Table of contents

• Minister’s message
• President’s message
• Plans at a glance and operating context
• Planned results: what we want to achieve this year and beyond
  • Core Responsibilities
    • Funding Social Sciences and Humanities Research and Training
      • Description
      • Planning highlights
    • Institutional Support for the Indirect Costs of Research
      • Description
      • Planning highlights
    • Internal Services
      • Description
      • Planning highlights
• Spending and human resources
  • Planned spending
  • Planned human resources
  • Estimates by vote
  • Future-Oriented Condensed Statement of Operations
• Additional information
  • Corporate information
    • Organizational profile
    • Raison d’être, mandate and role: who we are and what we do
    • Reporting framework
  • Supporting information on the Program Inventory
  • Supplementary information tables
  • Federal tax expenditures
  • Organizational contact information
• Appendix: definitions

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Minister’s message

It is my pleasure to present the 2019–20 Departmental Plan for the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. We are working across the Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada Portfolio to advance our government’s commitments to cultivate the innovation ecosystem, strengthen science and support evidence-based decision making, champion the tourism sector, and help small businesses start up and scale up.

SSHRC is making tremendous progress in implementing Budget 2018 measures, particularly in terms of advancing the priorities of the Canada Research Coordinating Committee (CRCC), which it currently chairs. SSHRC is building the momentum to support fast-breaking, high-risk, interdisciplinary, international research through the $275 million tri-council New Frontiers in Research Fund. It is also positioning Canada as a world leader in Indigenous research through strong engagement activities with Indigenous communities and co-development of a national strategy for Indigenous research conducted by and with these communities. I am excited to see this work continue to advance through enhanced coordination among the funding agencies.

Ultimately, the Portfolio’s work will provide the foundation on which to generate ideas, commercialize those ideas, and give Canadians the skills and access to seize the jobs and opportunities generated by today’s idea-driven economy.

Together with Canadians of all backgrounds, regions and generations, we are proud to be building a strong innovation culture that will position Canada as a global leader in the innovation economy.

The Honourable Kirsty Duncan
Minister of Science and Sport

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President’s message

It is my pleasure to present SSHRC’s 2019–20 Departmental Plan.

Since 1978, SSHRC has played a pivotal role in the growth of the social sciences and humanities in Canada and the development of this country’s brightest scholars and researchers into Canada’s future leaders. With the infusion of unprecedented funding announced in Budget 2018, SSHRC will be able to move much further and much faster in advancing this agenda.

SSHRC’s strategic plan, Advancing Knowledge for Canada’s Future, highlights how the agency will make Canada’s social sciences and humanities research internationally competitive, provide Canada with a pool of highly skilled people in these critical fields, and ensure that social sciences and humanities research knowledge is put to work for the benefit of all Canadians.

To further position Canada as a global leader in research excellence, SSHRC will also engage actively with the Canada Research Coordinating Committee (CRCC), created to improve coordination among Canada’s granting agencies, that is, SSHRC, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, as well as the Canada Foundation for Innovation. The CRCC’s early priorities—expanding equity, diversity and inclusion in all research funding activities, working with Indigenous communities to build research capacity and identify new models for research that serve reconciliation, and better supporting early career researchers to capture the promise and dynamism of their work—will continue to be of central importance in 2019–20.

Through these efforts, as well as collaborative initiatives with government, non-governmental organizations and international partners, SSHRC will move forward on multiple fronts to support world-leading initiatives that drive prosperity, equity, diversity and sustainability to improve the quality of life and opportunities for all.

Ted Hewitt, PhD

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Plans at a glance and operating context

Funding Social Sciences and Humanities Research and Training

SSHRC’s departmental results are achieved through its support for training, fundamental research, research partnerships and knowledge mobilization delivered through SSHRC-specific programs and tri-agency programs that SSHRC delivers on behalf of the three federal granting agencies—the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and SSHRC itself. Through grants, fellowships and scholarships, SSHRC helps to make Canada’s social sciences and humanities research internationally competitive, to provide the country with a pool of highly skilled people in these fields, and to ensure that social sciences and humanities research knowledge is used. SSHRC has identified the following priorities for 2019–20.

SSHRC will continue to work with the other federal granting agencies to advance excellence by promoting equity and diversity in research and to improve support for the next generation of scientists and scholars. In addition to maintaining and in some cases improving the effectiveness of programs, SSHRC will work under the direction of the Canada Research Coordinating Committee (CRCC) and in close collaboration with the other federal granting agencies to design and launch two new streams of the tri-agency New Frontiers in Research Fund. This includes: (1) the Transformation stream, which will provide large-scale support for Canada to build strength and leadership in interdisciplinary and transformative research, and (2) the International stream, which will enhance opportunities for Canadian researchers to participate in research with international partners.

