Destination Horizon Grants: 2025 Competitions—Applicant Instructions

On this page

• Documents to read before applying
• Am I eligible to apply?
• Application process
• Accommodations and accessibility
• Applicant or project director responsibilities
• Research or financial administrator responsibilities
• Electronic submission process and acknowledgement of receipt of applications
• Collection and use of personal information
• Self-identification information
• Application deadline
• Using the Convergence Portal to prepare your application
• Applicant eligibility (to be completed by applicant / project director)
• Completing the application
• Application details (mandatory)
• Invitations
• Participants
• Fields of research (mandatory)
• Keywords (mandatory)
• Summary of proposal (mandatory)
• Open access and data management
• Supporting documents
• Project description (mandatory)
• Funds requested from SSHRC (mandatory)
• Budget justification (mandatory)
• Funds from other sources (mandatory)
• Letter of support from host organization (mandatory)
• Curriculum vitae
• Career interruptions and special circumstances
• How to connect to ORCID (optional)

Documents to read before applying

For Destination Horizon Grants applicants

• Destination Horizon Grants funding opportunity description
• Research Partnerships

For all grant applicants

• Application deadline
• Institutional Eligibility—Guidelines and Requirements
• Regulations Governing Grant Applications
• Help: Online Application Form Support
• Guidelines for Cash and In-Kind Contributions
• Guidelines for Effective Knowledge Mobilization
• Guidelines for Effective Research Training
• Guidelines for the Merit Review of Indigenous Research
• Definitions of terms used in the grant application process
• Tri-Agency Framework: Responsible Conduct of Research
• Research Data Archiving Policy
• Research Data Management Policy
• Tri-Agency Open Access Policy on Publications

Am I eligible to apply?

Consult the Eligibility section of the funding opportunity description to ensure you can participate in this grant program as an applicant, co-applicant or collaborator.

Application process

Creating an account and application on the Convergence Portal

Creating an account

If you are a new user, you need to create a Convergence Portal account:

• navigate to the Convergence Portal;
• select your preferred language;
• on the log-in page, select “Create my portal account;” and
• follow the instructions on the site and in your confirmation email to finish creating your account.

Creating an application

• Once you have created your account, click the home icon. Select the “Funding Opportunities” tab.
• Find “Destination Horizon Grants.” Click “Create Application.”
• Answer the Participant Eligibility questions, and verify that the information prepopulated from your account profile is correct. Once you have answered all questions, click “Create Application.”
• Select your language of application, then attach your supporting documents. Verify your documents to ensure they have been uploaded correctly and their content is viewable.
• Once you have completed your application, click “Submit to Research Administrator.” Read and accept the Terms and Conditions of the application.

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 SSHRC at 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” (to the research administrator) and accepting the Terms and Conditions, the applicant or project director certifies that all information is accurate.

You are also responsible for:

• completing all mandatory fields;
• attaching mandatory supporting documents; and
• clicking “Submit” 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 (the application’s status will change from “In progress” to “Received by administrator”). You must accept the Terms and Conditions to submit.

Research or financial administrator responsibilities

By clicking “Forward Selected to Agency,” the research administrator, or designated financial administrator for not-for-profit organizations (institutional approval), certifies:

• the primary applicant:
  • is affiliated with the institution or organization; and
  • has the necessary time and facilities to carry out the activity; and
• the postsecondary institution or the 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 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;
  • will notify SSHRC of any changes during the tenure of the grant, such as the addition of new co-applicants and/or collaborators; and
  • has verified the budgetary estimates are in accordance with its rates and policies.

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.

Applications will remain available for download, via the Convergence system, for a period following the application deadline.

Collection and use of personal information

The information you provide in your application is collected under the authority of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Act and stored in a series of SSHRC data banks described in Information about programs and information holdings. Details on the use and disclosure of this information are described on the Collection, Use and Disclosure of Personal Information SSHRC page, in the Convergence Portal, and below. The information is used in accordance with the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act.

Self-identification information

You are required to complete the self-identification form to apply for SSHRC funding. However, you can select “Prefer not to answer” for any or all questions. SSHRC appreciates your participation, which supports the federal research funding agencies (SSHRC, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research) in monitoring the equity of their programs, and in strengthening equity, diversity and inclusion in the research enterprise.

