SSHRC Joint Initiative: Indigenous Science and the Impacts of Plastic Pollution (2025)
Sponsor
Environment and Climate Change Canada [1] (ECCC) in partnership with the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council [2] (SSHRC)
For More Information
Indigenous Science and the Impacts of Plastic Pollution [3]
Webinars: Indigenous Science and the Impacts of Plastic Pollution
(French) Thursday, June 26, 2025 - 1:00pm - 2:30pm - Join Webinar [4]
(English) Friday, June 27, 2025 - 10:30am - 12:00pm - Join Webinar [5]
Description
To help reduce plastic waste and pollution and progress towards a circular economy for plastics, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) is partnering with the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) on this joint initiative. The initiative supports Indigenous-led research that investigates the impacts of plastic pollution on Indigenous communities across Canada. It emphasizes the integration of Indigenous knowledge systems with scientific approaches to better understand the social, cultural, and economic dimensions of plastic waste throughout its lifecycle. The program encourages collaborative partnerships between Indigenous communities, academic institutions, and other organizations to co-develop research that is community-driven and policy-relevant. These partnerships aim to foster mutual learning, build research capacity, and support solutions aligned with national strategies on zero plastic waste and environmental stewardship.
At least one partner organization must be an Indigenous partner for this joint initiative. Research partnership proposals should demonstrate that project priorities have been designed through consultation with, or co-developed with, or initiated from Indigenous communities and/or organizations.
Two categories of research partnerships can request support:
- Existing partnerships to foster new research and/or research-related partnership activities that are distinct from the partnership's previous/ongoing partnership activities.
- New partnerships to foster new research and/or research-related partnership activities that are undertaken by partnerships in their initial stages.
Eligibility
Proposals can involve any disciplines, thematic areas, approaches or subject areas eligible for SSHRC funding. See the guidelines on subject matter eligibility [6] for more information.
Projects whose primary objective is curriculum development, program evaluation, preparation of teaching materials, digitization of a collection, or creation of a database are not eligible for funding under this funding opportunity.
Review eligibility criteria [7] for applicants, institutions, co-directors and co-applicants, collaborators, and partner organizations.
Maximum Project Value
The grants are valued at a maximum of $237,500 per year over two years, up to a total of $475,000.
Indirect Costs
Funds from SSHRC are not subject to indirect costs. Cash contributions to the project, made by a partner, are subject to the applicable indirect cost rate as specified in the Full Cost of Research Policy [8].
Project Duration
2 years (with option to extend by one year with no additional funding)
Special Notes
Institutional and Partner Organization Contributions
Applicants are expected to include a plan to seek and secure cash and/or in-kind contributions [9] for their initiative during the life of the grant. While there is no minimum contribution requirement, institutions and their partner organizations are expected to demonstrate that a formal partnership currently exists, or is in the process of being developed, by supporting the activities of the formal partnership.
In an effort to alleviate barriers to all communities' participation, partners not providing cash and/or in-kind contributions may explain alternative support to the partnership in their letters (see Instructions [10]). This alternative form of contribution can include social capital, an asset that may emphasize social and familial relationships and networks and may affect the cost of research. A contribution could also include linguistic capital, such as the ability to engage in the community using its ancestral language(s) and a national language of Canada.
For more information, see SSHRC's Guidelines for Cash and In-Kind Contributions [11].
Deadlines
If College-level review is required, your College will communicate its earlier internal deadlines.
| Type | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Internal Deadline | Please submit your signed OR-5 form to the Research Services Office (RSO) (research.services@uoguelph.ca [12]). In the Convergence Portal, applicants must click "Accept" for approval by RSO's internal deadline. The electronic submission process ensures validation of the information by RSO before they forward your application to SSHRC on your behalf (the application’s status will change from “In progress” to “Received by administrator”). You must accept the terms and conditions to submit. Please consult your College Research Manager [13] well ahead of this deadline to learn more about resources available to you. | |
External Deadline | Applications will be forwarded to SSHRC by the Research Services Office through the Convergence Portal. |
How to Apply
Applicants must complete the application form [14] in accordance with the accompanying Convergence instructions [15]. Applications will be submitted to SSHRC electronically by the Research Services Office.
Information For Co-applicants
If you need to meet a deadline set by the lead institution for this opportunity, please ensure that you provide the Research Services Office with at least five days notice in advance of the lead institution’s deadline to review the application, or your proposed component of the project. Please contact the Research Services Office ahead of the deadline if it looks like it will be difficult for you to submit all the required documentation on time (i.e. budget, proposal, OR-5 Form).