Competition

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

Webinar: In order to further promote the new German-Canadian IRTG programme and to answer open questions, the DFG will host a virtual information event in collaboration with SSHRC on 29 September 2026, 5–6 p.m. (CEST). The dial-in information will be posted here a few days before the event. Registration is not required.

SSHRC and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) are delighted to announce that they have launched a new joint initiative, German-Canadian International Research Training Group (IRTG). The deadline to submit the required draft proposal is March 31, 2027, and the deadline to submit the full proposal is April 1, 2028. The DFG and SSHRC are offering this joint initiative under the IRTG funding opportunity. An IRTG is run by two teams of participating researchers, one in Germany and one in Canada, respectively. German-Canadian IRTG applications must be prepared jointly before being submitted by the German host university to the DFG; they are not submitted to SSHRC. The two-stage assessment process consists of a draft proposal stage followed by a full proposal stage for those invited to proceed.

International Research Training Groups (IRTGs), a funding opportunity of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation), are structured doctoral programs run by German universities in conjunction with institutions abroad. They promote systematic research cooperation through joint research and qualification programs, as well as cooperative, cross-border supervision of doctoral researchers from both partner groups and longer-term, coordinated and reciprocal research visits by doctoral researchers at the respective partner institutions.

SSHRC will support one meritorious German-Canadian IRTG, covering costs related to Canada’s participation in the research training group. The Canadian host institution for the selected German-Canadian IRTG will be required to submit administrative documentation to SSHRC prior to the grant being awarded. SSHRC will issue two grants. The first will be for five years. If a renewal proposal, submitted to the DFG prior to the end of the first funding period, is successful, a second grant will be issued for four years. The maximum total funding duration is, therefore, nine years.

Value and duration: Up to $236,000 per year for total of up to $2,124,000 over 9 years (5 years plus additional 4-year grant dependant on successful renewal proposal)

Size of PhD student cohort: On the German side, approximately thirty doctoral researchers can be funded over the course of the IRTG. The partner site in Canada should support a group of doctoral researchers of approximately 14–20 in total.

Before submitting a draft proposal, interested consortia are required to consult with SSHRC to confirm whether the envisioned research programme falls within the scope of SSHRC’s funding and whether the researchers are eligible to apply.

For questions, please contact partnerships@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca.

RIS will be offering support with application development for this opportunity. Prospective applicants are encouraged to contact Dr. Jennifer Stevens (v5js@mun.ca) or Dr. Amanda Crompton (ajcrompt@mun.ca) (and please cc your HSS GFOs) early during the development process to discuss the services available to them.

In addition to the external funding agency’s submission procedures, this Intent to Apply (Draft Proposal) 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. If invited to full application, HSS and RIS reviews will again be mandatory.

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.