The self-identification information is collected as part of your user profile when you register in the Convergence Portal. It is not part of your application.

Application deadline

Your completed application must be received at SSHRC by 8:00 p.m. (eastern) on the deadline date. You will not be able to access your application for further editing once it is submitted.

Using the Convergence Portal to prepare your application

Complete the application using the Convergence Portal. The Convergence Portal is supported on only the latest versions of Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Apple Safari and Mozilla Firefox. The portal might appear to function in other browsers, but can malfunction: for example, the information entered might not be properly captured in the system, without you being aware. Use of an unsupported browser is strongly discouraged.

• Sign in to the Convergence Portal. If you currently have an account on the Research Portal, use these existing credentials to sign into the Convergence Portal.
• Select Funding Opportunities.
• Select the initiative you wish to apply to.

Applicant eligibility (to be completed by applicant / project director)

• Step 1—Applicant / Project Director Eligibility: Read the eligibility section of the funding opportunity description and answer the portal-generated question to confirm the eligibility of your proposal.
• Step 2—Affiliations: List all your current affiliations and identify your primary affiliation. Select from the drop-down list the organization that will administer the grant. If the name of the organization with which you are applying is not in the list, contact partnerships@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca.
• Step 3—Equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI): Complete the self-identification form, as required, to apply for SSHRC funding; however, you can select “Prefer not to answer” for any or all questions (see Self-identification information for more information).
• Step 4—Fields of research: List your fields of research in the template provided and indicate one as a primary area of research.
• Step 5—Keywords: Provide a minimum of five keywords that best describe, overall, your areas of research.
• Terms and conditions: Accept the terms and conditions to begin the application process.
• Begin application: Complete all sections, including uploading your CV (a PDF attachment up to six pages) based on the CV instructions.

Completing the application

Before writing your proposal, consult the Eligibility section of the funding opportunity description. The headings below match the application sections in the Convergence Portal. Follow the instructions provided in this document, along with the instructions provided onscreen in the Convergence Portal, to complete the application.

As the applicant / project director, you are responsible for completing all sections of the application and submitting it to the research administrator once complete. While co-applicants must complete their own profiles, as the applicant / project director you must verify this has been done before submitting. You must remove any co-applicants who have not completed their profiles before you can Finalize and Submit the application.

As the applicant / project director, you are responsible for verifying the page lengths and proper formatting of any uploaded attachments. If an application contains one or more attachments that do not comply with the page limits or formatting standards, the application could be withdrawn from the competition.

Application details (mandatory)

• Application title: Provide a short, descriptive title for your proposal in nontechnical terms. Restrict use of acronyms (e.g., UN, NATO). Use uppercase for only the first word of the title, proper nouns and acronyms/abbreviations.
• Language of the application: Choose the language in which the application will be submitted.
• Does your proposal involve Indigenous research, as defined by SSHRC?: If your application involves Indigenous research, it will be reviewed in the context of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council's (SSHRC) definition of Indigenous research and its Guidelines for the Merit Review of Indigenous Research.

Invitations

Invite the co-applicants and collaborators for this application. Those invited will receive an email, which will include your name and email address (as the applicant / project director), and the project title, as well as a link to the Convergence Portal. Once they have selected Accept Invitation and completed their own eligibility profile, the co-applicants’ and collaborators’ names will be displayed in the Participants section of your application.

Ensure co-applicants and collaborators invited in this section are eligible for that role by consulting the Eligibility section of the funding opportunity description.

Participants

This section lists all co-applicants and collaborators who have successfully joined the application. If an individual has not accepted your invitation, follow up with them to confirm they have received it. If an invited co-applicant or collaborator is listed as Pending Eligibility, they have accepted your invitation, but not yet completed their eligibility profile. Once a co-applicant has uploaded their CV and completed the CV details section, their status will be listed as Information not finalized. The applicant must then select Finalize information to add the co-applicant to the proposal. Collaborators will be added to the proposal once they have completed their eligibility profile. Co-applicant and collaborator statuses will show as Complete when the required information has been finalized.

Fields of research (mandatory)

List the fields of research that best describe this specific application according to the 2019 version of the Canadian Research and Development Classification (CRDC) (Excel). Provide one primary field of research; but you can list up to a maximum of five fields of research.

