ARCHIVED - RPP 2006-2007
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada

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Section II: Analysis of Program Activities by Strategic Outcome

The structure of Section II follows SSHRC's PAA in terms of its four strategic outcomes, related program activities and program sub-activities:

1. People: 1. Fellowships, Scholarships and Prizes. 2. Canada Research Chairs.
2. Research: 1. Investigator-Framed Research. 2. Targeted Research and Training Initiatives. 3. Strategic Research Development.
3. Knowledge Mobilization: 1: Research Communication and Interaction.
4. Institutional Environment: 1. Indirect Costs of Research.

Table 11 provides the complete breakdown of SSHRC's PAA, along with indicators^* for measuring outputs and results.

^*In January 2005, SSHRC submitted to Treasury Board Secretariat the indicators it uses to measure and report on program outputs and results. The Council is collecting indicator-related information and data that it will use in the Departmental Performance Report (DPR) to report on the performance of its programs.

2.1 People: A First-Class Research Capacity

2.1.1 Fellowships, Scholarships and Prizes

Fellowships, Scholarships and Prizes	2006-2007	2007-2008	2008-2009
Financial Resources	$102.3 million	$102.3 million	$102.3 million
Human Resources	25 FTE	25 FTE	25 FTE

To address demands from the private, public and not-for-profit sectors for large numbers of highly-qualified social scientists and humanists, and to facilitate faculty renewal at universities, SSHRC intends to:

• allocate about 30 per cent of its grants and scholarships budget to master's, doctoral and postdoctoral awards;
• award 1,600 new Canada Graduate Scholarships (CGS) at the master's and doctoral levels; and
• continue, through its research grants and strategic research grants programs, to promote student training through participation in research projects. Such projects provide hands-on research training, help develop marketable skills and cultural flexibility, and enhance students' ability to deal with complex situations and to intelligently apply information and insights to making decisions in a complex world.

Master's Component of the Canada Graduate Scholarships (CGS) Program

The three federal granting agencies administer the CGS program, which was established in 2003. When fully implemented in 2006-2007, the CGS program will support 2,000 master's students, with 60 per cent of the awards administered by SSHRC for students in the social sciences and humanities.

Together with SSHRC's other research training programs, the CGS Master's program helps train Canada's researchers and leaders of tomorrow. Specifically, the program develops research skills and assists in the training of highly-qualified personnel by supporting social sciences and humanities students who demonstrate a high standard of achievement in undergraduate and early graduate studies. SSHRC launched the CGS Master's program in May 2003 and in September 2003 offered master's scholarships to 815 students. The number of CGS Master's recipients in the social sciences and humanities increased to 1,200 in 2004-2005 and will remain at that level in 2006-2007 and 2007-2008.

Doctoral Fellowships and the Doctoral Component of the CGS Program

SSHRC offers support for excellent doctoral research through its long-standing Doctoral Fellowships (DF) program as well as through the new CGS Doctoral Scholarships program. In 2004-2005, the Council awarded the first 400 CGS Doctoral Scholarships, with 400 new scholarships to be offered each year. CGS awards are tenable only at recognized Canadian postsecondary institutions. The Council also continues to award SSHRC Doctoral Fellowships, which are tenable at recognized institutions in Canada and abroad. In 2006-2007, SSHRC will offer some 575 new Doctoral Fellowships.

SSHRC is also examining new ways to improve the environments in which students are trained. Such training may be supported through a stand-alone program or through enhancing opportunities in existing research support programs such as Major Collaborative Research Initiatives (MCRI) and Community-University Research Alliances (CURA). In 2006-2007, the Council will undertake a preliminary environmental scan of student training, followed by a formal evaluation of the DF program. The objective of this evaluation is to ensure that the DF program fully meets the requirements of a rapidly evolving research community and environment.

CGS Master's and Doctoral Scholarships	2006-2007	2007-2008	2008-2009
Financial Resources	$63 million	$63 million	$63 million

Postdoctoral Fellowships

SSHRC's Postdoctoral Fellowships (PDF) program supports the most promising new scholars in the social sciences and humanities who have recently completed or will soon complete a PhD or equivalent, and who do not hold a tenured or tenure-track faculty position. These fellowships assist new researchers in establishing a research base at a crucial stage in their careers. In 2006-2007, the Council will offer about 140 new postdoctoral fellowships.

