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The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) is Canada's federal funding agency for university-based research and graduate training in the social sciences and humanities. The council administers programs of fellowships for research training, grants for research, scholarly publications and exchanges, conferences, and other research-related activities.
From April 1st 2023 to March 31st, it received over 13,200 funding applications and awarded over 5,100 new grants and fellowships. 65% of Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships are held by Canadian students, and 35% by international students. Its clientele consists of approximately 54% of the full-time professors and 55% of the full-time graduate students at Canadian universities.
SSHRC's Mission
Created in 1977 by an Act of Parliament, SSHRC began operations on April 1st, 1978, taking over the programs previously administered by the Canada Council for the Arts' humanities and social sciences division. Its other federally funded sister research councils are the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council. SSHRC is governed by an appointed council selected from the academic community and other groups. It reports to Parliament through the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry.
SSHRC's mission includes supporting high-quality research and research training designed to help Canadians understand the evolving nature of our society and address emerging challenges and opportunities. It also extends the benefits of research by promoting the transfer of knowledge among researchers, research partners, policy-makers and other stakeholders within Canadian society.
As of 2024, SSHRC has a staff of 379 (from 205 in 2014), based in Ottawa. Its 2008-09 budget (approved by Parliament) was approximately $319 million and increased significantly in the next 15 years. The federal budget of 2024 provided SSHRC 1.8 billion over five years.
The type of research funded ranges from proposals of individual scholars to major collaborative research initiatives involving networks or teams of researchers in universities and their community partners. The SSHRC's priorities include to: invest in the renewal and continued excellence of Canadian research in the social sciences and humanities; support advanced, high-quality research training and an effective research training environment; ensure that knowledge generates benefits for Canadians; sustain a strong and balanced research environment; and strengthen SSHRC's governance and internal operations.
