SSHRC Insight and Insight Development Grants

Workshop | July 2013

Topics

SSHRC’s Insight Program Objectives of the program SSHRC vs. CIHR for health-related grants

Difference between IG and IDG Discussion of what they want and how to

do it Assistance and Deadlines

Objectives of the Insight Program

The objectives of the Insight Program are to:

build knowledge and understanding from disciplinary, interdisciplinary and/or cross-sector perspectives through support for the best researchers;

support new approaches to research on complex and important topics, including those that transcend the capacity of any one scholar, institution or discipline;

provide a high-quality research training experience for students;

fund research expertise that relates to societal challenges and opportunities;

mobilize research knowledge, to and from academic and non-academic audiences, with the potential to lead to intellectual, cultural, social and economic influence, benefit and impact.

The Insight Program has two components:

Insight Development grants Insight grants

Insight vs. Insight Development Grants

Insight Development Up to $75,000 1-2 years 50% of funding for

emerging scholars Scoring:

Challenge – 50% Feasibility – 20% Capability – 30%

Insight Up to $500,000 3-5 years No special funds for

emerging scholars Scoring:

Challenge – 40% Feasibility – 20% Capability – 40%

Health Research: SSHRC vs. CIHRSSHRC

Research with no intent to directly or indirectly impact health.

Research where health is a subsidiary element in a study intended to increase our understanding of individuals, groups and/or societies

CIHR

Social science or humanities research that is primarily intended to improve and/or increase knowledge of health, health care and health care systems in Canada or internationally

Health Research: SSHRC vs. CIHR

Examples: SSHRC

health care workers as a group in a

comparative study on the use of the

Internet for distance education

(Education?)

biographies of health practitioners or

health scientists; health and hygiene

in ancient civilizations (History?)

the impact of the health care

industry on national or local

economies (Economics?)

Examples: CIHR

socio-economic and cultural

determinants of health

health and health behaviour

therapy, including the use of

performing/visual arts as an

element of therapy

health policy, management and law

humanities perspectives on health,

including health ethics

No Notice of Intent required Online application available mid-Nov. Requires Canadian Common CV (CCCV) SSHRC due date: 1 Feb. 2014 ORS due date: 25 Jan. 2014 Don’t forget: External Grant Cover Sheet to Office

of Research Services, signed by Dean and Department Head (if applicable)

Basic Information: SSHRC IDG

What’s the IDG about? Insight Development Grants support research in its initial

stages. The grants enable the development of new research questions, as well as experimentation with new methods, theoretical approaches and/or ideas.

Grants are valued at between $7,000 and $75,000 over one to two years.

Within the Insight Development Grants funding opportunity, funding is available for two distinct categories of scholars: regular and emerging. For the current competition, at least 50 per cent of funds will be reserved for applications from emerging scholars.

What’s an emerging scholar? Emerging scholar: An emerging scholar is someone who has not yet had the

opportunity to establish an extensive record of research achievement, but is in the process of building one.

Applicants identifying themselves as an emerging scholar must demonstrate that they have not applied successfully, as principal investigator or project director, for a grant through any of SSHRC’s funding opportunities.

In addition, they must meet at least one of the following criteria:

have completed their highest degree no more than five years before the competition deadline (SSHRC considers only the date of completion of the first doctorate); or

have held a tenured or tenure-track university appointment for less than five years; or

have held a university appointment, but never a tenure-track position (in the case of institutions that offer tenure-track positions); or

have had their careers significantly interrupted or delayed for family reasons.

Emerging (new) scholar stats2012-13 2011-12

Total IDG applications 936 630

Total Successful 35.1% 39.0%

Emerging scholars 625 343

Successful 35.4% 39.7%

Regular 311 287

Successful 34.7% 38.3%

Dollars awarded $16,558,338 $13,112,626

Summary: Similar success rate for emerging and regular scholars

Basic Information: Insight grants

Notice of Intent required Aug. 15 (will not be evaluated as part of application)

Online application available July 13 Requires SSHRC CV (not CCCV) Due dates: SSHRC, Oct. 15; Research

Services, latest Oct. 8

What’s the Insight grant about?

intended to provide stable support for long-term research initiatives

maximum $500,000 over three to five years (4 or 5 years preferred)

No separate pot for emerging scholars

Multiple Applications Researchers may not apply as applicant for an Insight Grant and

an Insight Development Grant within the same calendar year.

Researchers can, however, hold both an Insight Grant

and an Insight Development Grant simultaneously, so

long as the objectives are sufficiently different.

Researchers may apply for and hold, as applicant, only one

Insight Grant at a time.

There is no limit to the number of SSHRC applications on which a

researcher may be listed as a co-applicant or collaborator.

SSHRC Priority Areas Most SSHRC funding is awarded through competitions accessible to

all disciplines, areas, themes and approaches eligible for SSHRC funding. In certain cases, priorities have been identified for either additional support, a more tailored adjudication, or both. SSHRC has launched a consultative process to renew its priority areas.

Please read the online descriptions carefully to determine whether one of SSHRC’s priority areas is relevant to your proposal:

Aboriginal Research Canadian Environmental Issues Digital Economy Innovation, Leadership and Prosperity Northern Communities: Towards Social and Economic Prosperity

Priority areas: Does it matter?2012-13 2011-12

Applications to IDG 936 630

Successful 35.1% 39%

Apps with no priority area 600 247

Successful 34.5% 34%

Aboriginal Research apps 52 57

Successful 36.5% 29.8%

Canadian Environmental Issues apps 54 44

Successful 55.6% 38.6%

Digital Media (now Digital Economy) apps 87 89

Successful 34.5% 65.9%

Innovation, Leadership and Prosperity apps 127 135

Successful 29.1% 25.9%

Northern Communities apps 16 12

Successful 37.5% 33.3%

What’s it all mean? Anomalies aside, it’s about the same success rate for Priority and Non-Priority applications.