Prizes

Outstanding achievements in social sciences and humanities research should not only be celebrated in the research community but should also be promoted in Canadian society at large. For this reason, the Council has made a special effort over the last couple of years to promote social sciences and humanities research through highly visible prizes. The Council awarded the Gold Medal for Achievement in Research and the Aurora Prize for the first time in 2003. The highest SSHRC honour, the Gold Medal, is awarded to an individual whose leadership, dedication, and originality of thought have significantly advanced understanding in his or her field of research, enriched Canadian society, and contributed to the country's cultural and intellectual life. The Aurora Prize recognizes an outstanding new researcher for exceptional contributions to, and innovation in, social science and humanities research. In 2004, both the Gold Medal and the Aurora Prize became annual awards. In 2005-2006, the Council established the annual SSHRC Postdoctoral Prize for the most outstanding SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellowship recipient. In addition, SSHRC continues to award each year the longstanding SSHRC William Taylor Fellowship to the most outstanding SSHRC doctoral award recipient.

Other Fellowships, Scholarships and Prizes Program Sub-Activities

A list of fellowships, scholarships and prizes program sub-activities:

1. Doctoral Fellowships
2. Postdoctoral Fellowships
3. Special Fellowships and Prizes

Other Fellowship, Scholarship, and Prize Programs	2006-2007	2007-2008	2008-2009
Financial Resources	$39.3 million	$39.3 million	$39.3 million

2.1.2 Canada Research Chairs

Canada Research Chairs Program	2006-2007	2007-2008	2008-2009
Financial Resources	$61.8 million	$61.8 million	$61.8 million
Human Resources	24 FTE	24 FTE	24 FTE

Established in 2000, the Canada Research Chairs Program will support, once fully implemented in 2007, 2,000 research professorships in all disciplines at universities across the country. The program's key objective is to enable Canadian universities, together with their affiliated research institutes and hospitals, to achieve the highest levels of excellence and to become world-class research centres in the global, knowledge-based economy. SSHRC administers the program and hosts the Canada Research Chairs Secretariat on behalf of the three federal granting agencies.

Eligible institutions recruit Canada Research Chairs from Canada and abroad in natural sciences, engineering, health sciences, and social sciences and humanities disciplines. The program allocates research chairs to eligible institutions in proportion to the amount of research grant funding they received from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and SSHRC in the three years prior to the year of the allocation. Because the recruitment of excellent researchers in Canada and from abroad is a complex, time-consuming process, institutions are given three years to submit nominations for each allocated chair. The Canada Research Chairs Secretariat expects that the program will reach its full complement of 2,000 chairs in 2007 (As of April, 2006, there were 1,641 active Canada Research Chairs, 524 of whom have been recruited from abroad). Thereafter, the Secretariat will administer the ongoing program and renew, replace or re-allocate chairs and chairholders in accordance with the changing allocations to institutions.

In accordance with Treasury Board requirements, the Secretariat completed a third-year review of the Chairs program in January 2003 and an overall fifth-year evaluation in 2004-2005. The evaluation assessed how well the program-including its Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) component-had achieved its stated objectives and, in doing so, focused on four groups of issues:

1. the continued relevance of the program objectives;
2. overall program results, including intended and unintended impacts;
3. results at the institutional level; and
4. specific questions, such as gender balance, effects of the formula used to allocate Chairs to the universities, and the adequacy of the level of funding.

In July 2005, the Secretariat published the evaluation report, together with a management response. The report was overall very positive and concluded that the program "has helped to create a research environment that is conducive to the long-term retention and attraction of top researchers... Chairholders reported significant increases in research productivity and the number of highly qualified personnel being trained at the graduate level since their Chair awards compared to other researchers over the same time period." The evaluation report also made recommendations to improve the program.

In its official response to these recommendations, management outlined a number of policy changes to the program, which are currently being implemented. These changes cover such areas as (a) improved, performance-orientated reporting by universities and chairholders, (b) a now biennial re-calculation of chairs allocations to universities, (c) increased monitoring of gender distribution and related measures to improve accountability, and (d) new provisions for handling lost or expired Canada Research Chairs.

