Indigenous Science and the Impacts of Plastic Pollution: 2025 Competition—Application Instructions

On this page

• Important links
• Helpful tips
• Accommodations and accessibility
• Collection and use of personal information
• Self-identification information
• Open access and data management
• Am I eligible to apply?
• Application process
• Applicant or project director responsibilities
• Research or financial administrator responsibilities
• Electronic submission process and acknowledgement of receipt of applications
• 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
• Partner organizations (required)
• Fields of Research (mandatory)
• Keywords (mandatory)
• Summary of Proposal (mandatory)
• Proposed Budget (mandatory)
• Certifications, Licenses and Permits
• Sensitive Technology Research Areas
• Reviewer Exclusions (if applicable)
• Supporting documents
• Project Description (mandatory)
• Goal and research program description (five pages)
• Description of partnership (four pages)
• Training and mentoring (one page)
• Knowledge mobilization plan (two pages)
• List of references or bibliography (maximum 10 pages) (mandatory)
• Funds requested from SSHRC (mandatory)
• Budget justification (maximum two pages) (mandatory)
• Funds from other sources
• Letters of support from partner organizations (maximum 2 pages per partner) (mandatory)
• List of potential partner organizations (maximum 2 pages) (if applicable)
• Research-creation support material (maximum 1 page) (if applicable)
• Impact assessment (Appendix A) (if applicable)
• Tri-agency CV Document
• Sensitive Technology Research Areas (if applicable)
• Submitting the application
• How to connect to ORCID (optional)

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Important links

For this joint initiative

• Indigenous Science and the Impacts of Plastic Pollution funding opportunity description, including information on co-director, co-applicant and collaborator eligibility
• SSHRC’s definitions of partner organization, formal partnership and knowledge mobilization
• Research Partnerships program description
• SSHRC Salary Research Allowances policy

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 the merit review of Indigenous research
• Guidelines for research-creation support materials
• Guidelines for support of tools for research and related activities
• Definitions of terms used in the grant application process
• Tri-Agency Framework: Responsible Conduct of Research
• Tri-Agency Research Data Management Policy
• Tri-agency Guide on Financial Administration
• Tri-Agency Open Access Policy on Publications
• Policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern

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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.

The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (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.

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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, 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:

• 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).

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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 the 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.

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Self-identification information

You must 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 granting agencies (SSHRC, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research) in monitoring the equity of their programs and 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 and is neither accessible to, nor shared with, external reviewers and/or merit review committee members.

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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.

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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-director, co-applicant or collaborator.

Applications for the Indigenous Science and the Impacts of Plastic Pollution funding opportunity can be submitted by a team of researchers (consisting of one applicant / project director and one or more co-directors, co-applicants and/or collaborators). The applicant / project director prepares the application on behalf of the partner organizations of the formal partnership. Applicants must be affiliated with a Canadian institution or Indigenous not-for-profit organization that meets the institutional eligibility requirements before funding can be released.

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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.

For information on connecting to ORCID, see below.

Creating an application

• Once you have created your account, click the home icon. Select the “Funding Opportunities” tab.
• Find the funding opportunity or joint initiative you are applying for. Click “Create Application”.
• Answer the Participant Eligibility questions. Once you have answered all questions, click “Accept” on the Terms and Conditions page.
• Click “View Application” to navigate to the application just created.
• Complete the “My Information” section of the application by selecting existing entries in your profile or by adding them directly. There are four main sections:
  • CV Education
  • CV Affiliations
  • CV Interruptions and Special Circumstances
  • TCV Document
• Verify your documents to ensure they have been uploaded correctly and their content is viewable.

  Please note that once the “Finalize Information” button has been clicked for the CV information included in the “My Information” section, it will not be possible to make any changes to your attachments.

• Once you have completed your application, click “Finalize and Submit”.
• Read and “Accept” the terms and conditions of the application.

If you leave the Portal before completing and submitting your application, you can find your draft application listed under the “Applications” tab when you log back in.

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Applicant or project director responsibilities

By 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 “Accept” 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.

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Research or financial administrator responsibilities

By clicking “Forward 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 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 that the budgetary estimates are in accordance with its rates and policies.

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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.

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Application deadline

Your completed application must be received at SSHRC by 8:00 p.m. (eastern) on the deadline date of October 16, 2025. You will not be able to access your application for further editing once it is submitted.

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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.

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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 institution that will administer the grant. If the name of the institution 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: Select your fields of research 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 tri-agency CV (a PDF attachment) based on the Tri-agency CV instructions.