Keywords (mandatory)

List between one and 10 keyword entries that best describe this specific application.

Summary of proposal (mandatory)

Provide a clear summary of your proposal, indicating:

• the overall research goal and objectives of the network and/or consortium; and
• how Destination Horizon Grants funding will influence and impact the network and/or consortium’s overall research goals.

Open access and data management

Grant holders must follow the Tri-Agency Open Access Policy on Publications. To the extent possible, and in keeping with this policy and SSHRC’s endorsement of open access forms of knowledge dissemination, grant holders should make their research results openly available through, for example, open access publications, websites, publicly accessible databases and/or institutional repositories. To learn more, see the Open Access overview.

Supporting documents

Instructions for attachments

Prepare your supporting documents, which will be separate attachments, following these requirements:

1. Explain any acronyms and abbreviations.
2. Use only 8 ½" x 11" (216 mm x 279 mm) pages.
3. Use single-spaced text, with no more than six lines of type per inch.
4. Use only black text, using 11 pt. Arial font; condensed fonts will not be accepted.
5. Set margins at a minimum of ¾" (1.87 cm).
6. In multipage attachments, number pages sequentially.
7. Insert the application identification number (e.g., 1012-2025-xxxxx) at the top of each page of each attachment. You will find this number on the top right corner of your application form. A number is automatically assigned to each new application created.
8. Insert the name of the document at the top of the first page of the attachment (e.g., Description of Destination Horizon proposal).
9. Respect the maximum number of pages allowed for each attachment. However, you do not have to reach this limit.

Convert the documents

All attachments must be converted to Portable Document Format (PDF) before you can attach them to the application. The conversion process varies with the operating system and word processing software you are using. If you have questions about converting your documents to PDF, contact your institution’s technical support staff.

Project description (mandatory)

Maximum four pages

You must attach a PDF copy of your Destination Horizon project description. Before writing your proposal, consult the eligibility criteria in the funding opportunity description. Write your proposal in clear, plain language. Avoid jargon, acronyms and highly technical terms.

Include:

• a description of the existing relationships with researchers, partners, networks and/or consortia from European Union and associated countries;
• a description of the overall research goals and specific research objectives of the researchers, partners, networks and/or consortia;
• a description of how Destination Horizon funding and host contributions will support the further development of the network and/or consortium in order to apply to a future  Horizon Europe—Pillar II call for proposal;
• the nature and extent of training, mentoring and employability activities for students, emerging scholars and/or other highly qualified personnel, if applicable; and
• details on how all activities can be undertaken within one year.

Funds requested from SSHRC (mandatory)

Estimate the costs you are asking SSHRC to fund in the template provided for this section (upload as a PDF). Consult the Specific rules for the use of grant funds section of the funding opportunity description. All budget costs must conform to the rates and regulations of the applicant’s institution and take into account the Tri-Agency Guide on Financial Administration’s principles governing the appropriate use of funds. All costs must be justified in terms of the needs of the proposal.

Enter amounts rounded to the nearest dollar without any spaces or commas (e.g., 2000). For blank entries, leave the “0” value.

Personnel costs

For each of the categories below, enter the number of students and non-students you plan to hire, whether as salaried employees or as recipients of stipends.

Student and non-student salaries and benefits

For each applicable category, enter the number of students and non-students to be hired. Specify the total amount to be paid. When students are paid by wage, the amounts should follow the institution’s collective agreement or policy.

Student stipends

You may request stipends for graduate students and postdoctoral researchers. Stipends must be justified in terms of the project objectives. The work performed by stipend recipients should be an integral part of the project. Stipend rates are set by the institution concerned.

Travel and subsistence costs

Enter, by budget year, the total amounts requested for travel abroad and within Canada for both the research team and student personnel.

Travel and subsistence costs must be based on rates approved by the institution or organization that will administer the funds.

Other expenses

Professional or technical services

Consulting fees for professional and technical services are eligible expenditures if the budget justification demonstrates expert advice is needed.

Supplies

You can include other supply items (e.g., software, stationery, postage and telephone calls) only if they directly relate to the research and are not provided by the administering institution to their research personnel or by the employer.

Non-disposable equipment—computer hardware

Purchase or rental of computers and associated hardware is allowable only if these are not provided by the administering institution to their research personnel or by the employer.

