Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council

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Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada
Conseil de recherches en sciences humaines du Canada
Map
Agency overview
FormedMay 1, 1978; 47 years ago (1978-05-01)
JurisdictionGovernment of Canada
Headquarters125 Zaida Eddy Private, 2nd Floor, Ottawa, Ontario, K1R 0E3 Canada
45°25′14.5″N 75°43′02.1″W / 45.420694°N 75.717250°W / 45.420694; -75.717250
Employees260 (approximately)
Annual budgetCA$ 1.1 billion
Minister responsible
Agency executive
  • Ted Hewitt, President
Parent departmentInnovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
Websitewww.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca

The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC; French: Conseil de recherches en sciences humaines du Canada, CRSH), often colloquially pronounced 'shirk' (/ʃɜːrk/), is a Canadian federal research-funding agency that promotes and supports post-secondary research and training in the humanities and social sciences.[1]

In 2019-2020, SSHRC funded 24,000 researchers and 5000 research trainees in 51 programs.[2] Staff numbers were reported as 333 in the same period. Ted Hewitt is the current President.[3][4] SSHRC's provided CA$684 million for funding and $453 million institutional support for the fiscal year 2023-2024 and the number of employees (FTE) was 258.[5][6]

Along with the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR) and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), SSHRC forms the major source of federal government funding to post-secondary research. They are collectively referred to as the "Tri-Council"[7] or "Tri-Agency.[8]

History

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Created by an act of the Parliament of Canada in 1977, SSHRC reports to Parliament through the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Economic Development. SSHRC came into existence on 1 May 1978 under the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Act which was passed in an omnibus manner by the government of Pierre Elliot Trudeau.[9]

In June 2013, SSHRC's governing council endorsed six future challenge areas[10] developed during its Imagining Canada's Future[11] initiative, with a goal of addressing Canada's future societal challenges and meeting future opportunities through social sciences and humanities research.

The 2025-26 Departmental Plan, portrayed the core responsibilities as two-fold:[12]

  1. Funding Social Sciences and Humanities Research and Training
  2. Institutional Support for the Indirect Costs of Research

Presidents

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Governance

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SSHRC creates policy, plans budgets, and directs priorities through a council established by the federal government. The appointed members are a mix of academics and representatives from the industry.[23] They have the role of advising the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development on research policy in the areas of research and scholarship in the social sciences and humanities, with the goal of representing the interests of academic, public and private sectors.[23] Council committees[24] create and oversee SSHRC's programs, determine the distribution of funds and handles the strategies for enacting the councils policies.

Programs

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SSHRC funding opportunities[25] are very diverse and include partnerships with other institutions.[26] They are organized into three program streams: Talent, Insight and Connection (plus thematic and strategic grants and initiatives).

Talent program

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The Talent program[27] is to support students and postdoctoral candidates to become researchers and leaders across society, both within academia and across the public, private and not-for-profit sectors.

The program promotes research skills and assists in the training of highly qualified personnel in the social sciences and humanities. In this way, SSHRC fosters the development of talented and creative people who will become leaders across campuses and communities.

Insight program

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The Insight program[28] is to build knowledge and understanding about people, societies and the world by supporting research excellence in all subject areas eligible for funding from SSHRC. Research and training in the social sciences and humanities provide the foundation for a vibrant, healthy and prosperous society. They build knowledge and understanding about individuals, groups and societies.

The program aims to support and foster excellence in social sciences and humanities research intended to deepen, widen and increase collective understanding of individuals and societies, as well as to inform the search for solutions to societal challenges.

Connection program

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The Connection program[29] is to realize the potential of social sciences and humanities research for intellectual, cultural, social and economic influence, benefit and impact on and beyond the campus by supporting specific activities and tools that facilitate the flow and exchange of research knowledge.

Knowledge mobilization in the social sciences and humanities facilitates the multidirectional flow of research knowledge across academia and society as a whole, in order to inform Canadian and international research, debate, decisions and actions. Those who can benefit from publicly funded research results in the humanities and social sciences - diverse groups of researchers, policy-makers, business leaders, community groups, educators and the media. The program aims to support knowledge mobilization activities such as networking, disseminating, exchanging and co-creating research-based knowledge as an important element of publicly engaged scholarship, and as a means of strengthening research agendas. SSHRC also recognizes that rapidly evolving information and communications technologies provide new opportunities to engage a variety of audiences with an interest and/or involvement in social sciences and humanities scholarship.

