Sponsor

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)

Program

Connection Grant: Research Data Management Capacity Building Initiative

For More Information

Research Data Management Capacity Building Initiative - Connection Grants [1]

Description

SSHRC is pleased to announce the renewal of the Research Data Management Capacity Building Initiative [1]. This initiative aims to continue helping the Canadian social sciences and humanities research community better understand data management, and incorporate data management considerations into research practices.

The initiative will fund at least 10 meritorious Connection Grants [2] proposals per competition for the November 2019, February, May and August 2020 cycles, to support the research community’s development, adoption and dissemination of research data management standards, practices, tools and skills appropriate to their field.

Research data management [3] supports the effective and responsible conduct of research, and increases the ability to store, find and reuse research data. A strong culture of data management will serve Canadian research excellence and support the development of social sciences and humanities insights. It will also benefit Canadian researchers working in international partnerships and collaborations as funders around the globe implement and strengthen data management requirements.

Applications to this initiative will be subject to the same evaluation criteria common to all other Connection Grants. However, applicants must show how their project addresses the initiative’s specific goals.

Eligibility

Applicants (except postdoctoral researchers) must be affiliated with an eligible Canadian institution [4] at the time of application. Researchers who maintain an affiliation with a Canadian postsecondary institution, but whose primary affiliation is with a non-Canadian postsecondary institution, are not eligible for applicant/project director status [5] in a Connection Grants application.

Postdoctoral researchers are eligible to be applicants or project directors for a Connection Grant. However, in order for SSHRC to release grant funds, applicants/project directors must formally establish an affiliation with an eligible Canadian institution [4] (postsecondary) within three months of the grant start date and maintain such an affiliation for the duration of the grant period.

Individuals may apply, as an applicant, for only one Connection Grant per calendar year. An applicant may not apply for or hold more than one Connection Grant for the same event or outreach activity. Applicants or project directors on an active SSHRC Connection Grant cannot be the applicant or project director for another individual or institutional Connection Grant.

Maximum Project Value

$7,000 to $25,000 for events, and up to $50,000 for other outreach activities

Note: SSHRC will not fund the full cost of any connection event or outreach activity. Additional support in the form of cash and/or in-kind contributions (excluding registration fees), equivalent to a minimum of 50 per cent of the amount requested from SSHRC, must come from sponsoring organizations. For example, an applicant asking SSHRC for $10,000 in funding will have to provide additional support equal to $5,000. SSHRC will consider only those funds stemming from sponsoring organizations in its calculations of matching funds; individual contributions will not be considered in the calculation of matching funds.

Indirect Costs

0%

Project Duration

All activities must take place within 12 months of the date indicated on the notice of decision.

Special Notes

Research Data Management Capacity Building Initiative applications are subject to the Connection Grants evaluation criteria and scoring [6].

In addition, as part of its assessment of the proposal’s relevance to the objectives of the Connection program [7], under the Connection Grants Challenge criteria [8], the merit review committee will evaluate the degree to which applications respond to one or more of the following objectives:

• develop and/or adopt data management standards, practices, tools and skills within and across disciplines and institutions, with a focus on the social sciences and humanities;
• connect researchers or students with data management professionals and service providers (e.g., librarians, programmers, specialists in research ethics, etc.), and other stakeholders (e.g., research subjects and users) to increase knowledge of data management;
• share and develop knowledge and skills relating to data collection and storage, metadata, preservation, retention, sharing, credit and citation;
• share and develop knowledge and skills related to the responsible ownership, control, access and possession of data used or created in the context of Indigenous research [9] (e.g., the application of OCAP [10]® principles); and
• through other activities, enable the social sciences and humanities research community to strengthen its ability to fulfill the roles and responsibilities indicated in the Tri-Agency Statement of Principles on Digital Data Management [11], and the requirements proposed in the draft tri-agency research data management policy [12].

Proposals to conduct data management research, or for projects limited to management of particular datasets or databases, are not eligible. The focus must be on increasing the capacity of a broad group of researchers or students to manage data as a regular research activity.

How to Apply

Applicants must complete the Connection Grants application form, and follow the accompanying instructions, as outlined in the Connection Grants funding opportunity description [2].

In their application form, initiative applicants must:

• select the “Data Management” option;
• under Keywords, include “Data Management;”
• under Expected Outcomes, detail the potential benefits and/or outcomes of the proposed event or outreach activity as they relate to data management; and
• under Description of Connection Project, demonstrate how the proposed event or outreach activity will support the initiative’s objectives, listed in Evaluation and Adjudication below.

Information For Co-applicants

If you need to meet a deadline set by the lead institution for this opportunity, please ensure that you provide the Office of Research with at least five days in advance of the lead institution’s deadline to review the application, or your proposed component of the project. Please be in touch with the Office of Research (contact information below) ahead of the deadline if it looks like it will be difficult for you to submit all the required documentation on time (i.e. budget, proposal, OR-5 Form).