Guidelines and Application

Through the SSHRC Institutional Grant (SIG) the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada provides annual block grants to universities to help fund small-scale research and research-related activities by their faculty and students in the social sciences and humanities. SIG funds are intended to help Canadian postsecondary institutions strengthen research excellence in the social sciences and humanities.

SIG funds will be offered as two grant types:

SSHRC Explore Grants, which:

• support social sciences and humanities researchers with modest research funding requirements at any stage of career;
• allow for small-scale innovation and experimentation by providing funding to develop a research project or conduct pilot work; and
• enable researchers to hire students at any level to participate in their research projects thereby contributing to their professional development.

SSHRC Exchange Grants, which:

• support the organization of small-scale knowledge mobilization activities, such as workshops and seminars, in order to encourage collaboration and the dissemination of research results both within and beyond the academic community; and
• allow researchers to present their research at scholarly conferences and other dissemination venues that align with SSHRC’s mandate in order to advance their careers and encourage the exchange of ideas and research results at the national and international level.
• SSHRC expects that all SIG-funded research training will incorporate appropriate dimensions of the Guidelines for Effective Research Training.

SIG Applicant Eligibility

• Recipients must be affiliated with a SSHRC eligible Canadian postsecondary institution and must maintain such an affiliation for the duration of the grant period. Researchers who maintain an affiliation with a Canadian postsecondary institution, but whose primary affiliation is with a non-Canadian institution, are not eligible to hold these grants.
• Students are not eligible to hold SIG-funded grants; however, SSHRC encourages researchers to employ students in SIG-funded research.

Guidelines for 2025-2026 SIG Applicants

2025 Competition - OPEN

Competitions for SIG grants occur once per year in the late summer. At least one month prior to the adjudication process, a call for applications is announced to the SSH departments and schools on campus. The form requires applicants to (1) provide a succinct description of their intended research/activities, to a maximum of two pages, (2) a detailed budget, and (3) a justification of each budget item.

• For 2025-2026 funding, applications must be made using the online 2025 SIG application portal.
• The 2025 SIG Application can be found here.
• Once completed, please upload your 2025-2026 application to the online application portal here.
• Deadline for submission is August 29, 2025.

When completing an application, please read the application instructions carefully. Individuals may apply for a maximum of $3,000.

• Project duration end date: Option A) 31 March 2026, or Option B) 30 August 2026*

*To bring our SIG competition in line with Tri-Council Fiscal Administration Guidelines, we are offering two options for 2025. Option A is a 6-month grant, which will permit researchers to apply for a SIG in the spring of 2026. Option B is a year-long grant permitting researchers to reapply for SIG in the spring of 2027. 

• Monies must be spent by either 31 March 2026, or 30 August 2026, determined by the adjudication committee and outlined in your award letter. Monies unspent at this time will revert to the general SIG account.

Funds received in this competition must be spent in the fiscal year in which they were awarded; i.e. your account must show a zero balance by 31 March 2026 (accounts are closed at the end of March/August and any outstanding balances will revert to the general SIG account). SSHRC requires this office to submit a report on the research funded; therefore, a report on your research must be submitted to Research and Graduate Studies by the end of March/August 2026.

For up-to-date information on pay rates for students (April 2024), please visit our Hiring Students page.

SIG Reporting Guidelines

SIG Grant holders must provide a written report (max 1 page), describing the completed research/activities to the Research Office (researchoffice@acadiau.ca) by the end of March/August 2026 (Note - all funds need to be spent by the end of March/August 2026).

Reports should highlight how the objectives of the research project/activities were met, and any particular successes or challenges that resulted. Please indicate if SIG funds have led to the development of any other funding applications.

Please also be sure to address the following two questions:

1. If applicable, how many students, post doctoral researchers, and/or other non-students were supported using your SIG funds? For students, please indicate if they were undergraduate, Master's or Doctoral students.

2. How many "knowledge products"* resulted from your SIG funds? *knowledge products are defined by SSHRC as "traditional academic outputs such as peer-reviewed articles, books, conference presentations, etc., as well as other knowledge mobilization activities."

 

*For Further Information on the SIG opportunity, contact Kate Spooner, Grants Facilitator.