SSHRC Connection Grant Matching Funds Opportunity

Description 

The UTM OVPRI will provide up to $5,000 in funding to support UTM applicants for the SSHRC Connection Grants (CG).  The funding is for matching funds in support of an applicant’s Connection Grant application (as per SSHRC CG guidelines, applicants must have additional support (from other sources) in the form of eligible cash and/or in-kind contributions equivalent to a minimum of 50% of the amount being requested from SSHRC). The OVPRI will provide up to $1,000 in funding to support Connection Grant applications for which there is meaningful UTM involvement, but the Applicant is affiliated with another U of T division. In addition, the OVPRI can help applicants identify and cost in-kind contributions, such as space. 

Funding Envelope 

Up to $5,000 for UTM faculty applicants 
Up to $1,000 for non-UTM faculty applicants who are collaborating with a UTM-affiliated co-applicant.

Eligibility Guidelines  

To be eligible for the $5,000 funding envelope, applicants must be full-time UTM faculty members (research stream, teaching stream, or CLTA). These funds must be administered through a UTM unit; in the case of applications involving faculty groups, the lead applicant must be a UTM faculty member. Successful applicants will be eligible to reapply for funding 24 months following the competition deadline in which they were successful. 
 
To be eligible for the $1,000 funding envelope, applicants must be affiliated with the University of Toronto and must be collaborating with one or more UTM faculty on their Connection Grant application (ie: as co-applicants or collaborators). Successful applicants will be eligible to reapply for funding 24 months following the competition deadline in which they were successful.   

Adjudication Process

Applications to the matching funds opportunity will be adjudicated by OVPRI leadership. To be successful, applicants must write their applications for non-specialist reviewers. Proposals written in a highly specialized or technical prose are likely to receive a lower ranking. 

Evaluation Criteria

Applications will be reviewed for quality of the project, contribution to partnership development, and feasibility within the given time frame. Only those that meet OVPRI criteria will be funded. 

Application Guidelines 

The application must provide the following information:  

 1. Project Overview (max 400 words)  

• Provide an overview of your proposed project and activities.  

2. U of T Lead/Co-Lead Applicant Information  

• Provide the name, departmental affiliation and contact information for the Project Lead and/or Co-Lead  

3. Other U of T Applicants (if applicable)  

• Provide the names and departmental affiliation for all other listed U of T applicants (including collaborators)  

4. Proposal Details (max 2000 words) including:   

• Names of co-applicants/collaborators outside of UofT, anticipated non-UofT participants/presenters, information on partner institutions, and a description of the collaboration with identified partner institutions  
• Overview of proposal/event/outreach activity, including its focus, anticipated outcomes and potential scale-up of the collaboration  

 5. Budget, including funds from other sources.   

• Provide a preliminary budget for your proposed event and/or outreach activities.   

The OVPRI Connection Grant Matching Funds Opportunity is due approximately three weeks before the U of T internal MRA deadline and must be submitted as a pdf to grants.ovpri.utm@utoronto.ca. Please check the Application Timeline for relevant submission dates. 

Application Timeline 

The Matching Funds Opportunity will be available for each of the four Connection Grant funding cycles:  

Competition Results 

Results will be emailed to the applicants by the UTM Office of the Vice-Principal, Research & Innovation (OVPRI). Individual scores/rankings cannot be provided, but if reviewers provide comments in their adjudication documents, that feedback can be shared with applicants upon request. 

Applicants who are successful in the UTM Connection Grant Matching Funds Competition but unsuccessful in the related SSHRC Connection Grant competition may carry forward their pledge of OVPRI support to a future SSHRC Connection Grant competition in which the proposal is resubmitted (not applicable to the submission of new proposals). Requests for such support must be made by the relevant competition deadline.

Post-Award Details

Successful awards will be transferred to the UTM faculty member’s commitment fund centre (CFC).

Office of the VP International (OVPI) Matching Funds Initiative 

The University of Toronto Office of the Vice President, International (OVPI) sometimes offers a Matching Funds Initiative that provides up to $5,000 in funding to support U of T applications for SSHRC Connection Grants that are international in scope and focus. For application instructions (when the Initiative is active), please see the RSO SSHRC Connection Grant information page. 

Eligibility

• Connection Grant proposals must be international in scope 

• Projects must include at least one international co-applicant or collaborator 

• Projects must contribute to building a longer lasting collaboration with international partner organization(s). Note: partner organizations could include post-secondary institutions outside of Canada, not-for-profit organizations, foundations, or supranational organizations.

• There must be presenters from outside of Canada at the proposed event 

For more information on the OVPI Matching Funds Initiative, visit the University of Toronto’s Connection Grant Funding Opportunity page (UTROID required).

Further Connection Grant Information