Carleton University (CU) Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Explore Research Development Grants (RDG)

DESCRIPTION

Purpose:       

The Carleton University (CU) Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Explore Research Development Grants (RDG) provides modest support to arts, humanities and social sciences researchers (AHSS):

• To re-apply to the next SSHRC Insight Grants (IG) or Insight Development Grants (IDG) after an unsuccessful decision in this same competition
• To bridge-fund their programs of research, including graduate students, until the competition results of the next cycle.

Source:          SSHRC Institutional Grants (SIG) and Office of the Vice-President (Research, Innovation, and International) (OVPRII)

Value:             Maximum award is $10,000

Duration:        12 months maximum.  (no extension)

DEADLINES

IG CU-SSHRC Explore RDG:        May 29, 2026                                    

IDG CU SSHRC Explore RDG:     June 30, 2026

Important Notes:

• The cuResearch Approval Form must be fully approved by all signing authorities by the application deadline date.
• Late applications will not be accepted
• Incomplete applications will not be accepted
• Ineligible costs will be debited from the amount requested
• Proposals related to ineligible subject matter will not be accepted
• Applicants may only apply to one of the CU Research Development Grants (RDG) streams: NSE RDG, SSHRC Explore or Health RDG (if offered) per annum.

Post-Award Requirements: (See full Terms and Conditions)

• Submit an application to the next competition cycle (IG/IDG);
• Work with a faculty research facilitator towards the development of a competitive application during the award period, respecting internal and OVPRII deadlines; and
• Complete an achievement report within six months of the end date of the grant.
• Transfers of funds to other institutions are not permitted.

CU SSHRC EXPLORE RDG Materials

Guidelines

Terms and Conditions

Eligibility

Applicants

• Faculty member whose contractual duties include research AND hold a tenured or tenure-track appointment at Carleton.
• Have worked with a Faculty Research Facilitator in the last (IG/IDG) competition cycle and received an unsuccessful result
• Intend to re-submit to resubmit to the same program in the next competition cycle.
• Previous recipients of a cu-RDG must wait 3 years after the completion of their grant term and have submitted the corresponding final report prior to being eligible to apply again.

Budget

Expenses must be eligible under Tri-Agency Guide on Financial Administration and the Research Expense Guidelines,  and Carleton University policies, and can include but are not limited to the following:

• Stipends to students and postdoctoral fellows
• Salaries of technical and professional staff
• Materials, supplies and services
• Small equipment (i.e. computers) cannot account for more than 1\3 of the total budget
• Research travel (e.g. field work)

Expenses that are NOT eligible include, but are not limited to the following:

• Knowledge mobilization/dissemination activities (in compliance with SIG requirements)
• Collection or preparation of material primarily intended for personal classroom needs or teaching purposes
• Professional development activities
• Large equipment and renovations
• Teaching Release
• Technology transfer costs (e.g. patent filing)
• Alcoholic Beverages

Evaluation

Applications will be evaluated based on the following four criteria:

• Capability—The expertise to succeed (30%)
  • Ranking of application within SSHRC’s sextile ranking system
  • Quality, quantity and significance of past experience and published and/or creative outputs of the applicant and any co-applicants, relative to their roles in the project and their career stage
  • Evidence of other past knowledge mobilization activities (e.g. films, performances, commissioned reports, knowledge syntheses, experience in collaboration/other interactions with stakeholders, contributions to public debate and media), and of impacts on professional practice, social services and policies, etc.; and
  • Quality and quantity of past contributions to the development of training and mentoring of students, postdoctoral researchers and other highly qualified personnel.
• Budget (40%)
  • The degree to which the requested budget is reasonable, adequately justified, and appropriately allocated to meet the basic and essential needs of the research program, given its limited value.
• Quality of training and mentoring of Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP) (30%)
  • Quality of training and mentoring to be provided to students, emerging scholars and other highly qualified personnel, and opportunities for them to contribute within the time limits and amount provided of this short-term funding; and
  • Extent to which equity, diversity and inclusion considerations are integrated into the planned HQP training

APPLICATION PROCESS

• Download and complete the CU-SSHRC Explore RDG application form
  • Save the application form with the following attachments in a SINGLE pdf file using the naming convention PIlastname.PIfirstname_cuExploreRDG.pdf:
  • CV: CV must include currently active and applied for research grants, publications, student supervisions and, if possible, the record of knowledge translation activities.
  • Optional – References (one (1) page max)
• Login to the cuResearch
• Create and complete all fields of the Approval Form. Sponsor information is included below:
  • Start Date: July 1, 2026
  • End Date: June 30, 2027
  • Agency abbreviation: CORIS
  • Program: CU SSHRC Explore Research Development Grant
  • Disbursement: amount requested

• Attachments Tab: Upload your application package

• Submit

CONTACT INFORMATION: CORIS@carleton.ca