2.2 Research: New Knowledge Based on Excellent Research

2.2.1 Investigator-Framed Research

Investigator-Framed Research	2006-2007	2007-2008	2008-2009
Financial Resources	$90.6 million	$90.6 million	$90.6 million
Human Resources	50 FTE	50 FTE	50 FTE

The current renewal of faculty at Canadian universities is contributing powerfully to an increasingly active research environment. This, in turn, has a considerable impact on SSHRC, especially on two core programs#8212;Standard Research Grants (SRG) and Major Collaborative Research Initiatives (MCRI)—that are key for supporting investigator-framed research. Recent data demonstrate that faculty renewal and increased research activity are exerting steadily mounting pressure on the SRG program. For example, 1,121 researchers applied to the 2006-2007 SRG competition as "new scholars," an unprecedented 102 per cent increase over the 2000 competition. In the case of established scholars, the 1,395 that applied to the 2006-2007 SRG competition represents a 41 per cent increase over the 2000 competition.

During SSHRC's nation-wide transformation consultations in 2004, the research community impressed upon the Council the need for smaller grants that would provide a larger number of meritorious researchers, particularly new scholars, with funds for research. As a result, the Council is currently examining its major investigator-framed programs-SRG and MCRI-to determine how it can provide researchers with more responsive and flexible funding opportunities, possibly through a discrete program.

Standard Research Grants (SRG)

The SRG program, SSHRC's largest single investment, supports programs of research that help Canadians understand an increasingly complex world. The program invites researchers to submit their most creative and innovative proposals for independent peer review. Because of the program's rigorous standards, securing a SRG grant has become a de facto requirement for both new and established faculty seeking tenure and promotion in the competitive university environment. In addition, SRG projects offer effective vehicles for training undergraduate and graduate students.

The specific objectives of the SRG program are to:

• support high quality, independent programs of research (as proposed by scholars and judged by their peers);
• provide opportunities for the training of future researchers;
• contribute to the development or elaboration of new theoretical or methodological approaches to research;
• maintain and develop vigorous disciplinary research activities;
• foster and develop vigorous collaborative, multidisciplinary research activities among researchers in the social sciences and humanities; and
• assist the communication of research results both within and beyond the academic community.

Through the SRG program, SSHRC will continue to sustain the critical mass of research expertise and the momentum of research activity on which innovation depends. Measures include:

• supporting the best research projects, both basic and applied, proposed by both established and new scholars in all social sciences and humanities disciplines;
• working towards SSHRC's long-term goal of increasing the current 40.4 per cent success rate to 50 per cent by 2010.

Major Collaborative Research Initiatives (MCRI)

To facilitate collaboration on complex research problems, the MCRI program:

• supports leading-edge, collaborative research that meets high standards of excellence, promises significant contribution to the advancement and transfer of knowledge in the humanities and social sciences, and encourages broad discussion and debate on critical issues of intellectual, social, economic and cultural significance for Canadian scholarship and society;
• promotes broadly based collaborative research as the central mode of research activity-within and among disciplines, departments and faculties, at universities across the country and abroad, as well as with researchers working in disciplines outside the social sciences and humanities;
• promotes the development of active partnerships with private and public sector groups to ensure their participation in the design and conduct of the research and in the dissemination of research results; promotes the development of links with appropriate stakeholders;
• provides unique opportunities for training students and postdoctoral fellows in a collaborative, interdisciplinary research environment;
• supports research that achieves comprehensive syntheses of the issues studied;
• encourages dynamic and innovative approaches to disseminating research findings that will have a major impact on scholarship and society by reaching both traditional and new audiences, including scholars, policy makers, stake-holders and the general public; and
• involves postsecondary institutions in long-term commitments to developing unique, large-scale inter-university research initiatives.

In 2006-2007, SSHRC will continue building, maintaining and enhancing national partnerships and networks of world-class researchers through the MCRI program.