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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-directors and 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-directors or 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.

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Application Details (mandatory)

Application title

Provide a short, descriptive title for your proposal in nontechnical terms. Restrict use of acronyms (e.g., UN, GoC). Use uppercase for only the first word of the title and for proper nouns and acronyms.

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 SSHRC’s definition of Indigenous research and its Guidelines for the Merit Review of Indigenous Research.

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Invitations

Invite the co-directors, 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 application title, as well as a link to the Convergence Portal. Once they have selected Accept Invitation and completed their own eligibility profile, the co-directors’, co-applicants’ and collaborators’ names will be displayed in the Participants section of your application.

Co-directors and co-applicants must upload a tri-agency CV. Refer to the Tri-Agency CV Document section below.

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

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Participants

This section lists co-directors, co-applicants and collaborators who have successfully joined the application. If a participant has not accepted the invitation, follow up with them to confirm they have received it. If a participant is listed as Pending Eligibility, this means they have accepted your invitation but have not yet completed their eligibility profile.

Once a co-director or co-applicant has uploaded their tri-agency CV in the Tri-Agency CV Document module and completed the My Information section, their status will be listed as Information not finalized. The applicant must then click on Finalize information to add the co-director or co-applicant to the application. It is important to review the information of the participant to ensure correctness as this action cannot be undone.

Collaborators will be added to the proposal once they have completed their eligibility profile. Participant statuses will show as Complete when the required information has been finalized.

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Partner organizations (required)

List the partner organizations that have agreed to participate in the formal partnership. Include the contact information of each partner organization contact person. If the organization to which the applicant is affiliated wishes to participate as a partner organization, the project director must list it in this section. For this joint initiative, at least one partner organization must be an Indigenous partner in Canada.

Upload letters of support from each partner organization and include cash and in-kind contributions in the Supporting Documents section as outlined below.

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Fields of Research (mandatory)

List the fields of research that best describe this specific application according to the 2020 version of the Canadian Research and Development Classification (CRDC) (Version 2.0).

You must provide one primary field of research. You may add up to a maximum of five fields of research directly related to the project.

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Keywords (mandatory)

List between one and 10 keyword entries that best describe this specific application. Commas are accepted as part of multiple words that make up one keyword. Use the enter key to add your keyword.

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Summary of Proposal (mandatory)

Provide a clear summary of your proposal, indicating:

• the main research objectives, theme(s) and expected outcomes
• how the research fits within the program and research objectives and theme(s)
• the novelty of the project and main concepts and approaches
• members of the team, their expertise and expected contributions
• overview of budget request
• training and mentoring plans
• key elements of a proposed knowledge mobilization plan and key elements of a proposed data management plan
• relevance of the project to Canada and any project partners

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Proposed Budget (mandatory)

Enter the yearly amounts requested. Ensure your proposed budget does not exceed the maximum amount that can be requested per year or the maximum number of years that can be requested.

Additional budget details are required in the Supporting documents section (i.e., “Funds requested from SSHRC” and “Budget justification” attachments). Ensure the total amounts requested from SSHRC correspond with those submitted in the “Funds requested from SSHRC” detailed budget table in the Supporting documents section.

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Certifications, Licenses and Permits

Complete this section by answering the questions as they relate to the proposed research project.

State whether or not your proposal involves human beings as research subjects. If it does, select “Yes”, consult the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans and submit your proposal to your organization’s research ethics board.

If none of the above situations apply to your proposed research activities, you do not need to complete or submit the Impact Assessment Form in the Supporting documents section.

The Impact Assessment Form (Appendix A) must be completed and submitted with grant applications only if at least one of the following situations applies to your research or research-related activities, as per the Impact Assessment Act, 2019 (IAA):

• any phase of the proposed research takes place on federal lands, other than lands under the administration and control of the Commissioner of Yukon, the Northwest Territories or Nunavut, as interpreted in section 2 of the IAA;
• any phase of the proposed research takes place in a country other than Canada;
• the grant funds permit a designated project (listed in the Physical Activities Regulations) to be carried out in whole or in part; or
• any phase of the proposed research depends on a designated project (listed in the Physical Activities Regulations) being led or carried out by an organization other than SSHRC.

The first two points apply only to designated projects / physical activities listed in the Physical Activities Regulations (e.g., projects that involve physical work / alterations to the land or environment).

If none of the above situations apply to your proposed research or research-related activities, Appendix A is not needed in the Supporting documents section.

For more information, see SSHRC’s Guidelines on Impact Assessment.

