The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Partnership Development Grants 2026 Competition is now open for applications. This prestigious Canadian research funding opportunity provides grants ranging from CAD 75,000 to CAD 250,000 to support the development of innovative partnerships in the social sciences and humanities.
The funding is designed to help researchers, postsecondary institutions, not-for-profit organizations, and partner institutions establish or strengthen formal collaborations that generate impactful research, advance knowledge, promote innovation, and create meaningful societal change.
Projects funded through this program can run for one to three years, providing sufficient time for teams to establish strong collaborations, conduct high-quality research, engage stakeholders, train students and emerging scholars, and mobilize research findings nationally and internationally.
Application Deadline
Application Deadline: November 16, 2026 (8:00 p.m. Eastern Time)
Results Announcement: March 2027
About the Partnership Development Grants
The Partnership Development Grants form part of SSHRC’s broader Research Partnerships Program, which aims to encourage collaborative research initiatives capable of producing lasting academic, social, economic, and cultural impacts.
The grants support projects that either:
- Develop new research partnerships;
- Expand existing partnerships with new research activities;
- Design innovative partnership models;
- Test collaborative approaches that can become best practices;
- Develop scalable partnership models for regional, national, or international adoption.
The initiative also places strong emphasis on:
- Knowledge mobilization
- Student engagement
- Research training
- Mentorship
- Cross-sector collaboration
- Public impact
Funding Value
Successful applicants may receive funding between:
- CAD 75,000
- Up to CAD 250,000
Funding is provided over a period of:
- 1 year
- 2 years
- 3 years
Objectives of the Grant
The Partnership Development Grants support projects that aim to:
- Develop innovative research partnerships.
- Strengthen existing research collaborations.
- Foster interdisciplinary research.
- Support international research collaborations.
- Promote knowledge mobilization.
- Improve research capacity.
- Train students and emerging scholars.
- Create best practices for partnership development.
- Generate research with measurable societal impact.
- Increase collaboration between academia and external organizations.
Types of Partnerships Supported
SSHRC welcomes numerous partnership models, including:
1. Existing Partnerships
Funding may support existing partnerships seeking to launch entirely new research initiatives beyond their current activities.
2. New Partnerships
Support is available for partnerships in their early stages that are beginning collaborative research activities.
3. Disciplinary and Interdisciplinary Partnerships
Projects involving one or multiple disciplines in the social sciences and humanities are eligible.
Interdisciplinary collaborations involving:
- Natural sciences
- Engineering
- Health sciences
may also qualify if they satisfy SSHRC subject matter eligibility guidelines.
4. Cross-Sector Knowledge Co-Creation
Projects that unite:
- Universities
- Governments
- Non-profit organizations
- Community organizations
- Industry partners
to solve major intellectual, social, economic, or cultural challenges.
5. Research Networks
Funding supports networks established to:
- Conduct collaborative research
- Share expertise
- Train researchers
- Exchange knowledge
- Promote innovation
6. Knowledge Mobilization Partnerships
Projects may focus on making research findings more accessible through:
- Public engagement
- Policy development
- Community outreach
- Institutional capacity building
- Practical implementation
Indigenous Research
SSHRC strongly welcomes proposals involving:
- Indigenous research
- Indigenous knowledge systems
- Research creation
- Indigenous partnerships
Applications involving Indigenous research will be evaluated using SSHRC’s specialized Indigenous research review guidelines.
Joint Initiative
Applicants may also participate in the:
- Mitacs Accelerate Grants joint initiative
This collaboration provides additional opportunities for research partnerships and talent development.
Future Challenge Areas
Applicants are encouraged to consider SSHRC’s Future Challenge Areas while designing proposals.
Although alignment with these challenge areas does not affect funding decisions or provide additional funding, it can help applicants demonstrate the future relevance and broader significance of their research.
Eligible Research Areas
Projects may involve virtually any eligible social sciences or humanities discipline, including interdisciplinary work that satisfies SSHRC eligibility requirements.
Examples include:
- Education
- Sociology
- Economics
- History
- Political Science
- Psychology
- Indigenous Studies
- Cultural Studies
- Public Policy
- Geography
- International Development
- Communication Studies
- Literature
- Philosophy
- Linguistics
- Anthropology
Projects That Are Not Eligible
Projects whose primary purpose is:
- Curriculum development
- Program evaluation
- Preparation of teaching materials
- Digitization of collections
- Database creation
are not eligible under this funding opportunity.
Who Can Apply?
Applications are submitted by research teams consisting of:
- Applicant (Project Director)
- Co-directors
- Co-applicants
- Collaborators
Eligible applicants generally include:
- Researchers affiliated with eligible Canadian institutions
- Eligible postdoctoral researchers
- Eligible PhD candidates
- Canadian not-for-profit organizations
- Eligible Canadian postsecondary institutions
Partner Organizations
Partner organizations may include:
- Universities
- Colleges
- Research institutes
- Government organizations
- Municipal governments
- Provincial governments
- Territorial governments
- Indigenous governments
- Indigenous governing bodies
- Non-profit organizations
- Philanthropic foundations
- Think tanks
- International universities
- Private sector organizations
Partners may be located in Canada or internationally.
Student Training and Mentorship
One of the major strengths of the Partnership Development Grants is the emphasis on developing future researchers.
Applications are expected to provide high-quality plans for:
- Student supervision
- Mentorship
- Research experience
- Professional development
- Employability
- Knowledge exchange
- Leadership development
The quality of these plans forms an important component of the evaluation process.
Institutional Contributions
Although no minimum financial contribution is required, applicants are expected to demonstrate meaningful institutional support through:
- Cash contributions
- In-kind contributions
- Existing partnership commitments
- Strategic collaboration plans
Application Process
Applications must be completed using SSHRC’s electronic application system.
Most applications must be submitted through:
- An authorized research grants office at the applicant’s institution; or
- An authorized representative of an eligible not-for-profit organization.
Eligible postdoctoral researchers and eligible PhD candidates may submit applications directly to SSHRC.
Applicants are encouraged to begin preparations well before the deadline.
Evaluation Criteria
Applications are reviewed through a competitive merit review process.
The assessment is based on three major criteria.
1. Challenge (50%)
Reviewers evaluate:
- Originality
- Significance
- Contribution to knowledge
- Research design
- Literature review
- Research methodology
- Student training
- Expected impact
- Progress indicators
2. Feasibility (20%)
Assessment includes:
- Project timeline
- Partnership quality
- Leadership
- Governance
- Team expertise
- Budget justification
- Knowledge mobilization
- Institutional support
3. Capability (30%)
Reviewers consider:
- Applicant experience
- Publications
- Creative outputs
- Knowledge mobilization
- Previous mentoring
- Previous partnerships
- Research achievements
Applications must score 3.0 or higher in each evaluation category to be recommended for funding.
Reporting Requirements
Successful grant recipients will be required to report on:
- Fund utilization
- Project activities
- Outcomes
- Partnership achievements
SSHRC will communicate detailed reporting requirements after awards are announced.
Why This Grant Matters
The SSHRC Partnership Development Grants provide an outstanding opportunity to establish transformative research partnerships capable of generating long-term academic and societal impact.
By supporting collaboration among universities, governments, Indigenous organizations, communities, industry, and non-profit organizations, the grants encourage innovative research that addresses pressing social, cultural, economic, and intellectual challenges while training the next generation of researchers.
Researchers seeking to launch impactful partnerships and expand collaborative research networks should strongly consider applying for this highly competitive funding opportunity.
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