Sponsor

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC)

For More Information

Please visit the SSHRC Knowledge Synthesis Grant website [1].

Webinars:

June 18, 2026 at 11:00 am Registration Link [2]

October 8, 2026 at 11:00 am Registration Link [3]

Description

SSHRC, in partnership with NordForsk [4], is pleased to launch a Knowledge Synthesis Grants (KSG) competition to mobilize, examine and synthesize social sciences and humanities research on The Changing Nature of Security and Conflict. The resulting syntheses will help identify roles the academic, public, private and not-for-profit sectors could play in promoting more inclusive and equitable societies; and could inform development of effective tools and technologies, robust policies and sustainable practices needed to support the path toward a diverse and inclusive future for all. SSHRC encourages Indigenous-led and Inuit Nunangat–based research approaches that reflect community priorities, land-based knowledge and Northern sovereignty. Proposals co-developed with Indigenous Peoples and Northern communities are strongly welcomed.

The Changing Nature of Security and Conflict is one of the 16 global future challenges identified through SSHRC’s Imagining Canada’s Future [5] initiative. These complex issues, identified in 2018 following an extensive foresight exercise, reflect key challenges Canada and the world are likely to face over the coming decades. All the challenges cross multiple sectors, jurisdictions and research disciplines and require broad collaboration to address. This KSG funding opportunity is informed and shaped by cross-sectoral and diverse perspectives, including from subject matter experts, policy leaders, businesses and community leaders.

In the contemporary conflict and security environment, efforts to prevent, prepare for and respond to threats are being challenged by the blurring boundaries between the types of threats, whether digital or physical and their sources, including states, nonstate actors and natural causes. The intensification of hybrid warfare in the past few years, blending kinetic warfare with nonmilitary tactics, such as the sabotage of undersea cables, reflects this evolution. To add to this challenge, space assets increasingly play a central role in both civilian and military operations, including surveillance, telecommunications and geolocation. Disruption of satellite systems, particularly GPS or interception of location data could expose vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure.

As part of hybrid warfare, information warfare, marked by increasingly sophisticated disinformation campaigns, aims to polarize society, manipulate public opinion and undermine democratic institutions. This occurs in fertile conditions for radicalization, particularly among youth, driven by complex and possibly under-anticipated factors such as intergenerational tensions, mental health challenges and political disenfranchisement. This trend is exacerbated by social media’s algorithms amplifying divisive content. In the absence of a robust legal framework to address these emerging threats, information warfare operates in a legal grey zone despite its detrimental impact. As hybrid warfare now incorporates digital, informational, technological and physical dimensions, an integrated analytical approach is needed to understand the complex threat ecosystem.

Information warfare increasingly intersects with evolving cybersecurity threats, challenging law enforcement and intelligence services to keep pace with emerging technologies. Artificial intelligence (AI) has lowered barriers to cyberattacks, enabling the use of deepfakes for gender-based and other attacks or giving access to malicious large language models for advanced social engineering. These threats disproportionately affect vulnerable populations and are often underreported, particularly among seniors.

Law enforcement and security efforts are further complicated by the blurred boundaries between criminal networks and hostile foreign state actors. The economic impact of cyberattacks, especially when they target critical infrastructure or financial systems, can be severe, with illicit revenues potentially funding next-generation military, as well as surveillance and nuclear capabilities in adversarial states. While the focus has recently been on AI, breakthroughs in quantum computing may be around the corner, raising concerns about its potential for decrypting sensitive data. Despite limitations in the scalability and error correction of quantum technologies, the rapid pace of technological development underscores the urgent need for governments and institutions to adopt quantum-resistant cryptography to protect sensitive data and proactively address this dynamic security landscape.

Evolving security dynamics driven by climate disruption, contested sovereignty and a shifting global order are exposing systemic vulnerabilities. These environmental shifts intersect with energy security, global supply chains and domestic sustainability commitments, raising broader questions about sovereignty and resilience, as well as Canada and the Nordic countries’ contributions to global climate objectives. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the Arctic, where environmental protection, human security and Indigenous self-determination are intertwined. The erosion of international norms and the proliferation of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction, combined with the rise of disinformation in a multipolar world, heighten the risk of misunderstanding and strategic miscalculation, with potentially devastating consequences. As multilateralism gives way to ad hoc coalitions, Western states must rethink engagement strategies to diversify and solidify alliances.

