SSHRC Impact Awards
Description
SSHRC Impact Awards are designed to build on and sustain Canada’s research-based knowledge culture in all research areas of the social sciences and humanities. The awards recognize outstanding researchers and celebrate their research achievements, research training, knowledge mobilization, and outreach activities funded partially or entirely by SSHRC.
Recipients are to use award funds for activities that promote and further develop the work being honoured. In recognition of the crucial role postsecondary institutions play in mobilizing research knowledge, at least 10% of each award must be used to promote the recipient’s research achievements. Individual recipients and their institutions may choose to devote additional funds, including a higher percentage of the award funds, to these activities.
A multidisciplinary jury made up of distinguished individuals from academia, as well as the private, not-for-profit and public sectors, from Canada and abroad, will select award recipients according to the selection criteria associated with each of the five awards.
Before announcing the names of the award winners and finalists, SSHRC will share competition results on the Grants and Scholarships Administrative Portal.
Eligible institutions are invited to put forward nominations for the:
- Gold Medal ($100,000)
- Talent Award ($50,000)
- Insight Award ($50,000)
- Connection Award ($50,000)
- Partnership Award ($50,000)
Gold Medal ($100,000)
The Gold Medal is SSHRC’s highest research honour. It is awarded to an individual whose sustained leadership, dedication and originality of thought have inspired students and colleagues alike.
The recipient’s achievements in research must have significantly advanced understanding in their respective fields of research in the social sciences and humanities. The exceptional quality and impact of the recipient’s research, and their ongoing efforts to share the results of this work, must have greatly enriched Canadian society, and contributed to social, cultural, economic and intellectual life in Canada and/or internationally.
Gold Medal funds must be used within one year for research, knowledge mobilization or other research-related activities. At least 10% of the award must be used to promote the impact and outcomes of the recipient’s research achievements.
Selection criteria
- Challenge—ambition and importance (25%):
- originality and significance of the body of work within the nominee’s fields of research.
- Achievements—impact and outcomes (75%):
- evidence of the sustained quality, impact and influence of the nominee’s research achievements within and/or beyond the academic community;
- level of nominee’s engagement with, and quality of training and mentoring provided to, students, emerging scholars and participants, relative to the nominee’s career level;
- nominee’s national and/or international stature;
- nominee’s commitment, creativity and successes in sharing research knowledge within and/or beyond the academic community; and
- nominee’s overall contribution to knowledge.
Talent Award ($50,000)
The Talent Award recognizes outstanding achievement by an individual who, on April 1, 2021, holds a SSHRC doctoral scholarship or fellowship or postdoctoral fellowship. This includes, but is not limited to, a Canada Graduate Scholarship, Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship or Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship.
The Talent Award is given to an individual who maintains academic excellence, has a talent for research and knowledge mobilization and has demonstrated clear potential to be a future leader within and/or outside the academic sector.
The Talent Award can either be:
- taken up as a fellowship to fund the recipient’s doctoral or postdoctoral research over a one-year period; or
- used within one year of receiving the award as a grant to support research, knowledge mobilization or other research-related activities.
At least 10% of the award funds must be used to promote the recipient’s research achievements.
Selection criteria
- Challenge—ambition and importance (25%):
- originality and significance of the body of work within the nominee’s fields of research.
- Achievements—impact and outcomes (75%):
- originality and significance of nominee’s body of academic achievement and research, including quality of publications relative to stage of career;
- evidence of impact of the nominee’s work within their fields of research and/or beyond the social sciences and humanities research community;
- nominee’s ability and commitment to communicate research results within and/or beyond the academic community;
- level of nominee’s engagement with, and quality of training and mentoring provided to, students, emerging scholars and participants, relative to the nominee’s career level; and
- nominee’s demonstrated potential for leadership and societal contributions within and/or beyond the academic community.
Insight Award ($50,000)
The Insight Award recognizes outstanding achievement arising from a single or multiple SSHRC-funded initiatives. It is given to an individual or a team of six people maximum (including the nominee) whose initiative(s) have significantly contributed to knowledge and understanding about people, societies and the world. The research outcomes must have led to demonstrable impact within the nominee’s fields of research and/or beyond the social sciences and humanities research community.
In the case of a team initiatives(s), the nominee must be the principal investigator. If successful, this person will receive the award on behalf of the team.