SSHRC will also continue working with NSERC, CIHR and Indigenous partners across Canada to deliver on the Budget 2018 commitment to develop “a strategic plan that identifies new ways of doing research with Indigenous communities, including strategies to grow the capacity of Indigenous communities to conduct research and partner with the broader research community.”

As part of its Imagining Canada’s Future initiative, SSHRC will continue to work on identifying the next generation of future challenges to which social sciences and humanities research can contribute knowledge and talent.

Institutional Support for the Indirect Costs of Research

By reimbursing a portion of the indirect costs incurred by federally funded research grants, the Research Support Fund helps postsecondary institutions offer their researchers world-class facilities with the best equipment and administrative support.

Budget 2018 included additional funding for the Research Support Fund. This incremental funding is being delivered through a different framework, and in 2019–20, SSHRC will continue developing this framework through the launch of new evaluation criteria, review processes and reporting tools, as well as through ongoing support for research institutions adjusting to the new process.

Internal Services

Internal Services refers to the activities and resources that support program delivery in the organization. In 2019–20, SSHRC will continue to advance corporate initiatives, such as the transition toward a new and modern workplace, the modernization of technology, and updates to its information strategy. SSHRC will also work with CIHR and NSERC to develop a data strategy to ensure that data are managed effectively as a strategic asset.

Operating Context for 2019–20

SSHRC research grants and fellowships are awarded through an independent merit review process designed to ensure the highest standards of excellence and impartiality. Relying on over 5,000 volunteer peer reviewers, the agency processes more than 13,000 applications for funding from researchers, students and postdoctoral fellows each year. Key stakeholders for the successful delivery of SSHRC’s programs are Canadian universities and colleges, which are facing increased enrolment rates, an aging faculty, limited growth of operating budgets and the need to equip students with the skills required by employers.

To continue delivering its programs in the most efficient and effective manner, SSHRC needs to take into account a number of external influences, including the implementation of key actions emerging from the CRCC priorities, and the results of the Horizontal Review of Skills Programs led by the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat and the review of scholarship and fellowship programs led by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada. As a small agency, SSHRC may be challenged to reallocate and augment the resources needed to effectively meet operational needs and stakeholder expectations while responding to government priorities. Governance and sound decision-making underpin SSHRC’s ability to manage change.

For more information on SSHRC’s plans, priorities and planned results, see the “Planned results” section of this report.

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Planned results: what we want to achieve this year and beyond

Core Responsibilities

Funding Social Sciences and Humanities Research and Training

Description

The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, through grants, fellowships and scholarships, promotes and supports research and research training in the social sciences and humanities to develop talent, generate insights and build connections in pursuit of social, cultural and economic outcomes for Canadians.

Planning highlights

To achieve its Departmental Results, SSHRC supports research excellence and innovative ideas emanating from a research community of 25,000 full-time university professors and over 65,000 graduate students and postdoctoral researchers—representing roughly 45 per cent of Canada’s university researchers.

In 2019–20, SSHRC will continue to reinvigorate support for fundamental research. Together with the other federal granting agencies, SSHRC will advance equity and diversity in research, increase the capacity of Indigenous communities to conduct research and partner with the broader research community, and improve support for the next generation of scientists and scholars. These activities are contributing to SSHRC’s first two departmental results: Canada’s social sciences and humanities research is internationally competitive, and Canada has a pool of highly skilled people in the social sciences and humanities. SSHRC’s results are also aligned with the objectives of Canada’s Innovation and Skills Plan, which emphasizes attracting and retaining world-leading talent in Canada and encouraging breakthroughs in research that will enhance the well-being of all Canadians.

Departmental Result 1: Canada’s social sciences and humanities research is internationally competitive

As part of its mandate, SSHRC awards more than 4,000 new research grants, scholarships and fellowships each year. These are awarded through an independent merit review process designed to ensure the highest standards of excellence and impartiality. The resulting research aims to address complex societal and scientific questions that contribute to resolving national and international challenges.

As part of their efforts to promote world-leading research and ensure research excellence, the three federal granting agencies have committed to foster greater equity, diversity and inclusion within the research ecosystem, to address the challenges faced by early-career researchers, and to report annually to Canadians on their progress. These objectives contribute to the Government of Canada’s goal of inclusive economic growth and to ensuring that Canada’s next generation of researchers—including students, trainees and early-career researchers—is larger, more diverse and better supported. In 2019–20, SSHRC will collaborate with the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) to support equitable access for all researchers and trainees to granting agency funding opportunities, promote equitable and inclusive participation in the research system, and collect the data needed to inform decision-making. In addition, SSHRC will explore further improvements to the Canada Research Chairs Program to better support a diverse community of excellent researchers across all career stages. SSHRC will also work with NSERC, CIHR and Indigenous partners across Canada to develop a strategic plan that identifies new ways of doing research with Indigenous communities, including strategies to grow the capacity of Indigenous communities to conduct research and partner with the broader research community.