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Sensitive Technology Research Areas

In accordance with the Policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern (STRAC), the applicant must indicate whether research and related activities funded by this grant will aim to advance any of the areas in the Sensitive Technology Research Areas (STRAs) list.

If you answered “No”, you will not need to take any further steps under this policy.

If you answered “Yes”, you must collect and submit attestation forms from the applicant, co-applicants and collaborators, as applicable, certifying that they have read, understand and are compliant with this policy. Attestation forms must be merged into a single PDF file and uploaded in the Supporting documents section. Should your application be successful, you and your research team(s) will also be required to comply with the policy for the duration of the grant that aims to advance one or more STRAs.

For more information, read the tri-agency guidance for this policy.

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Reviewer Exclusions (if applicable)

List potential reviewers who, in your opinion, would be unlikely to provide an impartial review. 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 members of the adjudication committee.

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Supporting documents

Instructions for attachments

Prepare your supporting documents, which will be separate attachments, following these requirements (for the tri-agency CV, see the tri-agency CV page):

1. Explain any acronyms and abbreviations.
2. Size all pages to 8 ½" x 11" (216 mm x 279 mm).
3. Use a minimum of single line spacing (no narrow spacing).
4. Put all text in 12 pt, Arial, black font with standard (not condensed) character spacing.
5. Apply any different fonts and sizes only in tables, figures and legends. However, all text must be clear and readable when the page is displayed at its normal size of 100%. Do not use condensed fonts.
6. Set minimum margins of 0.79″ (2 cm) around all pages.
7. Number pages sequentially in multipage attachments.
8. Include the application identification number (e.g., 876-2025-xxxxx) at the top of each page of each attachment.
9. Include the document name at the top of the first page of each attachment (e.g., Proposal).
10. Respect the maximum number of pages allowed for each attachment (if applicable).
11. Before uploading, save/export your attachment as an unprotected PDF (i.e., without security measures locking or password protecting the document).
12. Each uploaded PDF cannot exceed 5 MB.

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.

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Project Description (mandatory)

You must attach a PDF copy of your research program description. Before writing your proposal, consult the eligibility criteria in the funding opportunity description. Write your proposal in clear, plain language for a multidisciplinary review committee. Avoid jargon, acronyms and highly technical terms.

The following sections must be addressed in one document and uploaded following the instructions for attachments above. The page limits indicated for each section are suggestions, but the maximum limit of 12 pages is firm. You must follow the order of the sections. Use of headings is highly encouraged.

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Goal and research program description (five pages)

Before writing your proposal, consult the evaluation criteria in the funding opportunity description. SSHRC encourages the use of tables and charts, as they are often the most effective and efficient way to capture the proposed structure and coordination of formal partnerships and activities.

Provide the following information in your description:

• Clearly justify your proposal in relation to the stated goal and objectives in the Indigenous Science and the Impacts of Plastic Pollution joint initiative funding opportunity description and outline the overall goal and specific objectives that the partnership will address during the lifespan of the grant.
• Demonstrate the relevance and significance of these objectives to Canada and for all the participating partner organizations from the not-for-profit, public and private sector, including a description of the co-construction of knowledge with partner organizations.
• Describe the proposed project’s originality, significance and expected contribution to knowledge in the social sciences and/or humanities.
• Demonstrate the appropriateness of the theoretical and methodological approaches (including the co-creation of knowledge) that will be chosen to meet the stated objectives. Include a literature review. SSHRC encourages applicants / project directors to discuss, if applicable, how research data arising from the project will be managed, including collection, preservation and sharing.
• Provide a timeline for the project with key milestones for meeting the objectives, including progress indicators.

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Description of partnership (four pages)

Define and describe the partnership. In this section, explain:

• the members of the team, their expertise and expected contributions, including how organizations will participate in the intellectual leadership of the partnership;
• why a partnership approach is appropriate for the proposed activities, and demonstrate, specifically, how such a partnership adds value beyond what could be achieved through other approaches;
• the partnership’s governance structure, clearly demonstrating the involvement of key partner organizations in the decision-making process and explaining the conditions, if any, under which they are participating (you may wish to include a diagram to illustrate the governance structure); and
• how partner organizations will benefit from participating in the partnership, including the expected outcomes and potential for the project results to have influence and impact for partner organizations.
  