A program entitled Canada 150 Connection has been set up for the 150th anniversary of Canada to support activities by post-secondary institutions and researchers that explore the contributions of social sciences and humanities research to Canadian society.[30]

Controversies

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In 2009, Federal Science Minister Gary Goodyear asked SSHRC to reconsider funding for a conference on the future of Israel and Palestine at York University.[31] In response the Canadian Association of University Teachers demanded (unsuccessfully) the resignation of the Minister for interfering with an academic funding decision.[32][33]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Council, Government of Canada, Social Sciences and Humanities Research (11 May 2012). "Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council". www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca. Retrieved 28 July 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ "SSHRC IN NUMBERS In fiscal year 2019-20" (PDF). Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  3. ^ a b Government of Canada, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (11 May 2012). "Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council". www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Government of Canada reappoints president of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council". www.newswire.ca. Retrieved 7 September 2025.
  5. ^ "SSHRC Investments Interactive Dashboard (Power BI Report)". app.powerbi.com. Retrieved 17 September 2025.
  6. ^ "Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council's 2023-24 Departmental Results Report". Retrieved 30 September 2025.
  7. ^ Government of Canada, Interagency Advisory Panel on Research Ethics (1 April 2019). "Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans – TCPS 2 (2018)". ethics.gc.ca. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
  8. ^ Government of Canada, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (18 December 2019). "NSERC - Inter-Agency, Tri-Agency Financial Administration". www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
  9. ^ 1976-77, c. 24, s. 2
  10. ^ Council, Government of Canada, Social Sciences and Humanities Research (11 May 2012). "Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council". www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca. Retrieved 28 July 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  11. ^ Council, Government of Canada, Social Sciences and Humanities Research (11 May 2012). "Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council". www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca. Retrieved 28 July 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  12. ^ "Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council's 2025-26 Departmental plan". Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  13. ^ Kendle, John (1982). "PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS -- The Scholar and the State Revisited: Further Words of Caution" (PDF). Canadian Historical Association News. Retrieved 7 September 2025.
  14. ^ "William Ewart Taylor Jr | The Canadian Encyclopedia". www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  15. ^ "William E. Taylor Jr. | Canadian Archaeological Association / Association canadienne d'archéologie". canadianarchaeology.com. Retrieved 7 September 2025.
  16. ^ Abu-Laban, Baha; Rule, Brendan Gail (1988). The Human Sciences: Their Contribution to Society and Future Research Needs. University of Alberta. ISBN 978-0-88864-134-2.
  17. ^ Leduc, P. (1994). "Evaluation in the social sciences: the strategic context". Research Evaluation. 4: 2–5. doi:10.1093/rev/4.1.2. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  18. ^ "Daily Bulletin, Friday, June 24, 1994". University of Waterloo. 24 June 1994.
  19. ^ "marc.renaud | Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation". www.trudeaufoundation.ca. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  20. ^ Kondro, Wayne (11 April 1997). "Funding council hopes plan offers port in political storm". Science. 276 (5310): 195–196. doi:10.1126/science.276.5310.195. S2CID 144222639.
  21. ^ Government of Canada, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (11 May 2012). "Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council". www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  22. ^ "Chad Gaffield resigning as president of Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council". ottawacitizen. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  23. ^ a b Council, Government of Canada, Social Sciences and Humanities Research (11 May 2012). "Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council". www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca. Retrieved 28 July 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  24. ^ Council, Government of Canada, Social Sciences and Humanities Research (11 May 2012). "Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council". www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca. Retrieved 28 July 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  25. ^ Council, Government of Canada, Social Sciences and Humanities Research (11 May 2012). "Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council". www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca. Retrieved 28 July 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  26. ^ "Social sciences and humanities research funding opportunities". Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  27. ^ Council, Government of Canada, Social Sciences and Humanities Research (11 May 2012). "Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council". www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca. Retrieved 28 July 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  28. ^ Council, Government of Canada, Social Sciences and Humanities Research (11 May 2012). "Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council". www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca. Retrieved 28 July 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  29. ^ Council, Government of Canada, Social Sciences and Humanities Research (11 May 2012). "Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council". www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca. Retrieved 28 July 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  30. ^ "Grants help grow Canada 150 events and outreach - SFU News - Simon Fraser University". SFU News. Simon Fraser University. 7 February 2017. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  31. ^ "Goodyear questions Mideast forum funds". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
  32. ^ "Israel-Palestine brouhaha at York rages on – - Macleans OnCampus". oncampus.macleans.ca. Archived from the original on 23 March 2011. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
  33. ^ "Goodyear questions Mideast forum funds". YFile. 11 June 2009. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
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