Indigenous Capacity and Leadership in Research Connection Grants: September 2025 Competition

Sponsor

SSHRC

For More Information

Please visit the Indigenous Capacity and Leadership in Research Connection Grants website.

Webinars:

Description

The Indigenous Capacity and Leadership in Research (ICLR) Connection Grants will contribute to Indigenous leadership and self-determination in research. The events and activities funded represent opportunities to engage and exchange knowledge on successful ways of conducting Indigenous research that are transformative and contribute to Indigenous-led research, including wholistic and distinctions-based approaches.

This funding opportunity aligns with the tri-agency Setting New Directions to Support Indigenous Research and Research Training in Canada strategic plan and Indigenous communities’ aspirations to provide support for transformative research and training that contributes to innovation and reconciliation.

More specifically, it aims to:

• support the research priorities of Indigenous Peoples;
• champion Indigenous leadership, self-determination and capacity in research, to the benefit of Indigenous communities;
• increase awareness and understanding of Indigenous researchers, students and communities;
• recognize Indigenous ways of knowing as an integral part of valid and authoritative research;
• support Indigenous-led strategies and structures that address respectful and mutually beneficial data management and intellectual property rights in Indigenous research; and,
• decolonize Indigenous research through the development of clear structures and resources for Indigenous Peoples to grow research capacity, including creating greater accessibility to granting agency program funding.

All of the grants for this funding opportunity are reserved for First Nations or Métis not-for-profit organizations, Indigenous not-for-profit organizations serving more than one distinction, or Indigenous postsecondary institutions. The portion of the federal budget commitment dedicated to the Inuit Peoples will be allocated through a separate funding mechanism.

In the case of an application to an individual grant, the project director must be affiliated with one of these eligible organizations/institutions. See Applicants and Institutions details below for more information on institutional and individual grant eligibility.

This funding opportunity invites applications in any discipline from institutional or individual applicants affiliated with First Nations or Métis not-for-profit organizations, Indigenous not-for-profit organizations serving more than one distinction, or Indigenous postsecondary institutions. All projects must have the objective of informing and contributing to the development and growth of research strategic plans and activities to support distinctions-based leadership and self-determination in research.

The ICLR Connection Grants affirm the important wholistic contributions to human knowledge made by Indigenous knowledge systems within a First Nations and Métis context. Furthermore, the funding opportunity emphasizes Métis and First Nations knowledge systems, including ontologies, epistemologies and methodologies, as important avenues for exploring the contours of knowledge, supporting research paradigms, and contributing to collaboration that extends the boundaries of knowledge in western research paradigms. These grants will support relationships with land, spirits and ancestors, as well as more-than-human relatives. Applicants are encouraged to submit projects that are wholistic and reflect the full range of collaboration across disciplines and subject areas pertaining to the social sciences and humanities; natural sciences and engineering; and health and wellness. Funding will support community gatherings, workshops or other events, or outreach activities that mobilize existing knowledge; facilitate dialogue and knowledge sharing; and result in the preparation of a research agenda, strategy and/or action plan, among other things.

Expected Outcomes

ICLR Connection Grants support a wide range of events and outreach activities geared toward initiatives that contribute to and support wholistic research strategies, capacity growth, self-determination and leadership for First Nations and Métis communities to conduct research by:

• supporting knowledge mobilization and translation by Métis and First Nations researchers and community members at Indigenous not-for-profit organizations and postsecondary institutions;
• strengthening knowledge and understanding by leveraging perspectives from across multiple disciplines, sectors and ways of knowing;
• supporting First Nations and Métis leadership and capacity-building;
• strengthening Métis and First Nations research capacities by supporting training activities within their communities, at Indigenous postsecondary institutions and at Indigenous not-for-profit organizations;
• supporting development and growth of First Nations and Métis-led strategies and structures aligned with research data management practices and intellectual property rights in Indigenous research;
• generating research outputs by communities, nations, institutions and organizations that address Métis and First Nations’ needs; and,
• integrating reciprocity as essential to research methodology, planning and outcomes.