Other non-disposable equipment

Purchase or rental of equipment (e.g., audio or video equipment) is allowable only if these are not provided by the administering institution to their research personnel or by the employer.

Other expenses

Specify other research and/or related expenses not already included.

Budget justification (mandatory)

Maximum two pages

Using the categories listed on the Funds requested from SSHRC page, explain how you will use the funds in each budget category to achieve the proposal objectives. For example, under the Student and non-student salaries and benefits categories, explain why these people need to be hired to meet the proposal’s objectives. Applicants are reminded of SSHRC’s mandate to provide training opportunities for students, emerging scholars and other highly qualified personnel, as applicable. Budget costs for research assistants, associates or proposal support personnel who are not students must be fully justified in terms of the needs of the proposal. Justify any funds that appear in the “Other” category.

SSHRC will not fund the full cost of any Destination Horizon proposal. Additional support in the form of cash contributions equivalent to 100% of the amount requested from SSHRC must come from the applicant’s institution. You must outline the overall cost of your proposal and clearly indicate which portion will be paid with SSHRC’s grant. SSHRC suggests including a table showing a cost breakdown of both the funds requested from SSHRC and the matching contributions.

Funds from other sources (mandatory)

Complete the Excel template provided for this section (upload as a PDF). Ensure that you fill in year one only.

List the cash contribution that the administering organization is providing for the proposal (see Guidelines for Cash and In-Kind Contributions). Indicate whether these funds have been confirmed.

Type in the source name and amount, and identify the contribution type.

Letter of support from host organization (mandatory)

Maximum two pages

SSHRC will not fund the full cost of any Destination Horizon proposal. Additional support in the form of cash contributions equivalent to 100% of the amount requested from SSHRC must come from the host organization (see SSHRC’s Guidelines for Cash and In-Kind Contributions for more details).

The host organization letter of support must:

• be signed by someone with signing authority for the host organization;
• include a statement confirming the value of the host organization’s financial contribution; and
• include a statement confirming the host organization will support the applicant in developing future applications to Horizon Europe—Pillar II calls for proposal.

Failure to provide a letter of support that meets these criteria and failure to meet the matching funds requirement could render the application ineligible.

Curriculum vitae

Maximum seven pages

The CV should highlight experiences and outputs over the last six years (unless otherwise specified) that demonstrate innovation, interdisciplinarity, ability to collaborate and/or interest in the funding opportunity topic. Applicants should review the Evaluation criteria and scoring section of the description when preparing their CVs.

There is no limit to the volume of information for each section. You may choose to devote more space to certain sections depending on the nature of your past contributions and experience.

Include the following sections (1-6). Below you will find a few examples of what you may (but are not required to) include for each section:

1. Personal information:
   • Title/role refers to the title or role you hold in your current position at your institution/organization.
   • You may list multiple degrees and/or qualifications, including their completion date, that you believe to be relevant to your role on the application.
2. Personal statement:

   Describe why you are well suited for your role(s) in this application. Examples include (but are not limited to):

   • description of the impact of research, and benefits and impacts to society and science
   • description of the progress/productivity to contextualize results from your research activities that support your current application
   • previous work on the specific topic or related topics
   • expertise
   • lived and/or living experience(s)
   • leadership activities and skills
   • collaborations and/or past performance in the field or related fields
   • factors influencing career trajectory/path
3. Most significant contributions:

   Describe up to five contributions and/or relevant experience(s) you consider significant as they relate to the topic and objectives of the application, throughout your career.

   For each contribution, describe its impact, significance to and use by others.

   A contribution does not have to be a single publication or report. For example, a group of publications on a specific subject could be discussed as one contribution.

