s defence policy, Strong, Secure, Engaged. The MINDS Initiative Doctoral Awards are valued at $35,000 per year and are tenable for up to 36 months. Learn more about the MINDS Scholarship Initiative.

To be considered for this initiative, you must:

Mitacs Training

As part of a joint initiative with Mitacs, SSHRC offers access to Mitacs training for doctoral award holders. The curriculum is designed to build competencies in five key areas recognized as vital to professional success: professional and career fundamentals; interpersonal skills; communication; leadership and management; and entrepreneurialism.

To express their interest in this training opportunity, SSHRC doctoral award candidates may select the “Mitacs Training” option from the drop-down menu in their SSHRC application form. 

SSHRC CGRS D recipients will be provided instructions for accessing Mitacs Training as part of their results package.

Note: By indicating you wish to be considered for a supplement and/or a joint or special initiative, you are agreeing to have SSHRC share information with the partner organization.

Sport Participation Research Initiative

SSHRC partners with Canadian Heritage through the Sport Participation Research Initiative to provide doctoral award supplements.

To be considered for funding under this initiative, you must:

Successful applicants will be notified.

Referees

Instructions for requesting letters of appraisal

Enter the family name, given name and email address of each referee. These fields will be used to autopopulate the referee form.

After the data are saved, the system will automatically generate an email to each person, inviting them to complete a Letter of Appraisal form.

Inform your referees that they will receive an email with the subject line “Invitation to provide a letter of appraisal—Invitation à fournir une lettre d’appréciation.”

It is your responsibility to ensure that each invited person completes and verifies the form before the application deadline. Note that the application deadline for candidates applying directly to SSHRC is October 17. Applicants applying through a Canadian institution with a doctoral awards quota should consult with their faculty of graduate studies (or its equivalent) to confirm their institution’s internal application deadline.

Status Definition
Email sent—Letter of Appraisal form not yet created The referee has not yet accepted the invitation. If the referee has deleted the system-generated invitation email by error, click “Resend email” to send the same invitation to the referee.
Referee unable to complete the form The referee has declined the invitation, which will be confirmed through a system-generated email that notifies you. You must remove the person from the application by clicking “Clear entry.” You can then add a new referee.
Referee form created The referee has accepted the invitation. Referees who have accepted will be able to view an electronic version of your application form to inform their reference.
Referee form completed The referee has submitted the form. The referee’s letter will be attached to your application only after it has been submitted.

Your application cannot be successfully verified and submitted until each referee form has been completed.

Note: You will not be able to view the appraisals at the time you complete and submit your application.

It is your responsibility to ensure that all required application components have been submitted (including all attachments and letters). The system does not accept incomplete applications.

Notify your referees in advance that they will be receiving an invitation because firewalls and/or spam filters could limit their ability to receive the official system email invitation to complete a Letter of Appraisal form.

Make sure you give your referees enough time to complete and submit their support letter so that your application can be submitted in advance of the deadline date. Typically, the online system handles a very high volume of users on the last day, which could create delays and put timely submission at risk.

Letter of appraisal requirements
  • Provide information about the two referees who will each complete a Letter of Appraisal form, as instructed above.
  • Complete applications must include two letters of appraisal of one page each. Additional letters or pages will not be accepted.
  • Referees should have had sufficient opportunity to assess your research ability and potential and the relevance of your experience and achievements obtained within and beyond academia, as described in the selection criteria.
  • One referee should be very familiar with your research and abilities (i.e., current or previous research supervisor) and the other should be sufficiently familiar with your research and abilities to provide a meaningful commentary.
  • Letters of appraisal provided in formats other than the form provided will not be accepted.

Contact information

For help with technical difficulties, contact the helpdesk:

Phone: 613-995-4273
Email: webgrants@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca

If you have additional questions, contact:

SSHRC Canada Graduate Research Scholarship—Doctoral

Toll-free: 1-855-275-2861
Email: fellowships@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca


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