New funding announced in Budget 2018 has resulted in a tri-agency initiative, the New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF). Launched in December 2018, the NFRF will invest $275 million over the next five years, and $65 million ongoing, in research that is international, interdisciplinary, fast-breaking and high-risk / high-reward. Starting in 2023–24,  NFRF will see its annual budget grow to approximately $130 million once it absorbs the funding from the Networks of Centres of Excellence program when that program is fully wound down.The first NFRF stream, the Exploration stream, was launched in 2018–19 with the initial competition focused on opportunities for early-career researchers to build strength in high-risk / high-reward and interdisciplinary research.

To support its novel approach to research design and execution, the NFRF will explore innovations in the application and merit review process. This will further support the government’s focus on experimentation, by testing different funding and delivery models to generate evidence on best approaches and inform decision-making.

Departmental Result 2: Canada has a pool of highly skilled people in the social sciences and humanities

Every year, SSHRC provides funding to students and postdoctoral fellows in the social sciences and humanities through some 2,500 new scholarships and fellowships. SSHRC also builds capacity in the social sciences and humanities through research grants. On average, researchers use 37 per cent of their grant funds to support students.

Creating excellent, innovative and impactful research can be achieved only by supporting researchers across the full spectrum of their career. As such, SSHRC will collaborate with NSERC and CIHR to better understand and support the needs of students and postdoctoral fellows. This will ensure that expertise in the social sciences and humanities remains strong in Canada. As SSHRC awaits the results of the Horizontal Review of Skills Programs and the review of scholarships and fellowships, both announced in Budget 2018, it anticipates working closely with NSERC and CHIR to make a number of improvements to the structure and delivery of its programs in 2019–20, and to harmonize the design elements of the Canada Graduate Scholarships Program Doctoral Scholarships.

Departmental Result 3: Canada’s social sciences and humanities research knowledge is used

SSHRC is committed to ensuring that the benefits of research and talent development are fully realized. SSHRC will advance opportunities to make the results of its funding—new ideas and trained people—more accessible to Canadian organizations in all sectors, to contribute to decision-making and innovation, and to help identify and address the challenges of today and tomorrow. For example, 70 per cent of SSHRC-funded projects are systematically reporting socio-economic outcomes for Canadians, such as behavioural, cultural, economic (including enhanced commercialization), enhanced policy, environmental, legal, quality of life and well-being, and technological outcomes. In addition, every year SSHRC awards some 300 new Connection Grants to support short-term, targeted initiatives to foster the use of research results, such as events and outreach activities, and some 200 new grants supporting partnerships between academic researchers and non-academic sectors.

As part of its Imagining Canada’s Future initiative, SSHRC will continue the work begun in 2018–19 to identify and validate the next generation of future challenges that can benefit from the knowledge and talent contributed by social sciences and humanities research. SSHRC will also facilitate the mobilization of social sciences and humanities research and talent to inform decision-making and policy-making on key issues, through new collaborations with external organizations—across government, academic and/or not-for-profit organizations. With these types of initiatives, SSHRC aims to accelerate the use of research results by organizations that can harness them for Canadian economic, social and cultural development.

Key Risks

In developing its priorities for 2019–20, SSHRC identified a small number of key risks that could affect the achievement of its planned results. A few examples of mitigation strategies are provided below for each risk:

• SSHRC’s ability to effectively manage change and respond to new technologies, evolving interagency governance structures, new collaborations and partnerships, new program directions, and new government priorities
• To mitigate this risk, SSHRC will develop an overview of key change management pressures facing the organization, in order to better anticipate and track impacts across the agency, provide a basis for horizontal planning, and ensure that dedicated change management strategies and resources are included in all major projects.
• SSHRC’s ability to manage the expectations of diverse academic and non-academic groups
• To mitigate this risk, SSHRC will ensure that consultation and engagement occur for key initiatives, and it will improve its administrative data and outreach material to facilitate clear and consistent communication with external stakeholders.
• SSHRC’s ability to effectively allocate its resources to respond to internal and external pressures, both ongoing and emerging
• To mitigate this risk, SSHRC will develop a multi-year resource management plan to improve overall organizational effectiveness and continue to strengthen the fundamental tools of governance, systems and processes, including the link between resource management and corporate planning.