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Training and mentoring (one page)

It is expected that students, emerging scholars (e.g., postdoctoral researchers and other scholars in similar situations) and/or other highly qualified personnel (e.g., Indigenous Elders, community members, practitioners, subject matter experts) will meaningfully participate in the proposed initiatives. In this section, clearly describe the specific roles and responsibilities of each group: those who will receive training and mentoring and those who will provide it, indicating the work they will be undertaking. Consult the Guidelines for Effective Research Training in preparing this section of the application. These guidelines will also be provided to reviewers.

Include:

• the nature and extent of training, mentoring and employability activities
• the capacity of the applicant / project director and team members to provide the proposed training, mentoring and employability activities
• the anticipated number of students, emerging scholars and/or other highly qualified personnel (where applicable, indicate the level of study—i.e., undergraduate, master’s or doctoral) to be trained and mentored
• any career development opportunities, as well as the nature and level of specialized skills that the students, emerging scholars and/or other highly qualified personnel will develop as a result of their participation

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Knowledge mobilization plan (two pages)

Include a plan to increase knowledge uptake by target audiences, including culturally appropriate exchange and engagement with Indigenous Peoples and other partners and stakeholders within and/or beyond the research community, anticipated outputs, and outcomes and/or impacts among various appropriate audiences or participants (academic and/or non-academic). Dissemination of knowledge in both official languages as well as Indigenous languages is encouraged when feasible and/or appropriate.

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List of references or bibliography (maximum 10 pages) (mandatory)

List all references cited or works referred to in your proposal. SSHRC recognizes and allows the use of different referencing styles.

If you have included references by the applicant / project director, co-directors, co-applicants or collaborators, indicate these in bold type.

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Funds requested from SSHRC (mandatory)

For each budget year, estimate the costs you are asking SSHRC to fund using the Excel template provided for this section (which you will upload as a PDF). Ensure that the totals match the figures entered in the Proposed budget section of the Convergence application form. 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 / project director’s institution and take into account the Tri-agency Guide on Financial Administration principles governing the appropriate use of funds.

All costs must be justified in terms of the needs of the proposed project, including costs for organizing and integrating team activities, and for communicating results to audiences, stakeholders and the public. The budget will be reviewed according to the appropriateness of the requested budget, and to the justification of other planned resources (e.g., time, human and financial), including cash and in-kind support already or to be secured from partner organizations (see Guidelines for Cash and In-Kind Contributions).

SSHRC provides the following guidelines to committee members regarding the review of the budget subcriteria of the overall Feasibility score:

• Committees can consider failing an application on the Feasibility criterion if they determine that 30% or more of the overall budget request is insufficiently justified and/or not appropriate to the proposed objectives or outcomes of the application.
• Committees will use the principle of minimum essential funding to guide their budget discussions.
• Committees can recommend minor budget reductions when they determine the request is inadequately justified and/or not appropriate as described above, and where they judge that savings could be achieved without jeopardizing the proposal’s objectives.

Enter amounts rounded to the nearest dollar. Only enter amounts for two years, per the funding for this joint initiative.

Personnel costs

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

Student and nonstudent salaries and benefits

For each applicable category, enter the number of students and nonstudents 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 research, research training and/or research-related objectives. The work performed by stipend recipients should be an integral part of the project. Stipend rates are set by the institution concerned.

Other—Salary research allowances

Salary research allowances are an eligible expense. These stipends are paid to a Canadian not-for-profit organization to cover up to 50% of the annual salary of an employee who is being temporarily replaced because they will be devoting their time as an applicant, co-director or a co-applicant on a SSHRC-funded research grant. The request for a salary research allowance must be justified in the proposal.

Salary research allowances can be used only by not-for-profit organizations that have applicants, co-directors or co-applicants listed on the grant team. Postsecondary institutions and governmental organizations are not eligible for salary research allowances.

A salary research allowance is not a salary for the project director, co-director or co-applicant, but is paid to the Canadian not-for-profit organization to offset the costs of replacing its employee.

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. Project directors must obtain the lowest possible travel fares.

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.

Nondisposable 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 nondisposable 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.

Tools for research and related activities

For tools for research and related activities, select “Other expenses” and specify “Tools.” You must combine all requested expenses related to tools (i.e., for software, equipment, and professional and technical services) into this category. You must then elaborate on these items in the Budget justification section. Consult SSHRC’s Guidelines for Support of Tools for Research and Related Activities for more information on social sciences and humanities tools.

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Budget justification (maximum two pages) (mandatory)

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 project objectives. For example, under the Student and non-student salaries and benefits categories, explain why these individuals need to be hired to meet the project’s objectives. Applicants are reminded of SSHRC’s mandate to provide training opportunities for students, emerging scholars and other highly qualified personnel, as applicable. Justify any funds that appear in the category “Other.” Only provide amounts for the two years of funding for this joint initiative.

