Special Call: Indigenous Research Capacity and Reconciliation—Connection Grants

In 2015, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) made Calls to Action, and number 65 mentioned SSHRC specifically in the call to establish a national research program to advance the understanding of reconciliation.

In 2017, the Canada Research Coordinating Committee (CRCC) was created to improve the coordination efforts of Canada’s granting agencies—SSHRC, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)—as well as the Canada Foundation for Innovation. As one of its five priorities, the CRCC has reaffirmed the agencies’ commitment to responding to the TRC’s calls for action and has prioritized the need for a national dialogue to co-develop, with First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities, an interdisciplinary, Indigenous research and research training model that contributes to reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.

In Budget 2018, the federal government committed $3.8 million to support this CRCC priority and develop a strategic research plan that identifies new ways of doing research with First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities, including strategies to grow the capacity of Indigenous communities to conduct research and partner with the broader research community. SSHRC is administering this initiative in collaboration with the other granting agencies.

An engagement plan with First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples is being developed to meet the objectives of the Budget 2018 allocation and the CRCC’s priority. The engagement process will have two streams:

1. granting agency engagement with Indigenous organizations and researchers, featuring roundtables, workshops, online engagement and a national dialogue; and
2. this special call for proposals to award grants to Indigenous organizations and researchers (or equivalent) to support their leadership in organizing their respective engagement activities and to develop position papers.

This special call for proposals invites applications from applicants affiliated with First Nations, Métis and Inuit not-for-profit organizations, as well as from other not-for-profit organizations or Canadian postsecondary institutions in any discipline that may inform and contribute to the development of a strategic plan. A minimum of 51 per cent of the grants will be reserved for Indigenous not-for-profit organizations, with the amount depending on the volume of applications received from these organizations.