Department of National Defence Research Initiative

2024-25 competitions

On this page

• Description
• Value and duration
• Eligibility
• Application process
• Merit review
• Conditions of funding
• Regulations, policies and related information
• Contact information

Description

The Department of National Defence Research Initiative (DNDRI), a joint initiative of Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) and SSHRC, supports social sciences and humanities research aligned with areas of interest to the Canadian Armed Forces and to the Department of National Defence (DND). The initiative fosters effective, evidence-based strategies, policies and programs in research areas identified by DRDC.

The DNDRI supports research in areas of interest by increasing the funding available through the Insight Grant and Insight Development Grant funding opportunities.

Funds from the initiative can be used to expand the recipient’s research group (e.g., students, postdoctoral researchers and highly qualified personnel); purchase or access specialized equipment; or support other initiatives or resources that would advance the recipient’s research program.

Research areas

DNDRI partners invite proposals in a range of areas that focus on one or more of the following themes:

• personnel—recruitment and selection
• readiness—training and development
• social processes in the workplace
• operational effectiveness

Research areas that could be considered for DNDRI funding include, but are not limited to, the following:

• testing for selection and hiring purposes
• emerging learning and training modalities
• restorative engagement in organizations
• diversity, gender and armed forces
• working effectively in diverse organizational teams and in cross-cultural settings
• transition to civilian life, specifically, the role of identity in the transition process
• socio-cultural change in military organizations
• psychosocial well-being of minority groups in the workplace
• individual social and cultural dimensions of radicalization
• ethical dimensions of using artificial intelligence in defence and security
• human dimensions of cyber security
• social and cultural demands of military operations
• gender perspectives on operations, defence and security
• civil-military relations

Value and duration

DNDRI supplements are available through Insight Grant and Insight Development Grant applications.

• DNDRI supplements valued at up to $20,000 per year for three years, up to a total of $60,000 maximum, may be awarded to successful Insight Grant recipients in addition to the annual value of the Insight Grant.
• A one-time DNDRI supplement valued at up to $10,000 may be awarded to successful Insight Development Grant recipients in addition to the value of the Insight Development Grant.
• DRDC can consider funding applications that propose programs of research relevant to its policies and priorities and have been recommended by SSHRC merit review committees, but that due to budgetary constraints, do not receive funding.

Eligibility

To be eligible for and maintain DNDRI funding, all grant holders are expected to meet and follow DND’s conditions of funding, in addition to the eligibility requirements outlined below.

Subject matter

To determine whether your research falls within SSHRC’s mandate, see the guidelines on subject matter eligibility. SSHRC will not accept applications that would be more appropriately evaluated by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council or the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

Applicants and participants

Individual researchers and research teams working in Canada in one or more of the target areas of interest, and who are affiliated with a Canadian institution that holds institutional eligibility, are eligible to apply.

All applicants must comply with SSHRC eligibility criteria for the Insight Grant or Insight Development Grant funding opportunities.

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

Institutions

Grant funds can only be administered by an eligible Canadian postsecondary institution. Institutions proposing to administer a grant awarded under this funding opportunity must meet the requirements for managing SSHRC funds, and must hold or obtain institutional eligibility.

Application process

Applicants who meet the eligibility requirements for this stream of funding must apply through the Insight Grant or Insight Development Grant funding opportunities by selecting “DNDRI” from the drop-down menu in their application form.

Applicants must also provide a one-page justification explaining how their proposed research project is related to one or more of the DRDC objectives of this joint initiative.

Merit review

Each application for a DNDRI supplement is reviewed first by the relevant SSHRC merit review committee. SSHRC will then provide DND with those Insight Grant and Insight Development Grant applications that have been judged meritorious through its merit review process and that were marked explicitly for consideration under the DNDRI.

In June, DND reviews the Insight Grant and Insight Development Grant applications. The DND selection committee ranks applications based on alignment with DND priorities. DND then selects the applications to be awarded a supplement in that year’s competition. Applications must clearly and specifically indicate how the proposed research applies to the DNDRI objectives.

Only applications judged by DND as relevant to its research priorities will receive supplements under this initiative, to the limit of the available funds.

The DND selection committee’s decisions cannot be appealed.

Conditions of funding

To receive and maintain eligibility for a DNDRI award, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• The proposed research must meet the DRDC objectives of this joint initiative and have a focus on the areas of research targeted by DRDC.
• Award recipients must provide written notification to SSHRC of any changes in their research, as continued funding under the DNDRI depends on the research remaining in a DND-relevant research area. DND will then determine whether the research is still eligible for funding.
• Recipients must submit annual reports at 12 and 24 months from the start of the award, and a final report at the conclusion of the award period, for review by DND. Recipients must use reporting templates according to SSHRC’s awards administration practices.

Regulations, policies and related information

SSHRC reserves 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 award holders must comply with the applicable policies, regulations and guidelines and with the regulations set out in the Tri-agency Guide on Financial Administration.

For descriptions of SSHRC terms, see Definitions of Terms.

Contact information

For more information, contact:

Email: research@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca
Toll-free: 1-855-275-2861

Date modified:

2024-05-31