Planned results

Departmental Results	Departmental Result Indicators	Target*	Date to achieve target	2015–16 Actual results	2016–17 Actual results	2017–18 Actual results
Canada’s social sciences and humanities research is internationally competitive	Canada’s rank among Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development nations on the citation score of social sciences and humanities research publications	In the top 10	March 2020	11	13	Not available (N/A)†
	Percentage of funded research involving international collaborations	Min. 65%	March 2020	N/A	71%	73%
Canada has a pool of highly skilled people in the social sciences and humanities	Proportion of award holders who are underrepresented individuals‡	Min. 51%	March 2020	60%	62%	63%
	Number of research trainees supported	Min. 5,000	March 2020	N/A	2,428	4,380
	Percentage of research trainees that go on to work in a research position	Min. 50%§	March 2020	N/A	N/A	N/A
Canada’s social sciences and humanities research knowledge is used	Partner funding for research projects	Min. $24 million	March 2020	$19,297,087	$30,593,321	$26,546,027
	Number of partners on research projects	Min. 460	March 2020	522	471	533
	Percentage of funded projects reporting socioeconomic outcomes for Canadians	Min. 70%	March 2020	N/A	N/A	80%

Budgetary financial resources (dollars)

2019–20 Main Estimates	2019–20 Planned spending	2020–21 Planned spending	2021–22 Planned spending
496,815,764	496,815,764	524,400,433	537,786,236

Human resources (full-time equivalents)

2019–20 Planned full-time equivalents	2020–21 Planned full-time equivalents	2021–22 Planned full-time equivalents
164	165	165

Financial, human resources and performance information for SSHRC’s Program Inventory is available in the GC InfoBase.

Institutional Support for the Indirect Costs of Research

Description

The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, on behalf of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, provides financial support to universities, colleges and their affiliated research hospitals and institutes to reimburse a portion of indirect costs associated with the funded research.

Planning highlights

Every year, the federal government supports research in engineering and the natural sciences, health sciences, social sciences and humanities through its three research funding agencies. The Research Support Fund reinforces this investment by helping institutions maintain the equipment, facilities and administrative support needed to foster a world-class research environment.

Departmental Result 4: Canada’s university and college research environments are strong

Budget 2018 included additional funding for the Research Support Fund to ensure that researchers are provided with the necessary space and support at postsecondary institutions to undertake high-quality multidisciplinary research. This new funding is delivered through incremental project-based grants. In 2019–20, SSHRC will deliver the second year of these new incremental project grants, including the launch and assessment of new evaluation criteria, review processes and reporting tools, while continuing to support research institutions through the new process.

SSHRC will also complete the evaluation of the Research Support Fund in 2019–20. The evaluation includes consultations with institutions on how to balance the need to collect institutional and system-wide performance data with the desire to reduce the administrative reporting burden. Results from this consultation will be used to develop a new reporting tool for the collection of performance information on the Fund, which should be launched in 2019–20.

Planned results

Departmental Results	Departmental Result Indicators	Target	Date to achieve target	2015–16 Actual results	2016–17 Actual results	2017–18 Actual results
Canada’s university and college research environments are strong	Total percentage of funds invested in research facilities	25%-35%	March 2020	30%	30%	30%
	Total percentage of funds invested in management and administration	30%-40%	March 2020	35%	35%	33%
	Average number of Canadian institutions among the top 250 of international university rankings	Min. 10	March 2020	12	11	11

Budgetary financial resources (dollars)

2019–20 Main Estimates	2019–20 Planned spending	2020–21 Planned spending	2021–22 Planned spending
407,834,859	407,834,859	415,391,492	427,947,933

Human resources (full-time equivalents)

2019–20 Planned full-time equivalents	2020–21 Planned full-time equivalents	2021–22 Planned full-time equivalents
7	7	7

Financial, human resources and performance information for SSHRC’s Program Inventory is available in the GC InfoBase.

Internal Services

Description

Internal Services are those groups of related activities and resources that the federal government considers to be services in support of Programs and/or required to meet corporate obligations of an organization. Internal Services refers to the activities and resources of the 10 distinct services that support Program delivery in the organization, regardless of the Internal Services delivery model in a department. These services are:

• Management and Oversight Services
• Communications Services
• Legal Services
• Human Resources Management Services
• Financial Management Services
• Information Management Services
• Information Technology Services
• Real Property Management Services
• Materiel Management Services
• Acquisition Management Services

Budgetary financial resources (dollars)

2019–20 Main Estimates	2019–20 Planned spending	2020–21 Planned spending	2021–22 Planned spending
18,325,992	18,325,992	17,663,811	17,014,600

Human resources (full-time equivalents)

2019–20 Planned full-time equivalents	2020–21 Planned full-time equivalents	2021–22 Planned full-time equivalents
117	117	114

Planning highlights

In 2019–20, SSHRC will continue a number of corporate initiatives, for example, the modernization of technology, updates to its information strategy and the transition toward GCworkplace. GCworkplace is a Government of Canada workplace transformation initiative aiming at retooling work environments to encourage collaboration, using technology in smarter ways, and fostering a culture of health and well-being.