2.2.2 Targeted Research and Training Initiatives

Targeted Research and Training Initiatives	2006-2007	2007-2008	2008-2009
Financial Resources	$25.7 million	$18.9 million	$14.0 million
Human Resources	43 FTE	43 FTE	43 FTE

Initiative on the New Economy (INE)

Established in 2001, the overall goal of the five-year, $100 million INE is to help Canada and Canadians adapt successfully to, and reap the benefits of, the "new economy." More specifically, the INE seeks to:

• foster excellent research, with particular emphasis on innovative and multidisciplinary approaches, to deepen our understanding of the new economy;
• extend and develop partnerships among the public, private and not-for-profit sectors; and
• inform decision-making in the public and private sectors.

2007-2008 will be the INE's last year as an active program. Apart from the innovative research on today's global economy that the INE has funded, SSHRC as a nascent knowledge council continues to draw on the valuable opportunities for experiments in knowledge mobilization that the program has afforded. In its final year, the INE will focus on:

• administering and monitoring currently held grants;
• holding another competition for INE Public Outreach Grants; and
• developing knowledge mobilization with a view to refining a knowledge management strategy for disseminating INE-funded research results as widely and as effectively as possible.

Initiative on the New Economy	2006-2007	2007-2008	2008-2009
Financial Resources	$11.5 million	$5.1 million	$0 million

The Social Economy Suite

Since its inception in 1999, the CURA program has proven highly successful at promoting partnerships of university-based researchers and community and not-for-profit organizations to work on social, economic and cultural issues of importance to particular communities and regions. Launched in January 2005 as part of an effort to strengthen Canada's not-for-profit business and service sector, SSHRC's Social Economy Suite program-a targeted version of the CURA program-provides $3 million annually for five years to support community-based research on the social economy. SSHRC has held two competitions, with results in September 2005 and March 2006. In June, 2006, Treasury Board Secretariat informed SSHRC that all non-committed funds earmarked for this program were frozen.

The broad objectives of the program are to enhance our understanding of the social economy in Canada and to document and share best practices that will help the social economy reach its full potential. The program funds teams of university-based researchers and representatives of community-based organizations to create and sustain six regional networks that conduct research and mobilize knowledge in support of Canada's social economy. SSHRC encouraged applications that incorporate action or participatory action research. Specific program objectives are to support research, and help mobilize new knowledge, that will:

• contribute to defining policies, including an appropriate regulatory framework, applicable to the social economy;
• improve the performance of organizations and enterprises in areas that are important to the social economy in Canada;
• demonstrate through inventories, statistics, comparative analyses, among other means, the actual and potential contribution of the social economy to the various sectors and regions of the Canadian economy; and
• develop Canada's international contribution to, and visibility in, areas relevant to the social economy.

The Social Economy	2006-2007	2007-2008	2008-2009
Financial Resources	$3.0 million	$3.0 million	$3.0 million

Strategic Research Grants

In March 2002, after multi-sectoral national consultations, SSHRC's Board adopted four of the current five strategic priority areas listed below. In response to the related announcement in Budget 2003, SSHRC's Board later added the fifth strategic priority area, "Northern Research." Finally, responding to the federal Action Plan for Official Languages, SSHRC added "official languages" to the topics included in its "Culture, Citizenship and Identities" strategic priority area. Thus, SSHRC's existing priority areas are:

• Aboriginal Research;
• Environment and Sustainability;
• Culture, Citizenship and Identities (including Official Languages);
• Image, Text, Sound and Technology; and
• Northern Research.

These priority areas will continue to guide the direction and development of the Council's strategic programs in 2006-2007, but may be realigned in the context of transformation.

Aboriginal Research
Building on its dialogue about research and Aboriginal peoples, SSHRC launched, in 2004, a new strategic program, Aboriginal Research, and held one competition in 2004-2005 and one in 2005-2006. This innovative program encourages Aboriginal participation and leadership in research by promoting partnerships between academics and Aboriginal communities to investigate important issues in such areas as challenges of urban life, research ethics, and Aboriginal languages and cultures. The Council announced the results of the most recent competition in March 2006.

Environment and Sustainability
In 2002, SSHRC, Environment Canada, and the National Roundtable on the Environment and the Economy (NRTEE) conducted broad stakeholder consultations on the need for more knowledge about, and better understanding of, the social, economic, legal and cultural aspects of the environmental issues facing Canadians. At present, the Council is participating in the Assistant Deputy Minister (ADM) Climate Change Impacts and Adaptations Committee, chaired by Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), which aims to determine the best approach to supporting social and economic research relevant to the impacts of and necessary adaptations to climate change. In addition, SSHRC, in partnership with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), plans to launch and support a third phase of the Ocean Management Research Network (OMRN) in late 2006 or early in 2007. Last but not least, the Council is currently working with Industry Canada and other partners on the Hydrogen Economy Initiative.