Eligibility

Co-directors and Co-applicants

Individuals (including postdoctoral researchers) are eligible to be co-directors or co-applicants if they are formally affiliated with any of the following, regardless of their institution or organization holding institutional eligibility at SSHRC:

• Canadian: postsecondary institution; not-for-profit organization; philanthropic foundation; think tank; municipal, territorial or provincial government; or Indigenous government, governance body or band council; or,
• International: postsecondary institution.

Collaborators

Any individual who makes a significant contribution to the project is eligible to be a collaborator. Collaborators do not need to be affiliated with an eligible institution.

Individuals from the private sector or federal government can only participate on a team as collaborators.

Applicants and Institutions

ICLR Connection Grant applications can be submitted by institutions or by individual applicants. Each application can be submitted by a team of researchers (consisting of one project director and one or more co-directors, co-applicants and/or collaborators). In the case of partnerships, the project director prepares the application on behalf of the partner organizations of the partnership.

Institutional ICLR Connection Grant applications must be submitted by an Indigenous institution in Canada that holds or is already in the process of applying for institutional eligibility, whether an Indigenous not-for-profit or Indigenous postsecondary institution (college or university), to conduct an event, outreach activity or combination of the two that allows the eligible institution to achieve the strategic objectives relevant to this funding opportunity. The project director for an institutional ICLR must be affiliated with the eligible institution submitting the application. The project director prepares the application on behalf of their institution and is responsible for the overall leadership of the project. The project director and their team (consisting of one project director and one or more co-directors, co-applicants and/or collaborators) must each meet the eligibility criteria specific to their role.

The term “institution” from this point on in this description refers to both eligible Indigenous postsecondary institutions and eligible Indigenous not‑for‑profit organizations.

Individual ICLR Connection Grant applications must be submitted by an individual (project director) affiliated with an eligible Indigenous institution in Canada that holds or is already in the process of applying for institutional eligibility, whether an Indigenous not-for-profit or Indigenous postsecondary institution (college or university), to conduct an event, outreach activity or combination of the two that primarily falls within the project director’s area of expertise and will allow them to make a significant contribution to their field of research. The project director and their team (consisting of one or more co-directors, co-applicants and/or collaborators) must each meet the eligibility criteria specific to their role.

Researchers whose primary affiliation is with a non-Canadian institution (not-for-profit or postsecondary) are not eligible for project director status.

Project directors must be affiliated with an eligible Canadian institution (Indigenous postsecondary institution or Indigenous not-for-profit organization) that holds institutional eligibility before funding can be released. Researchers who maintain an affiliation with a Canadian institution that holds institutional eligibility, but whose primary affiliation is with a non-Canadian postsecondary institution, are not eligible for project director status.

Institutions

Grant funds can be administered only by a Canadian, eligible Indigenous postsecondary institution or Indigenous not-for-profit organization. Institutions proposing to administer a grant awarded under this funding opportunity must hold or obtain institutional eligibility (see the webpage on Indigenous Not-for-Profit Organizations Applying for Institutional Eligibility for additional details, and the list of eligible organizations at SSHRC). Indigenous institutions or not-for-profit organizations who are unsure about their current eligibility or who are interested in obtaining eligibility are strongly encouraged to contact SSHRC’s institutional eligibility team at least 10 business days prior to the application deadline.

To start the grant application, you must have started the institutional eligibility process, so you can select the administering organization in the Affiliations step when creating an application. An institutional representative will need to be identified as the research administrator and will be responsible for forwarding the grant application by the deadline. The creation of a research administrator role for an organization can take up to approximately five business days; however, during that time, applicants can continue to work on key sections of the grant application (e.g., attachments in the Supporting Documents section). See the application instructions for more details.

Indigenous postsecondary institutions, including but not limited to universities, tribal colleges, polytechnics and institutes, are encouraged to participate. If an organization does not meet the criteria for institutional eligibility, the organization may participate on a proposal as a partner organization, or have individuals participate on a project team in the roles of co-director, co-applicant or collaborator, as applicable. See below for more details.

Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers

Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers are recognized and respected in terms of their contributions towards knowledge, and may participate as co-directors, co-applicants or collaborators. Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers affiliated with a federal department or private sector organization can only participate as collaborators.