   Some examples of contributions include:

   • communication and knowledge translation of research to specialist or non-specialist research users, including the public (e.g., magazine/newspaper articles, media interviews, blogs, social media or public lectures)
   • contributions to advancing equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility in the research ecosystem
   • contributions to supporting traditional knowledge or Indigenous ways of knowing, including cultural practices in the social sciences and humanities context
   • creative outputs, which may include exhibitions, performances, publications, presentations, and film, video and audio recordings
     • List your most recent and significant achievements grouped by category.
     • Creative outputs will be evaluated according to established disciplinary standards and creative and/or artistic merit.
     • If applicable, you may include a website link. SSHRC cannot guarantee links will be accessed.
   • publications, including articles, communications, pre-prints, monographs, memoirs or special papers, review articles, conference/symposia/workshop proceedings, posters and abstracts, government publications, and reports documenting industrial contributions or contributions to engineering practice
     • Indicate trainees for each publication using an asterisk (*) after the trainee name (e.g., Person Doe* or Doe, Person*).
     • If authorship is listed alphabetically rather than lead author first, indicate which author is the lead author by bolding the lead author’s name.
4. Other contributions to knowledge:

   Indicate up to five additional contributions to knowledge creation and/or knowledge sharing/translation in the last six years.

   Refer to the list of examples in the instructions for most significant contributions.

5. Supervisory and mentorship activities:

   Describe how you have helped to mentor and/or train future generations. Mentorship can include formal or informal mentorship activities.

   Some examples of contributions to training and mentoring include (but are not limited to):

   • contributions supporting Indigenous research training
   • development and delivery of training workshops outside of research or course requirements
   • establishment of safe, equitable and inclusive research environments, practices and norms
   • outreach to and engagement with students, youth or members of the general public, including through in-person or online targeted activities or capacity building

   Specify if opportunities for such contributions have been limited because your postsecondary institution does not have graduate degree programs in your field or discipline.

6. Other relevant information:

   Provide any additional information you believe to be relevant to support your role/contribution to the proposed application for funding.

Career interruptions and special circumstances

Maximum one page

SSHRC asks its merit review committees to consider career interruptions and special circumstances that have affected candidates’ record of research. In doing so, merit review committee members will be able to assess the productivity of each researcher more accurately and equitably, independent of any career interruptions or special circumstances in the last six years. Previous productivity is one element that can predict the success of the proposed research project.

All information provided to SSHRC is subject to the Privacy Act. The information included in this section of your application will be shared with both external assessors and merit review committee members for consideration as part of their assessment. Research Office Administrators will also have access to your application when submitting on behalf of the administering organization. For more information, see merit review. All SSHRC merit reviewers are subject to the tri-agency Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality Policy, and are prohibited from sharing this information outside of the merit review process.

Career interruptions occur when researchers are taken away from their research work for an extended period of time for health, administrative, family or other reasons, or reasons related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Special circumstances involve slowdowns in research productivity or any circumstances that impact the progression of academic careers in a distinctive way. Researchers can use this section to indicate their research work was impacted by circumstances related to health (and/or disability), administrative, family, cultural or community responsibilities, socio-economic context, COVID-19, or other factors. For example, applicants from small institutions could indicate their teaching load in this section if the change in workload impacted their research output. Indigenous applicants can use the “Special Circumstances” section of their application form to describe special circumstances that may have had an impact on their academic or career paths.

Use this optional section to outline any career interruptions or special circumstances that have affected your research activities. Provide dates of interruptions and indicate the reason for the delay in general terms (e.g., illness, disability, family loss or illness, cultural or community responsibilities, socio-economic context, COVID-19).

SSHRC offers the following information for your awareness when considering how to describe your details of career interruptions and/or special circumstances:

• Applicants do not need to disclose any personal details of the career interruption or special circumstance.
• Applicants are asked to indicate how their research was impacted by delays to enable the reviewers to make an equitable assessment of the excellence of their research contributions while taking into account the impact of the interruption or special circumstances on their research production.
• Applicants are asked to quantify the impact on their research production as best they can, providing estimates of time or opportunities lost due to the interruption or special circumstances. For example, the amount of time and effort involved in seeking and receiving accommodations would be helpful to inform the committee’s assessment, by accounting for the impact of the special circumstances on the applicant’s research production.

How to connect to ORCID (optional)

1. Log in to the Convergence Portal.
2. Click on the “Connect to ORCID” button, which can be found:
   • in your profile, on the contact information page;
   • when selecting an affiliation during enrolment, or;
   • when adding CV Education, and/or CV Affiliation to the application.
3. Sign in to ORCID and add Convergence to your Trusted Organizations. You will then have access to the activities.
4. Once connected, you can import activities from ORCID into specific areas of the Convergence Portal. For example, in the “Education” tab within your profile, click on “Import from ORCID”, select your record, and click “Import Selected.”