Culture, Citizenship and Identities (including Official Languages)
In 2004-2005, in partnership with Canadian Heritage, SSHRC launched a new joint initiative program in this priority area - Official Languages Research and Dissemination - to support research and knowledge mobilization activities. In 2005-2006, Council launched a further new joint initiative program with Sport Canada (part of Canadian Heritage). This Sport Participation Research Initiative supports research activities that will help address Sport Canada's current policy priority of promoting Canadians' participation in sports. SSHRC is also discussing, with several other potential partners, proposals for new programs in this priority area, with possible launches in 2006-2007.

Image, Text Sound and Technology
In 2003, after nationwide consultations, SSHRC established the new strategic program, Image, Text, Sound and Technology (ITST). Its main objectives are to increase the number of academics who creatively use leading-edge information technology in their research and to accelerate the pace at which researchers acquire such skills and put them to use. The ITST program, which currently focuses on learning and collaboration, offers grants for summer institutes, workshops, conferences and networking. The Council plans to add a research grant component to the program in 2006-2007 in order to more directly support research and research partnerships.

Northern Research
In June 2003, SSHRC's Board approved the development of the Northern Research Development Program (NRDP), which funds research in and about Canada's North. In addition, in 2005-2006, SSHRC entered into an agreement with the European Science Foundation's (ESF) "Collaborative Research (EUROCORES) Program for Humanities and Social Sciences Research in the Circumpolar North" to support the Canadian side of multinational northern research initiatives. The program is called BOREAS-Histories from the North: Environments, Movements, Narratives. Finally, SSHRC is actively participating in shaping Canada's contribution to the research agenda of the International Polar Year (IPY; 2007-2008) and a federal IPY research program. In 2006-2007, SSHRC will actively collaborate in creating better opportunities for initiatives with external partners that will enhance support for research on the economic, social, ecological and political challenges and opportunities facing Canada's North.

Strategic Joint Initiatives

SSHRC regularly enters into partnerships with public, private and not-for-profit/voluntary organizations to co-fund targeted programs for research support. Since 1989, the Council has co-created 45 of these Joint Initiative programs. In 2005-2006 and 2006-2007, SSHRC launched or renewed the following joint initiatives, all of which will be active in 2006-2007:

• Canadian Initiative on Social Statistics (CISS): Access to Research Data Centres (second phase renewal; with partners Statistics Canada and the Canadian Institutes for Health Research);
• Homelessness and Diversity Issues in Canada (second phase renewal; with partner National Secretariat on Homelessness (NSH), Human Resources and Skills Development (HRSD);
• Infrastructure Canada Peer-Reviewed Research Studies program^*;
• Multiculturalism Issues in Canada (second phase renewal; with partner Canadian Heritage, Multiculturalism Program);
• Oceans Management National Research Network Initiative (third phase renewal, with partner Department of Fisheries and Oceans); and
• Sport Participation Research Initiative (with partner Sport Canada from Canadian Heritage).

Table 12 in the Appendix lists SSHRC's ongoing Joint Initiatives for 2006-2007. For several of these programs, SSHRC's partner is a fellow member of the Industry Portfolio:

• NSERC: Forest Research Partnership Program, Intellectual Property Mobilization (IPM); and
• Statistics Canada: Canadian Initiative on Social Statistics (CISS); and the Immigration and the Metropolis Project.

One joint initiative program that merits particular attention is the Metropolis Project, under the aegis of which SSHRC and other federal departments and agencies concerned with immigration and integration policy questions-among them Citizenship and Immigration Canada and Social Development Canada-collaborate to support research and policy development on population migration, cultural diversity and the challenges of immigrant integration in cities in Canada and around the world.

^*SSHRC's role in the Infrastructure Canada Research Studies program is restricted to that of a service provider that manages the peer-review process. Infrastructure Canada funds this contributions program and reports on it to Parliament.