Evaluation: Committees (1) Applicants are asked:

to indicate which of five groups they consider most

appropriate for their proposal

to select a primary discipline and area of research

from a detailed list available on the application form.

Adjudication committees will be created based on these

groups, according to the number and nature of

applications received (22 for IDG in 2013, 27 for IG)

Evaluation: Committees (2)Committees are drawn from academics and other experts in the following fields:

Group 1: History; medieval studies; classics; literature; fine arts; philosophy; religious studies; and related fields. 

Group 2: Anthropology; archaeology; linguistics; translation; political science; public administration; law; criminology; geography; urban planning and environmental studies; and related fields.

Group 3: Business and management; economics; and related fields.  Group 4: Sociology; demography; communication studies;

journalism; media studies; gender studies; cultural studies; library and information science; and related fields.

Group 5: Education, psychology; social work; and related fields

NOTE: Every group is multidisciplinary. Write accordingly!

Criteria and Scoring (1)

Challenge—The aim and importance of the endeavour (Insight

Grant, 40%; Insight Development Grant, 50%): originality, significance and expected contribution to knowledge;

appropriateness of the literature review;

appropriateness of the theoretical approach or framework;

appropriateness of the methods/approach;

quality of training and mentoring to be provided to students, emerging

scholars and other highly qualified personnel, and opportunities for them to

contribute;

potential influence and impact within and/or beyond the social sciences and

humanities research community.

Criteria and Scoring (2) Feasibility—The plan to achieve excellence

(both Insight Grant and Insight Development Grant, 20%):

probability of effective and timely attainment of the research

objectives;

appropriateness of the requested budget, and justification of proposed

costs;

indications of financial and in-kind contributions from other sources

(where appropriate…generally not in these SSHRC grants);

quality of knowledge mobilization plans, including effective knowledge

dissemination, knowledge exchange and engagement within and/or

beyond the research community; and

strategies and timelines for the design and conduct of the

activity/activities proposed.

Criteria and Scoring (3) Capability—The expertise to succeed

(Insight Grant, 40%; Insight Development Grant, 30%) quality, quantity and significance of past experience and published

outputs of the applicant and any team members relative to their roles in the project and their respective stages of career;

evidence of contributions such as commissioned reports, professional practice, public discourse, public policies, products and services, development of talent, experience in collaboration, etc.;

potential to make future contributions

Scoring Each of the 3 criteria receives a score out of 6 You need a score of at least 3 in each of the criteria to be

considered for funding

Score Descriptor

5-6 Excellent

4-4.9 Very good

3-3.9 Good

Below 3 Insufficient for funding

In reality, you need to be excellent EVERYWHERE!

Does size matter?Number of people on the Research Team, Applications and Success Rate

2012-13 2011-12

1 521 (30.9%) 309 (36.9%)

2 190 (41.6%) 155 (43.9%)

3 117 (41%) 85 (44.7%)

4 47 (38.3%) 44 (31.8%)

5-9 58 (39.7%) 32 (37.5%)

10-14 2 (0%) 4 (0%)

15+ 1 (0%) 1 (0%)

Total 936 (35.1%) 630 (39.0%)

CONCLUSION: Two or three people may make for a stronger application.

What’s a P.I.? A co-applicant?

Applicant: Principal investigator on an application (i.e., university faculty).

Co-applicant: Member of a research group applying for a team grant (i.e., university faculty or college faculty). You must meet the eligibility criteria.

What’s a collaborator? Collaborator: A research scientist or engineer from

any sector, e.g., government scientist, academic researcher, company staff member, can be a member of a research team that is applying for a team grant. You will not have access to these grant funds. You must be qualified to undertake research independently and will be expected to contribute to the overall intellectual direction of the research project, or program of research, and bring your own resources to the collaboration.

The Big Picture

There are two big questions to keep in mind when you are designing your research proposal:

So what?Who cares?

“Filling a gap in the literature” won’t excite your reviewers!

Your research has to stand out. You must show that it is important, that you and your team are excited about it, that you have a great plan to carry out the research, you will involve students in meaningful ways, and that you will deliver.

Assistance from the Officeof Research Services

General information Proposal advice Budget assistance Editorial assistance Knowledge Mobilization strategy

Barry Ries, Research Facilitator (Social Sciences and Humanities) bries@wlu.ca extension 3479Susan Dimitry, Research Facilitator (Laurier Brantford) sdimitry@wlu.ca extension 5564Shawna Reibling, Knowledge Mobilization Officer

sreibling@wlu.ca extension 4942

What’s the biggest challenge applicants face, year after year?

Laurier Office of Research Services deadlines

What? When?

Substantive editing and revision IG: August/SeptemberIDG: beginning of January(4 weeks before external deadline)

Proofreading and budget assistance IG: September/OctoberIDG: mid-January(2-3 weeks before external deadline)

Final application verified and submitted online by the applicant

IG: Oct. 8IDG: January 25(1 full week before external deadline)

SSHRC’s external deadline IG: Oct. 15IDG: February 1 (ORS submits this day)

Resources Laurier Office of Research Services:

www.wlu.ca/research SSHRC information & grantwriting resources:

www.wlu.ca/research/externalgrants http://

www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca/funding-financement/apply-demande/tips-astuces/IDG_walkthrough-SDS_visite_virtuelle-eng.aspx

Guidebook for new Principal Investigators: www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/27491.html

Research finance resources, including how much to pay students, per diems, etc.: www.wlu.ca/research/researchfinance