In an evolving global security landscape, peacebuilding and humanitarian efforts are undermined by funding structures proving ill suited for the complexity of modern conflict. As a result, civil society’s ability to advance equity and rights is hindered, to the detriment of society and its most marginalized communities. Together, these changes reinforce short-term crisis responses instead of supporting long-term stability and solutions, shifting the burden onto future generations.

Today’s complex security threats call for a whole-of-society model, particularly in the Arctic. To address these challenges, a holistic approach developed in partnership with Indigenous Peoples in Arctic and northern communities and rooted in their lived experiences, priorities and vast knowledge of the land is of fundamental importance. Canadian Rangers, a significant proportion of whom self-identify as Indigenous, play an essential role in Canadian Armed Forces operations in the Arctic. Their involvement is critical to building trust and resilience in remote communities.

Elsewhere, comprehensive “total defence” national security strategies, such as those institutionalized in Nordic countries, involve whole societies and offer valuable frameworks for enhancing societal preparedness and deterrence. A whole-of-society approach can take various forms, from providing civil defence training for emergency preparedness and cyber-resilience to more advanced defence and survival skills that can be leveraged in crises. Civil resistance, as demonstrated in Ukraine, highlights the strategic role of citizens and civil society in national defence. The success of this approach, however, relies on shared values and social cohesion. Historical exposure to a direct threat from neighbouring countries is another factor that would influence a population’s support for a whole-of-society approach. Empowering youth with practical skills, digital literacy and a systems-level understanding of interconnected threats could also contribute to shaping the future of security and democratic resilience.

Governments must adapt to a widening spectrum of security threats and environmental crises, impacting food, water and health security, as well as data and research security. The private sector increasingly shapes diplomatic, economic and technological dimensions of security, influencing international norms, cyber-accountability and geopolitical relations. This calls for deeper public-private collaboration, including with small and medium enterprises, to drive innovation and competitiveness. Strategic investment in dual-use technologies, with military and civilian applications, supported by clear regulatory frameworks and commercialization pathways, could strengthen Canada and the Nordic countries’ sovereignty. Rising geo-economic competition and industrial espionage underscore the urgency of securing domestic supply chains and reinforcing research security. Doing so may require additional research to better understand the value and feasibility of enhanced data governance and stronger intellectual property protection, in partnership with academia and industry. Looking into the future, a robust defence industrial strategy, linking procurement, production and investment in economic security, could pave the way to new and strengthened alliances, while building resilience amidst a changing conflict and security landscape.

Knowledge Synthesis Grants

KSGs support researchers in producing knowledge synthesis reports and evidence briefs that:

• Support the use of evidence in decision making and the application of best practices
• Assist in developing future research agendas

Applicants must address the following three objectives in their proposals:

1. State of knowledge, strengths and gaps
   • Critically assess the state of knowledge of the future challenge theme under consideration from a variety of sources, as appropriate
   • Identify knowledge strengths and gaps within the theme
   • Acknowledge Indigenous knowledge systems and research methodologies when appropriate
   • Identify the most promising policies and practices related to the theme
2. Research data
   • Assess the quality, accuracy and rigour (i.e., methodological approaches) of current work in the field
   • Identify strengths and gaps in the quantitative and qualitative data available
3. Knowledge mobilization
   • Engage cross-sectoral stakeholders (academic, public, private and not-for-profit sectors) and/or First Nations, Inuit and Métis rights holders throughout the project to mobilize knowledge related to promising policies and practices
   • Use effective knowledge mobilization methods to facilitate the sharing of research findings with cross-sectoral stakeholders and Indigenous rights holders

This KSG funding opportunity is guided by the following questions:

1. Drawing on domestic, international and/or cross-sectoral evidence, what can researchers tell us about these issues?
2. How might the findings guide public policy, practice and research agendas for Canada (Stream 1) and Canada and/or the Nordic countries (Stream 2) in the immediate and long term?

SSHRC and NordForsk welcomes applications involving Indigenous research [6], as well as those involving research-creation [7].

Eligibility

Subject matter

Proposals can involve any disciplines, thematic areas, approaches or subject areas eligible for SSHRC funding. See the guidelines on subject matter eligibility [8] and the guidelines on selecting the appropriate federal granting agency [9] for more information.