Partner Organizations

Canadian or international organizations from the public, private and/or not-for-profit sectors may be involved as partner organizations and are expected to support the activities of the partnership. Indigenous academic and non-academic organizations, Indigenous governments, and Indigenous not-for-profit organizations are all welcome to partner.

Although contributions can include cash and/or in-kind contributions, in an effort to alleviate barriers to all communities’ participation, partners may explain alternative contributions in letters of support. This support can include social capital and/or linguistic capital, such as the ability to engage in the community using its ancestral language(s) and a national language of Canada. See more details in the instructions accompanying this funding opportunity.

Maximum Project Value

ICLR Connection Grants are valued at a maximum of $50,000 for one year (including indirect costs). 

A one-year automatic grant extension without additional funding is also available under this funding opportunity.

Indirect Costs

In recognition of the unique needs for Indigenous research, the budget can include an amount for indirect costs that is up to 25% of the amount requested for direct costs in the total funding request and budget justification. The indirect costs component of each grant is included in the award value, not in addition to the award value (see details in Specific rules for the use of grant funds).

Special Notes

Regulations, Policies and Related Information

The federal research granting agencies reserve the right to determine the eligibility of applications, based on the information included. The agencies also reserve the right to interpret the regulations and policies governing their funding opportunities.

Grant holders must comply with the Tri-Agency Open Access Policy on Publications (see the Open Access overview for more information) and the Tri-Agency Research Data Management Policy.

All applicants and grant holders must also comply with the Regulations Governing Grant Applications and follow the general principles governing appropriate use of funds set out in the Tri-Agency Guide on Financial Administration, unless otherwise specified below or in the accompanying instructions.

Specific Rules for the Use of Grant Funds

• Grant funds cannot be used to remunerate team members (project director, co-director, co-applicant or collaborator), regardless of an individual’s eligibility to apply for grants*. This includes postdoctoral fellows serving in any of these capacities.

  *Exception to the above rule: In some cases, Indigenous team members may be compensated. For more information, see the Tri-Agency guideline on remuneration for Indigenous people participating in funded projects. In such cases, the team member may not be delegated to authorize grant expenditures, and under no circumstances is the applicant/project director eligible to be compensated from grant funds.

• Grant funds can be used (up to $50,000) to develop connection-related tools for the purpose of knowledge mobilization activities.
• Agency grant funds are provided to cover some or all direct costs of the project, and the benefits from their use must be directly attributable to the project activities. Applicants are encouraged to consult the Tri-Agency Guide on Financial Administration, specifically its principles governing the appropriate use of grant funds, to better understand what direct costs may be covered under which category. In recognition of the unique needs for Indigenous research, the budget can include an amount for indirect costs that is up to 25% of the amount requested for direct costs in the total funding request and budget justification. The indirect costs component of each grant is included in the award value, not in addition to the award value. Eligible indirect costs include those specified in the five categories of expenses eligible under the Research Support Fund. While grants awarded through this funding opportunity are excluded from the calculation of credits to institutions under the Fund, they are included in the calculation of credits under the Canada Research Chairs Program. See instructions for more details.
• In alignment with the Government of Canada’s commitment to reconciliation, the Tri-Agency SIRC strategy, and the objectives set by this unique funding opportunity toward growing capacity, grant funds can be used for course release time to allow an individual to engage in the project. This release time would be open to all postsecondary researchers (colleges and universities) on the project team. This would cover the salary for the replacement of a faculty member during the faculty member’s involvement as a team member in the project, as well as expenditures associated with recruitment-related activities. See instructions for more details.
• A salary research allowance can be requested in the budget for not-for-profit organizations involved in the partnership with an applicant, co-director or co-applicant on the team to release them from duties to their organization. A salary research allowance is not a salary for the team member, but is paid to a Canadian not-for-profit organization to offset the costs of replacing its employee for time spent participating on a Tri-Agency-funded project.
• If the proposal falls within the mandate of the federal government and the research or research-related activity is performed in government facilities, funding can only be allocated for student salaries, stipends and travel costs.

How to Apply

Applicants must complete the application form in accordance with the accompanying Convergence instructions.