☰
Applications are open for the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Postdoctoral Fellowships 2024-2025. These fellowships support the most promising Canadian new scholars in the social sciences and humanities and assist them in establishing a research base at an important time in their research careers.
Opportunity Details
The SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellowships are expected to respond to the objectives of the Research Training and Talent Development. These fellowships support the most promising Canadian new scholars in the social sciences and humanities and assist them in establishing a research base at an important time in their research careers. The purpose of these fellowships is to provide stipendiary support to recent PhD graduates who are:
SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellowships are valued at $70,000 per year over two years, for a total of $140,000.
These are taxable, non-renewable fellowships that can begin on the first of any month between May 2025 and January 2026.
Most SSHRC funding is awarded through open competitions. Proposals can involve any disciplines, thematic areas, approaches or subject areas eligible for SSHRC funding. See subject matter eligibility for more information.
Projects whose primary objective is adapting a doctoral thesis for publication in a book or manuscript, editing textbooks, translation, or acquiring a foreign language are not eligible for funding under this funding opportunity.
The research proposed in a SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellowship application must be significantly different and distinct from, or add significantly to, that related to the applicant’s doctoral thesis.
Among its measures intended to support research by and with Indigenous Peoples, SSHRC’s Indigenous Talent Measures are aimed at supporting graduate students and postdoctoral researchers applying to the Canada Graduate Scholarships—Doctoral Program, SSHRC Doctoral Fellowships or SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellowships.
Eligibility
To apply to this funding opportunity, applicants must:
SSHRC asks its merit review committees to take into consideration special circumstances that could have affected candidates’ research, professional career, record of academic or research achievement, or completion of degrees. Relevant circumstances might include administrative responsibilities, maternity/parental leave, child rearing, illness, disability, cultural or community responsibilities, socio-economic context, health-related family responsibilities, trauma and loss, or the COVID-19pandemic.
To be eligible, applicants who completed their doctorate between September 2018 and September 2021 must describe the career interruptions and/or delays experienced since completion of their doctorate, in the Allowable inclusions section of their application.
Applicants who completed their doctorate after September 2021 can also describe relevant career interruptions or delays should they wish to do so.
Dates of delays and interruptions should be provided.
Applicants are eligible to apply to hold their award at a foreign university only if their PhD was earned at a Canadian university.
Applicants with a PhD from a foreign university are eligible to apply only if they wish to hold their award at a Canadian university.
To hold the award, applicants must:
Applicants who do not complete all requirements for their doctoral degree by December 31, 2025, could have their offer of an award withdrawn. Note that withdrawn or declined awards will be included in the calculation for the three-application limit for this funding opportunity.
For other requirements, see the Tri-Agency Research Training Award Holder’s Guide.
Applicants must complete the application form in accordance with the accompanying instructions. Applications must be submitted electronically directly to SSHRC. Requests to submit late applications will not be accepted.
Before submitting their application, applicants must ensure that they meet the eligibility requirements. All referees and institutional nominators must use SSHRC’s online application system to submit their supporting letters before the deadline.
The applicant is responsible for ensuring all required application components (CV, two Letter of Appraisal forms, Research Appraisal form, Institutional Nomination and Commitment form, and all attachments) have been submitted ahead of the deadline.
Applicants needing help while preparing their application should communicate with SSHRC well in advance of the application deadline.
Apply for Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Postdoctoral Fellowships