Applications submitted to SSHRC that would be more appropriately evaluated by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council or the Canadian Institutes of Health Research will not be accepted.

Projects whose primary objective is curriculum development are not eligible for funding under this funding opportunity.

Committees may consider failing a project on the Feasibility criterion if they determine 50% or more of the overall budget request is insufficiently justified and/or not appropriate to the proposed objectives or outcomes of the project.

Applicants

Stream 1

Applications can be submitted by an individual researcher or a team of researchers (consisting of one applicant [10] and one or more co-applicants [11] and/or collaborators [12]).

Applicants must be affiliated with a Canadian postsecondary institution or Indigenous not-for-profit organization that holds institutional eligibility [13] 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 applicant [10] status.

Applicants who have received a SSHRC grant of any type but have failed to submit an achievement report [14] by the deadline specified in their notice of award are not eligible to apply for another SSHRC grant until they have submitted the report.

Postdoctoral researchers are eligible to be applicants if they have formally established an affiliation with an eligible institution at the time of application and maintain such an affiliation for the duration of the grant period. Before applying, postdoctoral researchers must confirm with their institution’s research grants officer that the institution can administer the funding if awarded.

Students enrolled in a program of study are not eligible to apply.

Stream 2

Applications must include two applicants (principal investigators), with one based in Canada and one based in one of the Nordic countries, as well as a co-applicant from a different Nordic country. If you are looking for a new or additional Canadian or international team member for this funding opportunity, add your research interests and contact information to the networking form [15].

In the application form, ensure the Canadian principal investigator is the primary applicant. The primary applicant from a Nordic country should be included in the NordForsk budget form.

Applicants affiliated with a Canadian institution

Stream 2 applicants affiliated with a Canadian institution follow the same eligibility guidelines as in Stream 1.

Applicants affiliated with a Nordic research-performing institution

To be eligible to apply for this funding opportunity, you must be at an eligible research-performing organization in one of the Nordic countries. This is any Nordic research-performing organization that receives grant funding from NordForsk or a NordForsk-recognized research institute or organization.

Standard NordForsk eligibility criteria [16] for named NordForsk investigators and research organizations apply to this call.

Co-applicants

Individuals (including postdoctoral researchers) are eligible to be co-applicants [11] if their primary affiliation consists of any of the following:

• Canadian: eligible postsecondary institution; not-for-profit organization; philanthropic foundation; think tank; or municipal, territorial or provincial government.
• International: postsecondary institution.

Only co-applicants who meet the same eligibility criteria as those described under the Applicants section [17] are able to:

• Have some responsibility for financial aspects of the grant.
• Be named principal investigator in the event of the original principal investigator’s death or resignation.

Students enrolled in a program of study are not eligible to apply as co-applicants. 

Stream 2

Each project must include one co-applicant from at least one Nordic country different from that of the primary Nordic applicant.

Collaborators

Any individual who makes a significant contribution to the project is eligible to be a collaborator [12]. Collaborators do not need to be affiliated with an eligible Canadian postsecondary institution.

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

Institutions

Stream 1

Only eligible Canadian postsecondary institutions or Indigenous not-for-profit organizations [18] can administer grant funds. Institutions or not-for-profit organizations interested in administering SSHRC individual or institutional grants must meet the institutional eligibility requirements for the administration of grants and awards [19], which is independent of this application process.

To begin the institutional eligibility process, institutions or not-for-profit organizations should contact SSHRC’s Institutional Eligibility team [20] at least 10 business days before the application deadline to be added to the application platform.

Stream 2

This is an international competition and only accepts international, collaborative knowledge synthesis projects. Proposed projects must involve a minimum of three researchers, one affiliated with an eligible institution in Canada and two from different Nordic countries and each affiliated with an eligible research-performing organization (see Co-applicants section [21]). The institutions must be eligible to administer SSHRC and NordForsk funding, respectively.

Funding Availability

SSHRC and NordForsk have partnered on this funding opportunity to support research that will foster a deeper understanding of the state of knowledge about the global challenge of The Changing Nature of Security and Conflict. This competition includes two streams:

• Stream 1 (domestic) will be reserved for applications submitted by an applicant affiliated with an eligible Canadian institution. SSHRC may fund up to 16 grants of $10,000 to $40,000 per project for one year each.
• Stream 2 (international) applications must include two applicants, with one based in Canada and one based in one of the Nordic countries, as well as a co-applicant from a different Nordic country. The applicants and co-applicant must be affiliated with eligible institutions in their respective countries. SSHRC, along with NordForsk, may co-fund up to 15 grants of $10,000 to $78,000 per project for one year each. If you are looking for a new or additional Canadian or international team member for this funding opportunity, add your research interests and contact information to the networking form [15].