Recognizing that achieving results depends on the organization’s skilled and dedicated staff, SSHRC will continue to support four strategies and action plans related to people management: the People Strategy, the Employment Equity and Diversity Strategy, the Official Languages Strategy, and the Mental Health and Well-Being Strategy. The agency will also strive for alignment and compliance with Government of Canada policy requirements and transformative initiatives.

SSHRC is working with CIHR and NSERC to respond to the Government of Canada’s expectation that all departments and agencies have a data strategy in place by September 2019. The agencies are developing a data strategy that will ensure that data are managed effectively as a strategic asset, that processes and infrastructure are aligned to turn data and analysis into actionable insights, and that the agencies have the talent and capacity needed to manage, interpret, use and understand their data. SSHRC will also undertake an audit of information technology (IT) security to determine whether the agency’s IT Security Management Framework and its related management controls are adequate and working as intended.

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Spending and human resources

Planned spending

Description of Figure 1

Description of SSHRC expenditures from 2016-17 to 2021-22: Departmental Spending Trend Graph—SSHRC (excluding Research Support Fund)

This bar graph shows the spending trend for the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), in millions of dollars, for fiscal years 2016-17 to 2021-22. It does not include spending on the Research Support Fund.

The y-axis shows dollar values. The scale begins at 0 dollars and goes to 600 million dollars, in increments of 100 million.

The six bars each represent a fiscal year: 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22.

Each bar shows the spending broken down by statutory and voted program funding.

SSHRC’s spending (minus the Research Support Fund) over the period, by fiscal year, is listed in a table below the graph as follows:

• 2016-17: 407 million dollars, broken down by 3 million in statutory funding and 404 million in voted funding
• 2017-18: 418 million dollars, broken down by 3 million in statutory funding and 415 million in voted funding
• 2018-19: 479 million dollars, broken down by 3 million in statutory funding and 476 million in voted funding
• 2019-20: 515 million dollars, broken down by 4 million in statutory funding and 511 million in voted funding
• 2020-21: 542 million dollars, broken down by 4 million in statutory funding and 539 million in voted funding
• 2021-22: 555 million dollars, broken down by 4 million in statutory funding and 551 million in voted funding

Description of Figure 2

Description of SSHRC expenditures related to the Research Support Fund from 2016-17 to 2021-22: Departmental Spending Trend Graph—Research Support Fund

This bar graph shows the spending trend for the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), in millions of dollars, for fiscal years 2016-17 to 2021-22 for the Research Support Fund.

The y-axis shows dollar values. The scale begins at 0 dollars and goes to 450 million dollars, in increments of 50 million.

The six bars each represent a fiscal year: 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22.

All funding is voted funding; statutory funding does not apply to the Research Support Fund.

SSHRC’s spending for the Research Support Fund, by fiscal year, is listed in a table below the graph as follows:

• 2016-17: 368 million dollars in voted funding
• 2017-18: 368 million dollars in voted funding
• 2018-19: 397 million dollars in voted funding
• 2019-20: 408 million dollars in voted funding
• 2020-21: 415 million dollars in voted funding
• 2021-22: 428 million dollars in voted funding

Budgetary planning summary for Core Responsibilities and Internal Services (dollars)

Core Responsibilities and Internal Services	2016–17 Expenditures	2017–18 Expenditures	2018–19 Forecast spending	2019–20 Main Estimates	2019–20 Planned spending	2020–21 Planned spending	2021–22 Planned spending
Funding Social Sciences and Humanities Research and Training	394,629,137	402,502,792	461,579,974	496,815,764	496,815,764	524,400,433	537,786,236
Institutional Support for the Indirect Costs of Research	368,679,893	368,706,690	397,580,834	407,834,859	407,834,859	415,391,492	427,947,933
Subtotal	763,309,030	771,209,482	859,160,808	904,650,623	904,650,623	939,791,925	965,734,169
Internal Services	12,645,018	12,769,846	16,658,208	18,325,992	18,325,992	17,663,811	17,014,600
Total	775,954,048	783,979,328	875,819,016	922,976,615	922,976,615	957,455,736	982,748,769

Budget 2018 announced an investment of $215.5 million over five years to SSHRC for fundamental research in the social sciences and humanities. Budget 2018 also proposed to create a new tri-agency fund, the New Frontiers in Research Fund, of $275 million over five years to support research that is international, interdisciplinary, fast-breaking and high-risk / high-reward, to be administered by SSHRC on behalf of the federal research funding agencies. Additional investments over five years of $231.3 million for the Research Support Fund and $210 million for the Canada Research Chairs Program were also announced. Both programs are administered by SSHRC on behalf of the granting agencies. Finally, Budget 2018 provided SSHRC with $3.8 million for 2018–19 to develop a strategic plan that identifies new ways of doing research with Indigenous communities.

Planned human resources

Human resources planning summary for Core Responsibilities and Internal Services (full-time equivalents)

Core Responsibilities and  Internal Services	2016–17 Actual full-time equivalents	2017–18 Actual full-time equivalents	2018–19 Forecast full-time equivalents	2019–20 Planned full-time equivalents	2020–21 Planned full-time equivalents	2021–22 Planned full-time equivalents
Funding Social Sciences and Humanities Research and Training	133	133	144	164	165	165
Institutional Support for the Indirect Costs of Research	2	2	3	7	7	7
Subtotal	135	135	147	171	172	172
Internal Services	93	94	109	117	117	114
Total	228	229	256	288	289	286

Planned human resources are increasing because of new measures announced in Budget 2018. Under Core Responsibility 1, these include the launch of the New Frontiers in Research Fund, a new tri-agency program administered by SSHRC on behalf of the granting agencies, funding for the CRCC Secretariat, which is housed within SSHRC, and additional investments in the Canada Research Chairs Program, as well as in fundamental social sciences and humanities research. For Core Responsibility 2, the increase is due to additional funding received for the Research Support Fund.  As a result of these new measures, additional funding was received for full-time equivalents.

Estimates by vote

Information on SSHRC’s organizational appropriations is available in the 2019–20 Main Estimates.

Future-Oriented Condensed Statement of Operations

The Future-Oriented Condensed Statement of Operations provides a general overview of SSHRC’s operations. The forecast of financial information on expenses and revenues is prepared on an accrual accounting basis to strengthen accountability and to improve transparency and financial management. The forecast and planned spending amounts presented in other sections of the Departmental Plan are prepared on an expenditure basis; as a result, amounts may differ.

A more detailed Future-Oriented Statement of Operations and associated notes, including a reconciliation of the net cost of operations to the requested authorities, are available on SSHRC’s website.

Future-Oriented Condensed Statement of Operations for the year ending March 31, 2020 (dollars)

Financial information	2018–19 Forecast results	2019–20 Planned results	Difference (2019–20 Planned results minus 2018–19 Forecast results)
Total expenses	879,232,394	928,030,207	48,797,813
Total revenues	94,976	94,976	–
Net cost of operations before government funding and transfers	879,137,418	927,935,231	48,797,813

Total expenses are expected to increase by 5.6 per cent ($48.8 million). This increase is primarily attributable to the implementation of Budget 2018 announcements to support the New Frontiers in Research Fund ($36.2 million) and the Research Support Fund ($9.6 million).

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Additional information

Corporate information

Organizational profile

Appropriate minister:	The Honourable Kirsty Duncan, P.C., M.P. Minister of Science and Sport
Institutional head:	Ted Hewitt, President
Ministerial portfolio:	Innovation, Science and Economic Development
Enabling instrument:	Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. S-12
Year of incorporation / commencement:	1977

Raison d’être, mandate and role: who we are and what we do

“Raison d’être, mandate and role: who we are and what we do” is available on SSHRC’s website.

Reporting framework

SSHRC’s Departmental Results Framework and Program Inventory of record for 2019–20 are shown below:

Description of Figure 3

Reporting Framework

This schematic illustrates the various components that make up the Departmental Results Framework and Program Inventory of record for 2019-20 for the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

The schematic has a column on the far left with two text boxes aligned vertically. The top box states “Departmental Results Framework,” establishing the row for the components of the Departmental Results Framework; the bottom box states “Program Inventory,” establishing the row for the components of the Program Inventory. The next two columns are established by a top row with two boxes identifying SSHRC’s two core responsibilities. The box for the left-hand column states “Core Responsibility 1: Funding Social Sciences and Humanities Research and Training”; the box for the right-hand column states “Core Responsibility 2: Institutional Support for the Indirect Costs of Research.”

Under the column for Core Responsibility 1: Funding Social Sciences and Humanities Research and Training, there is a left-hand column with Departmental Results and a right-hand column with the Indicators for each Departmental Result.

Going from top to bottom, the first Departmental Result under Core Responsibility 1 is “Canada’s social sciences and humanities research is internationally competitive.” There are two indicators for this Departmental Result: going from top to bottom, the first indicator is “Canada’s rank among Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development nations on the citation score of social sciences and humanities research publications”; and the second indicator is “Percentage of funded research involving international collaborations.”

The second Departmental Result under Core Responsibility 1 is “Canada has a pool of highly skilled people in the social sciences and humanities.” There are three indicators for this Departmental Result: going from top to bottom, the first indicator is “Proportion of award holders who are underrepresented individuals”; the second indicator is “Number of research trainees supported”; and the third indicator is “Percentage of research trainees that go on to work in a research position.”

The third Departmental Result under Core Responsibility 1 is “Canada’s social sciences and humanities research knowledge is used.” There are three indicators for this Departmental Result: going from top to bottom, the first indicator is “Partner funding for research projects”; the second indicator is “Number of partners on research projects”; and the third indicator is “Percentage of funded projects reporting socioeconomic outcomes for Canadians.”

The Program Inventory row under Core Responsibility 1 lists four SSHRC programs that are, from top to bottom: “Insight Research”; “Research Training and Talent Development”; “Research Partnerships”; and “New Frontiers in Research Fund.”

Under the column for Core Responsibility 2: Institutional Support for the Indirect Costs of Research, there are also two columns. The left-hand column contains a single Departmental Result and the right-hand column lists the Indicators for that Departmental Result. The Departmental Result is “Canada’s university and college research environments are strong.” There are three indicators for this Departmental Result: going from top to bottom, the first indicator is “Total percentage of funds invested in research facilities”; the second indicator is “Total percentage of funds invested in management and administration”; and the third indicator is “Average number of Canadian institutions among the top 250 of international university rankings.”

The Program Inventory row under Core Responsibility 2 contains one SSHRC program, which is “Research Support Fund.”

On the far right of the schematic is a fourth column, with a box aligned vertically that states “Internal Services.”

Changes to the approved reporting framework since 2018–19

Structure	2019–20	2018–19	Change	Rationale for change
Core Responsibility	Funding Social Sciences and Humanities Research and Training	Funding Social Sciences and Humanities Research and Training	No change	Not applicable
Program	Insight Research	Insight Research	No change	Not applicable
Program	Research Training and Talent Development	Research Training and Talent Development	No change	Not applicable
Program	Research Partnerships	Research Partnerships	No change	Not applicable
Program	New Frontiers in Research Fund	Not applicable	New program	Note 1
Core Responsibility	Institutional Support for the Indirect Costs of Research	Institutional Support for the Indirect Costs of Research	No change	Not applicable
Program	Research Support Fund	Research Support Fund	No change	Not applicable

Supporting information on the Program Inventory

Supporting information on planned expenditures, human resources and results related to SSHRC’s Program Inventory is available in the GC InfoBase.

Supplementary information tables

The following supplementary information tables are available on SSHRC’s website:

• Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy
• Details on transfer payment programs of $5 million or more
• Disclosure of transfer payment programs under $5 million
• Gender-based analysis plus

Federal tax expenditures

The tax system can be used to achieve public policy objectives through the application of special measures such as low tax rates, exemptions, deductions, deferrals and credits. The Department of Finance Canada publishes cost estimates and projections for these measures each year in the Report on Federal Tax Expenditures. This report also provides detailed background information on tax expenditures, including descriptions, objectives, historical information and references to related federal spending programs, as well as evaluations, research papers and gender-based analysis. The tax measures presented in this report are the responsibility of the Minister of Finance.

Organizational contact information

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council
350 Albert Street
Ottawa, ON  K1P 6G4
Canada

Telephone: 613-992-0691
Email: corporate-performance@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca

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Appendix: definitions

appropriation (crédit)

Any authority of Parliament to pay money out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

budgetary expenditures (dépenses budgétaires)

Operating and capital expenditures; transfer payments to other levels of government, organizations or individuals; and payments to Crown corporations.

Core Responsibility (responsabilité essentielle)

An enduring function or role performed by a department. The intentions of the department with respect to a Core Responsibility are reflected in one or more related Departmental Results that the department seeks to contribute to or influence.

Departmental Plan (plan ministériel)

A report on the plans and expected performance of an appropriated department over a three-year period. Departmental Plans are tabled in Parliament each spring.

Departmental Result (résultat ministériel)

Any change that the department seeks to influence. A Departmental Result is often outside departments’ immediate control, but it should be influenced by Program-level outcomes.

Departmental Result Indicator (indicateur de résultat ministériel)

A factor or variable that provides a valid and reliable means to measure or describe progress on a Departmental Result.

