Applications open for Knowledge Synthesis Grants – Canada

The resulting syntheses will 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.

Objectives

• Applicants must address the following three objectives in their proposals:
  • State of knowledge, strengths and gaps:
    • critically assess the state of knowledge of the future challenge theme under consideration from a variety of sources, as appropriate;
    • identify knowledge strengths and gaps within the theme
  • Research data:
    • assess the quality, accuracy and rigour (i.e., methodological approaches) of current work in the field; and
    • identify strengths and gaps in the quantitative and qualitative data available
  • Knowledge mobilization:
    • engage cross-sectoral stakeholders (academic, public, private and not-for-profit sectors) and/or First Nations, Inuit and Métis rights holders throughout the project to mobilize knowledge related to promising policies and practices; and
    • use effective knowledge mobilization methods to facilitate the sharing of research findings with cross-sectoral stakeholders and Indigenous rights holders.

Aims

• Knowledge Synthesis Grants 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.

Funding Information

• Knowledge Synthesis Grants are valued at $30,000 for one year.

Role and Responsibilities

• Successful applicants will be required to:
  • complete a synthesis report (maximum 40 pages) and two-page evidence brief within 10 months of receiving the grant;
  • 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 2026);
  • 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.

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.

Eligibility Criteria

• 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).
• Applicants must be affiliated with a Canadian postsecondary institution or Indigenous not-for-profit organization that holds institutional eligibility before funding can be released. Researchers who maintain an affiliation with a Canadian institution that holds institutional eligibility, but whose primary affiliation is with a non-Canadian postsecondary institution, are not eligible for applicant status.
• Applicants who have received a SSHRC grant of any type but have failed to submit an end of grant report or achievement report by the deadline specified in their Notice of Award are not eligible to apply for another SSHRC grant until they have submitted the report.
• Postdoctoral researchers are eligible to be applicants if they have formally established an affiliation with an eligible institution at the time of application and maintain such an affiliation for the duration of the grant period.

Ineligibility Criteria

• Students enrolled in a program of study are not eligible to apply.

For more information, visit Government of Canada.