Other Targeted Research and Training Initiative Program Sub-Activities

A list of other targeted research and training initiative program sub-activities:

1. Strategic Research Grants
2. Strategic Joint Initiatives

Other Targeted Research and Training Initiative Program Sub-Activities	2006-2007	2007-2008	2008-2009
Financial Resources	$11.2 million	$10.8 million	$11.0 million

2.2.3 Strategic Research Development

Strategic Research Development	2006-2007	2007-2008	2008-2009
Financial Resources	$25 million	$25 million	$25 million
Human Resources	27 FTE	27 FTE	27 FTE

General Support

International Collaboration
An essential part of its new strategic plan, SSHRC's International Policy and Strategy, published in October 2005 acknowledges the importance of international collaboration to help sustain excellence in research and position Canadian research in the world. The Council's new international strategy also recognizes the need to create better opportunities for Canadian researchers to lead and participate in international collaborative research. One key element of the international strategy is the new International Opportunities Fund (IOF), which SSHRC also established in 2005 to:

• help researchers from Canadian post-secondary institutions initiate and develop international research collaboration;
• facilitate Canadian participation and leadership in current or planned international research initiatives that offer outstanding opportunities to advance Canadian research.

The IOF complements other SSHRC programs, which either have a specific international dimension (Major Collaborative Research Initiatives, Initiative on the New Economy; Doctoral Fellowships, Aid to Research Workshops and Conferences in Canada) or which provide funding opportunities for international research endeavours (most Council programs). The Council holds IOF competitions three times a year. The results of the first three IOF competitions have been announced in April, May and August 2006.

In addition to the international strategy and the IOF, the Council is developing partnerships with international research funding organizations to provide more opportunities for Canadian researchers to collaborate with international colleagues and to showcase Canadian research in the world. One example-BOREAS: Histories from the North-Environments, Movements, Narratives program - has been mentioned on p. 22. Other examples include SSHRC's memberships in two consortia of granting agencies funded by the European Union (EU):

• The European Research Area Network on the Societal Aspects of Genomics (ERA-NET SAGE);
• The European Research Area Network on New Opportunities for Research Funding Cooperation in Europe (ERA-NET NORFACE).

Finally, SSHRC is one of eight federal departments and agencies^* which will contribute to the operation of the Canada-European Union Science and Technology (S & T) Office (ERA-CAN), to be located in Ottawa. With a three-year, $1.3 million budget, ERA-CAN will work on improving the quality, quantity, profile and impact of S & T cooperation and linkages between Canada and the EU. More specifically, ERA-CAN will deliver a range of products and services to researchers, including a one-stop Web site, e-mail alerts, targeted events in both Canada and Europe, help in developing research partnerships, and advice.

In 2006-2007, SSHRC will proceed with its strategy for international collaboration by:

• expanding its efforts to develop international collaboration opportunities for Canadian researchers; funding Canadian participation in international research initiatives;
• maintaining existing and forging new international partnerships.

^*CFI, SSHRC, NSERC, CIHR, Genome Canada, National Research Council Canada (NRC), Federal Partners in Technology Transfer (FPTT), and International Trade Canada (ITCan).

International Polar Year
In 2005-2006, SSHRC, NSERC and CIHR worked with other federal departments and agencies such as Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) on the development of the federal International Polar Year (IPY; 2007-2008) program, which encourages multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches, particularly for cross-cutting issues. A specific component of the general IPY program is the IPY science and research projects program, which the Government of Canada launched in December 2005. The IPY science and research projects program will support two large research priorities, the first one on the impacts of and adaptation to climate change, and the second one on the health and well-being of Northern communities. This program component supports research and research-related activities in all disciplines (including the social sciences and humanities) carried out between April 1, 2006 and March 31, 2011, with a special focus on the IPY 2007-2008 timeframe (March 1, 2007 - March 1, 2009).

In addition to its involvement in the development of the federal IPY program, SSHRC will continue to support research and related activities in the social sciences and humanities that are relevant to the IPY. More specifically, in 2006-2007 and 2007-2008, SSHRC will support the operation of the Canadian IPY Secretariat at the University of Alberta.