The nomination package must include the nominee’s SSHRC CV, and those of any team members (up to five), if applicable.
Insight Award funds must be used within one year to further develop the initiative(s) being recognized, through research, knowledge mobilization or other research-related activities. A minimum of 10% of the award funds must be used to promote the recipient’s research achievements.
Selection criteria
- Challenge—ambition and importance (25%):
- originality and significance of the body of work within the nominee’s fields of research.
- Achievements—impact and outcomes (75%):
- evidence of contributions within the nominee’s fields of research, including, but not limited to, scholarly literature, and other knowledge mobilization contributions, such as commissioned reports, professional practice, public discourse, public policies, products and services, experience in collaboration, etc.;
- level of nominee’s engagement with, and quality of training and mentoring provided to, students, emerging scholars and participants, relative to the nominee’s career level; and
- evidence of influence and impact on research and/or societal outcomes.
Connection Award ($50,000)
The Connection Award recognizes an outstanding SSHRC-funded initiative that facilitates the flow and exchange of research knowledge within and/or beyond the social sciences and humanities research community. It is given to an individual or team whose initiative has engaged the campus and/or wider community, and has generated intellectual, cultural, social and/or economic impacts.
In the case of a team initiative, the nominee must be the applicant/project director for the initiative. If successful, this person will receive the award on behalf of the team.
The nomination package must include the nominee’s SSHRC CV, and those of any team members (up to five), if applicable.
Connection Award funds must be used within one year to further develop the knowledge mobilization activity being recognized, or to support other research-related activities. At least 10% of the award funds must be used to promote the recipient’s research achievements.
Selection criteria
- Challenge—ambition and importance (25%):
- originality and significance of the initiative within the nominee’s fields of research.
- Achievements—impact and outcomes (75%):
- effectiveness of research knowledge dissemination/exchange within the nominee’s fields of research and/or beyond the social sciences and humanities research community;
- evidence of contributions, including, but not limited to, scholarly literature and other knowledge mobilization contributions, such as commissioned reports, professional practice, public discourse, public policies, products and services, experience in collaboration, etc.;
- level of nominee’s engagement with, and quality of training and mentoring provided to, students, emerging scholars and participants, relative to nominee’s career level; and
- evidence of influence and impact on research and/or societal outcomes.
Partnership Award ($50,000)
The Partnership Award recognizes a SSHRC‑funded formal partnership for its outstanding achievement in advancing research, research training or knowledge mobilization, or developing a new partnership approach to research and/or related activities. It is awarded to a formal partnership that, through mutual co-operation and shared intellectual leadership and resources, has demonstrated impact and influence within and/or beyond the social sciences and humanities research community.
For the Partnership Award, the nominee must be the project director. If successful, this person will receive the award on behalf of the partnership.
The nomination package must include the nominee’s SSHRC CV, and those of any team members (up to five), if applicable.
Partnership Award funds must be used within one year to further develop the research, knowledge mobilization or research-related activities being recognized. At least 10% of the award funds must be used to promote the recipient’s research achievements.
Selection criteria
- Challenge—ambition and importance (25%):
- originality and significance of the partnership within the nominee’s fields of research.
- Achievements—impact and outcomes (75%):
- evidence of mutual co-operation and sharing of intellectual leadership and resources within the nominee’s fields of research and/or beyond the social sciences and humanities research community;
- quality of partnership, including shared engagement and ownership;
- evidence of contributions, including, but not limited to, scholarly literature, and/or other knowledge mobilization contributions, such as commissioned reports, professional practice, public discourse, public policies, products and services, experience in collaboration, etc.;
- level of nominee’s engagement with, and quality of training and mentoring provided to, students, emerging scholars and participants, relative to the nominee’s career level; and
- evidence of influence and impact on research and/or societal outcomes.
Nomination process
Eligible institutions are invited to put forward nominations for all SSHRC Impact Award categories. Each institution may submit only one nomination for each award in a given year, up to a maximum of five SSHRC Impact Award nominations. Institutions must provide the name and contact information of a person to whom SSHRC will send all questions and correspondence, including results.
If you are interested in applying for one of these awards, please contact Dr. Batia Stolar, Associate Vice-President, Research & Graduate Studies, at avp.research@lakeheadu.ca