Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Postdoctoral Fellowships 2024-2025 (up to $70,000) Deadline: 12 September, 2024

Applications are open for the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Postdoctoral Fellowships 2024-2025. The SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellowships are expected to respond to the objectives of the Research Training and Talent Development. These fellowships support the most promising Canadian new scholars in the social sciences and humanities and assist them in establishing a research base at an important time in their research careers.

The purpose of these fellowships is to provide stipendiary support to recent PhD graduates who are:

• undertaking original research;
• publishing research findings;
• developing and expanding personal research networks;
• broadening their teaching experience;
• preparing for research-intensive careers within and beyond academia; and
• preparing to become competitive in national research grant competitions.

Fellowship

• SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellowships are valued at $70,000 per year over two years, for a total of $140,000. These are taxable, non-renewable fellowships that can begin on the first of any month between May 2025 and January 2026.

Eligibility

To apply to this funding opportunity, applicants must:

• be a citizen or permanent resident of Canada or a “protected person” under subsection 95(2) of Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act by the application deadline;
• not hold a permanent faculty position or a faculty position leading to permanency;
• have finalized arrangements for affiliation with a recognized university or research institution;
• not have applied more than twice before to the SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellowships funding opportunity;
• not have already received a postdoctoral award (including a Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship) from SSHRC, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) or the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR); and
• not be applying in the 2024-25 academic year to the NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowships Program or the CIHR Fellowship funding opportunity.

To hold the award, applicants must:

• engage in full-time postdoctoral research for the period of the award;
• have completed all requirements for their doctoral degree before taking up the SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellowship;
• not hold a permanent faculty position or a faculty position leading to permanency; and
• if they are full-time Government of Canada employees, be on an approved leave of absence for the period of the award.

Evaluation Criteria

The following criteria and scoring scheme are used to evaluate the applications:

• Challenge—The aim and importance of the endeavour (20%):
  • originality and potential significance of the proposed program of work.
• Feasibility—The plan to achieve excellence (30%):
  • feasibility of the proposed program of work;
  • appropriateness of the intended place of tenure; and
  • effectiveness of the overall support provided by the host institution according to the Guidelines for Effective Research Training.
• Capability—The expertise to succeed (50%):
  • fellowships, scholarships or other awards obtained;
  • previous research experience and/or publications; and
  • timely completion of doctoral studies, taking into account the nature of the program and any related personal circumstances that may have delayed the applicant’s academic career.

Deadline: 12 September, 2024

Application

Before submitting their application, applicants must ensure that they meet the eligibility requirements. All referees and institutional nominators must use SSHRC’s online application system to submit their supporting letters before the deadline.

The applicant is responsible for ensuring all required application components (CV, two Letter of Appraisal forms, Research Appraisal form, Institutional Nomination and Commitment form, and all attachments) have been submitted ahead of the deadline.

Applicants must complete the application form in accordance with the accompanying instructions. Applications must be submitted electronically directly to SSHRC. Requests to submit late applications will not be accepted.

For more information, visit SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellowships.