Competition

* Unless explicitly noted, all times indicated for deadlines are for the appropriate NL timezone (NST or NDT)

Webinars:

June 18, 2026, 11 a.m EST, .Bilingual: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/7317cd59-9a6b-4910-9bfb-6922c60395c5@fbef0798-20e3-4be7-bdc8-372032610f65

October 8, 2026,11 a.m EST., Bilingual: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/a2b930be-5494-45a8-ba3e-d139574d992a@fbef0798-20e3-4be7-bdc8-372032610f65

SSHRC, in partnership with NordForsk, 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 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.

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.

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; and

• assist in developing future research agendas.

Applicants must address the following three objectives in their proposals:

1. State of knowledge, strengths and gaps

2. Research data

3. Knowledge mobilization

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, as well as those involving research-creation.

Expected outcomes

Knowledge syntheses are comprehensive analyses of literature and other forms of knowledge on a particular question or issue. All types of knowledge synthesis approaches, tools and protocols, such as scoping reviews, systematic reviews and narrative syntheses, are encouraged under this funding opportunity. Synthesized results can include qualitative, quantitative or multimethod research.

Knowledge Synthesis Grants are not intended to support original research. Rather, they are intended to support the synthesis of existing research knowledge and identify knowledge gaps. This call is particularly focused on the state of research produced over the past 10 years.

In support of these objectives, Knowledge Synthesis Grants will help identify roles that the academic, public, private and not-for-profit sectors, including Indigenous rights holders, can play in developing and implementing robust policies, best practices and tools.

Successful applicants will be required to:

• complete a synthesis report (maximum 40 pages due May 2028) and two-page evidence brief (due December 2027);

• in compliance with the Tri-Agency Open Access Policy on Publications, deposit their final synthesis report into an institutional or disciplinary repository that will make the report freely accessible, and include the resulting link in their evidence brief;

• participate in a virtual kick-off webinar (tentatively scheduled for May 2027);

• participate in a virtual knowledge mobilization forum after the grant has been awarded (tentatively scheduled for spring 2027) to share research findings with community practitioners and knowledge users in various sectors (further details about the forum will be shared with successful applicants when finalized); and

• provide the names of at least two to three potential knowledge users (individuals) to be invited to the knowledge mobilization forum.

Successful applicants will receive guidelines for completing their synthesis report and two-page evidence brief. SSHRC will make all evidence briefs publicly available on its website as appropriate. See examples of final reports and evidence briefs produced through recent Knowledge Synthesis Grants funding opportunities for additional guidance.

Signals of change and thematic questions

The questions and subthemes listed below aim to demonstrate, through some examples, the breadth of the global challenge of The Changing Nature of Security and Conflict. As this is not intended to be an exhaustive list, we welcome proposals on all other topics/issues relevant to this future challenge area.

• Emerging technologies and innovation

• Intergenerational equity and inclusion

• Environmental considerations

• Geopolitical and international perspectives

• Strengthening public-private sector collaborations

The call for proposals invites applications from researchers in any discipline that can inform and contribute to the objectives of this funding opportunity. Future challenges cross multiple sectors and research disciplines and require broad collaboration to address them; applicants are encouraged to submit proposals that feature multidisciplinary research teams.

All researchers are encouraged to consider the themes through an intersectional lens to yield a better understanding of how this challenge can affect different people, communities and populations in a variety of environments. Knowledge syntheses related to First Nations, Inuit, Métis and Saami communities should be participatory and collaborative, prioritizing research completed by Indigenous communities and Indigenous-led organizations, and grounded in Indigenous worldviews and approaches to research. For guidance and resources, see the SSHRC Indigenous Research web page.

In addition to the external funding agency’s submission procedures, this opportunity must also be submitted for Departmental, HSS Faculty, and Research Initiatives and Services (RIS) institutional reviews and approvals via Memorial's Researcher Portal (RP). In order to facilitate the HSS Faculty’s administrative review, please ensure "Heather C. O'Brien (Grants Facilitator)" and “Matthew Milner (Grants Facilitator)” are added as "Team Members" on your RP file. 

In accordance with University-wide approval protocols, all tabs of the RP file must be completed, the completed application must be uploaded to the “Attachments” tab, all supporting documentation including support for cash and in-kind commitments and/or letters of support must also be uploaded, and “Submit” must be pressed prior to the HSS internal deadline listed below. HSS cannot guarantee completion of an administrative review for application files that are incomplete and/or are submitted after the HSS deadline. For more detailed submission instructions and information, please consult the HSS Research Support Services website.

If you plan to apply to this competition or other research funding opportunities (as either PI or CI), e-mail an HSS Grants Facilitator, Heather C. O’Brien (HSSResearchAdmin@mun.ca or 864-8603) or Matthew Milner (HSSResearchGrants@mun.ca or 864-8050), to notify the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of your intent to apply. E-mailing the intent to apply as early as possible will help to facilitate an efficient review. A Grants Facilitator can answer any questions you may have about internal or external submission procedures and may also be able to help with proposal development.