Maximum Project Value

Knowledge Synthesis Grants are valued at:

• Stream 1: $10,000 to $40,000 for one year
• Stream 2: $10,000 to $78,000 for one year (NordForsk’s increased contribution to projects in Stream 2 (international) reflects the higher cost of doing research in Nordic countries)

Indirect Costs

There are no indirect costs on the funding provided directly by SSHRC. The external partner(s) funds are subject to the applicable indirect cost rate as specified in the Full Cost of Research Policy [22].

Project Duration

1 year

Special Notes

SSHRC and NordForsk reserve the right to determine the eligibility of applications, based on the information included. SSHRC also reserves the right to interpret the regulations and policies governing its funding opportunities.

All applicants and grant holders must comply with the regulations governing grant applications [23] and with the regulations set out in the Tri-agency Guide on Financial Administration [24]. Applicants are advised to consult the Use of Grant Funds [25] section of the Tri-agency Guide on Financial Administration to determine whether an expenditure is an appropriate use of grant funds.

Grant holders must also comply with the Tri-Agency Open Access Policy on Publications [26] (see the Open Access [27] overview for more information) and the Tri-Agency Research Data Management Policy [28].

The Policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern (STRAC Policy) [29] does not apply to KSGs. If you have questions about research security, contact researchsecurity-securiterecherche@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca [30].

Specific rules for the use of grant funds

Team members affiliated with a Canadian institution (Stream 1 and Stream 2)

• Grant funds cannot be used to remunerate team [31] members (applicants, co-applicants or collaborators) regardless of an individual’s eligibility to apply for grants. This includes postdoctoral fellows serving in any of these capacities.
  • Exception to the rule: In some cases, Indigenous team members (i.e., co-applicants, collaborators) may be compensated. For more information, see the Tri-agency guideline on remuneration for Indigenous people participating in funded projects [32]. In such cases, the team member may not be delegated to authorize grant expenditures and under no circumstances is the applicant eligible to be compensated from grant funds.
• Grant funds cannot be used for course release time to allow an individual to engage in research activities.
• Grant funds can be used for consulting fees for expert and/or professional and technical services that contribute directly to the proposed research activities, as long as the service is not being provided by a team [31] member or an individual whose status would make them eligible to hold a SSHRC grant.

Team members affiliated with a Nordic research-performing institution (Stream 2)

For specific rules applying to the Nordic teams, see the Nordic guidelines [16].

Guidelines and related support material

Team members affiliated with a Canadian institution (Stream 1 and Stream 2)

All applicants for SSHRC funding should consult the following guidelines while preparing their application:

• SSHRC’s Definitions of Terms [33] for terms used in the grant application process.
• SSHRC’s Guidelines for effective research training [34], which can also be useful to reviewers and postsecondary institutions.
• SSHRC’s Indigenous Research Statement of Principles [35] and Guidelines for the merit review of Indigenous research [36] for applications involving Indigenous research [6].
• SSHRC’s definition of knowledge mobilization [37] and Guidelines for effective knowledge mobilization [38] for guidance on connecting with research users to create impact.
• SSHRC’s Guidelines for support of tools for research and related activities [39] for applicants requiring funding for research and research-related tools.

Team members affiliated with a Nordic research-performing institution (Stream 2)

All applicants from Nordic teams should consult NordForsk’s guidelines for KSG grants 2026 [16].

How to Apply

Applicants must complete the application form [41] in accordance with the accompanying instructions [42]. Applications must be submitted electronically by an authorized research grants officer or equivalent, from the applicant’s institution or by a representative of the not-for-profit organization who has financial signing authority and is not participating in the project.

For Stream 1, applicants must complete and attach the SSHRC budget form.

For Stream 2, applicants must complete and attach both the SSHRC and NordForsk budget forms.

Applicants needing help while preparing their application should communicate with SSHRC [43] or NordForsk [44] well in advance of the application deadline.

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 be in touch with the Research Services Office (research.services@uoguelph.ca [40]) 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).