Sharing and Access to Research Data Produced through Public Funding
In 2004, Canada signed the Ministerial Declaration on Access to Research Data from Public Funding, developed by the Committee for Science and Technology Policy (CSTP) of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The OECD has formed a working group, co-chaired by a SSHRC representative, to develop guidelines and best practices for access to research data from public funding. The purpose of these guidelines is to provide researchers and research organizations with guidance and best practices regarding the handling of research data, and in particular, to address barriers to sharing and accessing data across national boundaries. The removal of international barriers to data access will benefit the progress of knowledge and contribute to the economic and social strength of all countries. This is something the Council strongly endorses. The guidelines are currently in the drafting stage, with final approval expected in the fall of 2006.

Longitudinal Social and Health Surveys in an International Perspective
In January 2006, SSHRC, Statistics Canada and CIHR hosted an international conference on Longitudinal Social and Health Surveys in Montréal. This event assembled experts from around the world to examine and evaluate the development, management and use of Canadian longitudinal social and health surveys. The hosts were seeking the best possible advice on how to improve the development and performance of these major scientific undertakings. SSHRC will use this advice to (a) help shape proposals for future longitudinal surveys, (b) improve the use of survey data accessed through the national Research Data Centre network, and (c) enhance mobilization of knowledge derived from longitudinal survey research that will contribute to Canada's social development and economic performance.

The Social and Economic Aspects of Building a Hydrogen Economy
In October 2005, the University of Victoria and SSHRC, supported by the Hydrogen Economy Initiative, held a joint conference on the social and economic aspects of the hydrogen economy. As a result, in 2006-2007 SSHRC will work with a network of five universities and various public and private sector partners to develop a research and public consultation program on a hydrogen-based, low-carbon economy. This program will have domestic and international components and will directly involve industry, citizen groups, academic researchers, and provincial governments. Its key objective is to investigate and determine the social, economic, legal and cultural dimensions of more effectively integrating low-carbon energy sources and carriers, especially hydrogen, into the Canadian economy.

Strategic Research Development Program Sub-Activities

A list of strategic research development program sub-activities:

1. Research Development Initiatives (RDI)
2. Community-University Research Alliances (CURA)
3. SSHRC Institutional Grants (SIG)
4. Aid to Small Universities (ASU)
5. General Support
6. International Opportunities Fund (IOF)
7. BOREAS-Histories from the North: Environments, Movements, Narratives

2.3 Knowledge Mobilization: The Transfer, Dissemination and Use of Knowledge

2.3.1 Research Communication and Interaction

Research Communication and Interaction	2006-2007	2007-2008	2008-2009
Financial Resources	$21.8 million	$21.1 million	$21.1 million
Human Resources	17 FTE	17 FTE	17 FTE

Research-and the creation of new knowledge through research-produces direct and indirect social, economic and cultural benefits to Canadians. The social sciences and humanities produce knowledge which is not often directly exploited commercially. However, their most important contributions are to culture, the economy and society through the mobilization, dissemination, transfer, and application of research-based knowledge. In fact, the effective mobilization of knowledge and application of research results are as essential as the research itself. Examples include improvements to public and private services (education), infrastructure (urban planning), and practices and procedures (alternative dispute resolution) as well as the development and refinement of broad analytical concepts ("productivity") and a better understanding of key challenges for Canada, both at the national (integration of immigrants from diverse ethnic backgrounds) and international (human security) levels.

Mobilization of Research-Based Knowledge

In addition to activities directly related to its transformation, in 2006-07, SSHRC will further develop a general knowledge mobilization strategy as well as specific knowledge mobilization initiatives. A key objective here is to embed knowledge mobilization in the Council's organizational culture as a fundamental value and major orientation. Internally, the Council will work on defining the responsibilities and accountabilities of Program Branch managers and staff with regard to knowledge mobilization and diverse skills, competencies and training that are related to or relevant for knowledge mobilization.

Externally, the Council will act as a "national facilitator" for eleven three-year demonstration projects hosted by universities funded under the Knowledge Impact in Society (KIS) one-time pilot program. As facilitator, SSHRC will promote and help with knowledge mobilization and knowledge exchange. Additionally, SSHRC expects to learn about and apply best practices across funded projects to enhance the use and application of research-based knowledge. SSHRC will also further advance the experimental knowledge-sharing and exchange on-line network of 26 large research teams that received funding through Initiative on the New Economy (INE) programs. Here, the Council's key goal in 2006-2007 is to involve in the network as many as possible of the 200 or so smaller INE-funded research teams and individuals, and to attract the participation of key research users and stakeholders. SSHRC will work to create a similar network for the eleven funded KIS projects.