For tools for research and related activities: Within the page limit, you must include in your Budget justification a table clearly indicating amounts by item (e.g., professional/technical services, supplies). This presentation is mandatory, as these separate amounts cannot be included individually in the Funds requested from SSHRC template form. Provide clear justification for each item proposed.

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Funds from other sources

Complete the Excel template provided for this section (which you will upload as a PDF). Ensure that you fill in only year one through year two. See details in the Requirements section of the funding opportunity description.

List all contributors (e.g., host institution or organization, individuals, philanthropic foundations and private-sector organizations) that are providing cash and/or in-kind contributions for the proposal. Indicate whether these funds have been confirmed.

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

If you have received more than one contribution of the same type (i.e., cash or in-kind) from a single funding source and with the same confirmation status, you must combine these into one entry (e.g., two confirmed $20,000 cash contributions from a university become one confirmed $40,000 cash contribution). Enter amounts rounded off to the nearest dollar, in Canadian currency.

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Letters of support from partner organizations (maximum 2 pages per partner) (mandatory)

Upload a letter of support from each confirmed partner organization. The administering organization may also be a partner organization and provide a letter of support. Letters of support must be written on official letterhead and must include the following information:

• the relevance and significance of the project objectives for the partner organization;
• the exact nature of the involvement of the partner organization in the project, including the intellectual leadership and governance of the partnership, where appropriate;
• precise details on any financial, in-kind contributions and/or other type of contribution (e.g., social or linguistic capital) to be provided by the partner organization; and
• the expected outcomes and benefits that the partner organization wishes to achieve from this research.

This funding opportunity requires at least one Indigenous organization as a partner organization. The letter of support must also explain how this partner meets the requirement.

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List of potential partner organizations (maximum 2 pages) (if applicable)

Attach a list of the potential partner organizations you plan to engage during the lifetime of your grant. Include website links, if available. Additionally, indicate whether each partner listed has been invited to participate.

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Research-creation support material (maximum 1 page) (if applicable)

If your research proposal is a research-creation project, you can include a website link to provide samples of work that best illustrate the qualifications of the team and/or the nature of the proposed research-creation. See SSHRC’s Guidelines for Research-Creation Support Materials for more information.

When including a website link, follow these instructions:

• Provide the complete and exact URL and indicate the path to access the intended support material on the website.
• Include a list of works or excerpts of works to which you would like to direct the reviewers (e.g., images, audio, video, written material). Provide titles, dates of creation/production and a brief context for the works presented. Explain why you are including these items and how they relate to your proposed project.
• Ensure the website and all links involved will be operational up to six months after the application deadline.

SSHRC reserves the right to remove this section from the application if it does not relate to research-creation. SSHRC assumes no responsibility in cases where links provided are broken or the server is unavailable during the merit review period. Reasonable efforts will be made to view or listen to support material; however, due to technical challenges, SSHRC cannot guarantee the samples will be accessed. Reviewers will have very limited time per application to view, read or listen to samples of work. Only links provided in the support material attachment will be used by merit reviewers.

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Impact assessment (Appendix A) (if applicable)

Follow the on-screen instructions in the application and attach the Impact Assessment Form (Appendix A) in the Supporting documents if the system directs you to do so.

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Tri-agency CV Document

Project directors, co-directors and co-applicants must follow the instructions on the tri-agency CV page and complete the tri-agency CV template. For this funding opportunity, there is no option to submit additional information through an appendix to the tri-agency CV template. Any information submitted beyond the limits stated in the instructions will be removed before merit review.

Upload the PDF version of the tri-agency CV directly in the Tri-agency CV Document module in the Convergence Portal. Once the CV has been successfully uploaded, the Status column will show a green checkmark indicating the document has been uploaded.

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Sensitive Technology Research Areas (if applicable)

Follow the on-screen instructions in the application and attach the Attestation Forms in the Supporting documents if the system directs you to do so.

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Submitting the application

Review your application to ensure it is complete. Follow the prompts from the Finalize Application section to submit it.

After you accept the terms and conditions, the status of your submission will change to Received by Administrator. If you want to make any changes at this point, you may request that your research grants office (research administrator) return it to you. Once your research administrator has approved and submitted your application, the application status will be changed to Received by Agency. No further changes can be made. If the research administrator does not forward the application, it will expire.

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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.”