Departmental Results Framework (cadre ministériel des résultats)

The department’s Core Responsibilities, Departmental Results and Departmental Result Indicators.

Departmental Results Report (rapport sur les résultats ministériels)

A report on the actual accomplishments against the plans, priorities and expected results set out in the corresponding Departmental Plan.

evaluation (évaluation)

In the Government of Canada, the systematic and neutral collection and analysis of evidence to judge merit, worth or value. Evaluation informs decision-making, improvements, innovation and accountability. Evaluations typically focus on programs, policies and priorities and examine questions related to relevance, effectiveness and efficiency. Depending on user needs, however, evaluations can also examine other units, themes and issues, including alternatives to existing interventions. Evaluations generally employ social science research methods.

experimentation (expérimentation)

Activities that seek to explore, test and compare the effects and impacts of policies, interventions and approaches, to inform evidence-based decision-making, by learning what works and what does not.

full-time equivalent (équivalent temps plein)

A measure of the extent to which an employee represents a full person-year charge against a departmental budget. Full-time equivalents are calculated as a ratio of assigned hours of work to scheduled hours of work. Scheduled hours of work are set out in collective agreements.

gender-based analysis plus (GBA+) (analyse comparative entre les sexes plus [ACS+])

An analytical process used to help identify the potential impacts of policies, Programs and services on diverse groups of women, men and gender-diverse people. The “plus” acknowledges that GBA goes beyond sex and gender differences. We all have multiple identity factors that intersect to make us who we are; GBA+ considers many other identity factors, such as race, ethnicity, religion, age, and mental or physical disability.

government-wide priorities (priorités pangouvernementales)

For the purpose of the 2019–20 Departmental Plan, government-wide priorities refers to those high-level themes outlining the government’s agenda in the 2015 Speech from the Throne, namely: Growth for the Middle Class; Open and Transparent Government; A Clean Environment and a Strong Economy; Diversity is Canada’s Strength; and Security and Opportunity.

horizontal initiative (initiative horizontale)

An initiative where two or more departments are given funding to pursue a shared outcome, often linked to a government priority.

non-budgetary expenditures (dépenses non budgétaires)

Net outlays and receipts related to loans, investments and advances, which change the composition of the financial assets of the Government of Canada.

performance (rendement)

What an organization did with its resources to achieve its results, how well those results compare to what the organization intended to achieve, and how well lessons learned have been identified.

performance indicator (indicateur de rendement)

A qualitative or quantitative means of measuring an output or outcome, with the intention of gauging the performance of an organization, Program, policy or initiative respecting expected results.

Performance Information Profile (profil de l’information sur le rendement)

The document that identifies the performance information for each Program from the Program Inventory.

performance reporting (production de rapports sur le rendement)

The process of communicating evidence-based performance information. Performance reporting supports decision-making, accountability and transparency.

plan (plan)

The articulation of strategic choices, which provides information on how an organization intends to achieve its priorities and associated results. Generally a plan will explain the logic behind the strategies chosen and tend to focus on actions that lead up to the expected result.

planned spending (dépenses prévues)

For Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports, planned spending refers to those amounts presented in the Main Estimates.

A department is expected to be aware of the authorities that it has sought and received. The determination of planned spending is a departmental responsibility, and departments must be able to defend the expenditure and accrual numbers presented in their Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports.

priority (priorité)

A plan or project that an organization has chosen to focus and report on during the planning period. Priorities represent the things that are most important or what must be done first to support the achievement of the desired Departmental Results.

Program (programme)

Individual or groups of services, activities or combinations thereof that are managed together within the department and focus on a specific set of outputs, outcomes or service levels.

Program Inventory (répertoire des programmes)

Identifies all of the department’s programs and describes how resources are organized to contribute to the department’s Core Responsibilities and Results.

result (résultat)

An external consequence attributed, in part, to an organization, policy, Program or initiative. Results are not within the control of a single organization, policy, Program or initiative; instead they are within the area of the organization’s influence.

statutory expenditures (dépenses législatives)

Expenditures that Parliament has approved through legislation other than appropriation acts. The legislation sets out the purpose of the expenditures and the terms and conditions under which they may be made.

sunset program (programme temporisé)

A time-limited program that does not have an ongoing funding and policy authority. When the program is set to expire, a decision must be made whether to continue the program. In the case of a renewal, the decision specifies the scope, funding level and duration.

target (cible)

A measurable performance or success level that an organization, Program or initiative plans to achieve within a specified time period. Targets can be either quantitative or qualitative.

voted expenditures (dépenses votées)

Expenditures that Parliament approves annually through an Appropriation Act. The Vote wording becomes the governing conditions under which these expenditures may be made.