In addition to these collaborations and initiatives, SSHRC will continue to support the dissemination of research results and the mobilization of knowledge through its communications programs for scholarly publications, for workshops and conferences, for research and transfer journals and for associations. Finally, the Council will keep on building, maintaining and enhancing interdisciplinary national networks of researchers through the tri-agency Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE) program. One special focus for SSHRC in 2006-2007 will be the continuing tri-agency discussions with currently funded NCEs about the development of indicators for the social impacts of research.

Commercialization

The commercialization of research results is a key priority for Canada. In this respect, Industry Canada currently manages a $50-million commercialization pilot fund that funds, over five years and a competitive basis, university proposals to promote the commercialization of research. The three granting agencies are advising Industry Canada on how to improve the capacity for commercialization in Canada's higher education sector. Moreover, in coordination with NSERC and CIHR, SSHRC is implementing further commercialization measures through increased support for the transfer, dissemination and use of research-based knowledge in the social sciences and humanities.

Strategic Knowledge Clusters

Benefiting from its experiences, notably with the INE, in structuring and supporting research networks, SSHRC is currently developing its Strategic Knowledge Clusters program. A cornerstone of the Council's new strategic vision, "clustering" of research efforts promotes research interaction and knowledge mobilization. In 2004, the Council launched its initial Strategic Research Clusters Design Grants program, which introduced a new model that is well-adapted to the needs of the social sciences and humanities. This pilot program called on the research community to identify key research areas, issues and topics that would benefit from improved networking and communications-both among researchers, and between researchers and those in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors who use research knowledge to address important issues.

In 2005, SSHRC supported several of the initial clusters for a second year of development and invited, through the new Strategic Research Cluster competition, new applications from teams that did not receive a grant in the initial pilot program. The Council is now working on finalizing the parameters of an ongoing program to fund strategic knowledge clusters, to be launched in 2006-2007. This ongoing program will promote key aspects of the Council's new strategic thrust-strengthening connections among researchers and between researchers and users of research, creating innovative research training environments, and promoting and showcasing Canadian research strengths internationally.

2.4 Institutional Environment: A Strong Canadian Research Environment

2.4.1 Indirect Costs of Research

Indirect Costs of Research	2006-2007	2007-2008	2008-2009
Financial Resources	$300.1 million	$300.1 million	$300.1 million
Human Resources	4 FTE	4 FTE	4 FTE

The key objective of the Indirect Costs program is to help eligible universities, colleges and affiliated research hospitals and research institutes pay a portion of the costs associated with conducting academic research in institutions receiving research funds from any of the three federal granting agencies. The program helps recipient institutions create an environment which maximizes their use of the total federal investment in academic research. The program is also designed to help smaller postsecondary institutions, which cannot benefit from the economies of scale realized by large universities, to increase their research capacity. Specific objectives of the Indirect Costs program are to contribute to establishing and/or maintaining:

• well-equipped and well-maintained research facilities;
• world-class research resources;
• strategic management and efficient administration of the institution's research enterprise;
• fulfillment of international regulatory and accreditation requirements; and
• effective management of intellectual property.

Budget 2006 announced that $40 million will be added to the $260-million-per-annum Indirect Costs program, which supports around 140 eligible universities, colleges, and affiliated research hospitals. The SSHRC-hosted Canada Research Chairs Secretariat administers the Indirect Costs program on behalf of Canada's three federal granting agencies.

In accordance with Treasury Board requirements, the Secretariat carried out a mid-term review of the program in 2005 and has scheduled an overall evaluation for 2008. The mid-term review focused on issues associated with the design and operation of the Indirect Costs program and sought to identify possible adjustments, alternative delivery methods and to what degree immediate targeted program outcomes have been achieved. In February 2006, the Steering Committee of the Indirect Costs program approved the final report on the mid-term review. The report was published, together with a comprehensive management response, in May 2006.

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