This completed form is required prior to submitting all external funding applications. 

Download the Grant Application Approval Form (‘GAAP’)

Social Sciences Research Funding Initiatives 

The Faculty of Social Sciences has implemented the following pilot initiatives to better support social scientific research and strengthen tri-council funding applications.

Course Release for Tri-Council Funding

Faculty members who obtain tri-council funding as specified below will be eligible for teaching release. The following rules and conditions apply:

1. A reduction in teaching load will be available to tenured or permanent faculty members who are the Principal Investigator (PI) on external research grants obtained through the following peer-review granting programs:
2. Tri-Council Programs: SSHRC Insight Grants; SSHRC Insight Development Grants; SSHRC Partnership Development Grants; CIHR Project Grants; CIHR Catalyst Grants; and NSERC Discovery Grants.
3. As per current practice, teaching release can be negotiated on a case-by-case basis as part of the institutional commitment for CFI JELF grants, CRC awards, Ontario Early Researcher Awards, SSHRC Partnership grants, and similar funding programs.
4. Faculty members who are co-Principal Investigators on major grants (i.e., not standard operating grants) will be considered for a reduction in teaching responsibilities on a case-by-case basis. No consideration of course release for co-investigators will be considered in this pilot.
5. Eligibility is limited to research awards administered through McMaster University.
6. Tenured and permanent faculty are eligible for one 3-unit teaching reduction per grant and can take at most one 3-unit reduction from this program in a single academic year.
7. To be eligible for this program, at least one McMaster graduate student in the Faculty of Social Sciences must be funded as a Research Assistant for a minimum of 130 hours in each year of the project.
8. To be eligible for this program, grant holders must follow all internal processes in the process of preparing their grant application. This includes submitting a draft of the grant application to ROADS and a completed GAAP form for signature to the Faculty Office no later than one week prior to the funding agency deadline.

This policy took effect in the 2020-21 academic year. It applies to eligible faculty who successfully applied for external research funding on or after January 1, 2019, or who successfully apply during the period of the pilot. The pilot will run for three academic years.

Support for Unfunded Tri-Council Applications
Unsuccessful applications from select tri-council competitions will be reviewed by an adjudication committee at the faculty level to select those projects that will receive seed funding. Faculty members will be notified if they receive funding from this initiative after receiving a decision from SSHRC, CIHR, or NSERC. Funds will be allocated at the discretion of the adjudication committee. Each project is eligible to receive funds from this initiative only once. There is no guarantee that each eligible application will receive support.

The following rules and conditions apply for this program:

1. Funds will be available to PIs on unsuccessful research grants applied to through the following tri-council programs: SSHRC Insight Grants; SSHRC Insight Development Grants; SSHRC Partnership Development Grants; CIHR Project Grants; CIHR Catalyst Grants; and NSERC Discovery Grants.
2. Eligibility is limited to research awards administered through McMaster University.
3. To be eligible for this program, the tri-council application must have budgeted for at least one FSS graduate student to be paid as a Research Assistant in each year of the grant.
4. To be eligible for this program, applicants must have followed all internal processes in preparing their grant application. This includes having submitted a draft of the grant application to ROADS and having sent the GAAP form for signature to the Faculty Office no later than one week prior to the funding agency deadline.
5. Funds must be used to undertake research to advance the project outlined in the grant application, to revise the application, and/or to otherwise enhance the application’s competitiveness for the next competition cycle.
6. All recipients of this funding must resubmit the grant application in the following tri-agency competition cycle.

This policy will take effect on August 1, 2021, and will run until August 1, 2024.

Support for Unfunded SSHRC Exchange- Scholarly Publications Grant Applications

Researchers who are unsuccessful in the SSHRC Exchange—Scholarly Publications Grant competition (administered by the Arts Review Board at McMaster) will automatically have their applications reviewed by an adjudication committee at the faculty level to select those that will be funded through this initiative. The objective of the SSHRC Exchange – Scholarly Publications Grant is to support and enhance manuscripts accepted for publication by a press that employs peer-review.

• The annual deadline for applications to the Arts Review Board is Oct. 31^st.

All requirements and eligible expenses for faculty-level funding are identical to those outlined in the SSHRC Exchange – Scholarly Publications Grant application form. For faculty-level funding, monographs and edited volumes will be prioritized, though articles and other forms of scholarly output will also be considered. Recipients of funds from the faculty are expected to submit the SSHRC Exchange – Scholarly Publications Grant final report form directly to the Associate Dean, Research upon completion of the project.

• Funds will be allocated at the discretion of the adjudication committee. There is no guarantee that each eligible application will receive support.
• This policy will take effect on August 1, 2021, and will run until August 1, 2024.

Matching Contributions for Provost’s Interdisciplinary Fund

The Provost’s Interdisciplinary Fund supports projects led by McMaster researchers from at least two faculties. It does so by providing matching funds for a project when one-third of the budget comes from one faculty, and one-third comes from the other faculty. (Co-)Leadership of interdisciplinary projects situates faculty to be competitive in a range of funding streams that value interdisciplinarity, including the New Frontiers in Research Fund.

• Funds for this initiative will be made available on a case-by-case basis
• Please contact the Associate Dean, Research to inquire
• This policy will take effect on August 1, 2021, and will run until August 1, 2024

Support for Partnered Research Applications

Researchers applying for external funding for a major partnered research project will be eligible for up to $5,000 to assist in developing their funding application. These funds are in recognition of the considerable work involved in bringing partners together, co-designing a program of research, securing and tracking contributions (where required), obtaining letters of support, and completing various application components. Eligible funding opportunities include the SSHRC Partnership Grant and Partnership Development Grant competitions.

To receive this funding, the applicant must:

1. Be a tenure-track or permanent faculty member in the Faculty of Social Sciences
2. Notify the Associate Dean, Research of their intent to apply at least 3 months in advance of the application deadline
3. Apply for a minimum of $100,000 in external funding
4. Include a minimum of two partner organizations in the funding application
5. Use all funds towards developing the funding application. This may include hiring a research assistant or project manager, and/or bringing partner organizations and researchers together to plan the proposed project (ex: travel, catering, room rental, etc.)

Plan your research project budgets with the Faculty of Social Sciences budget workbook.

Download here

The following McMaster units support the university’s research mandate. They can provide tailored assistance at key points in the research cycle. 

Community Research Platform

Facilitates community-engaged research collaborations between the Faculty of Social Sciences and five anchor organizations in the Hamilton community:

• The Hamilton Public Library
• The Canadian Mental Health Association of Hamilton
• The YWCA of Hamilton
• Centre 3 for Artistic and Social Practice
• The John Howard Society of Ontario.

FSS researchers who wish to explore conducting research with one of these partners are welcome to contact Program Manager Leora Sas van der Linden: sasvandl@mcmaster.ca.

Research Office for Administration, Development and Support (ROADS)

Provides support in applying for external research grants, including feedback on applications and guidance documents 

McMaster Industry Liaison Office (MILO)

Facilitates collaborations with industry partners and disseminating research results through commercialization 

McMaster Research Finance Office

Helps researchers access awarded funds; assists researchers in adhering to university policies, terms of a grant agreement, and granting agency rules 

Ethics Review and Certifications

Ensures researchers have appropriate approvals before beginning a project 

Arts Research Board

Offers a variety of funding programs for researchers in the Faculties of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Business 

Office of Community Engagement

Facilitates community-engaged research, education, and volunteerism among McMaster faculty and staff