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INSTRUCTIONS
In planning your research project, consider the ways in which merit reviewers assess knowledge mobilization activities. For example, reviewers are advised to evaluate, under the Feasibility criterion, the “quality and appropriateness of knowledge mobilization plans, including effective dissemination, exchange and engagement with stakeholders within and/or beyond the research community, where applicable.”
SSHRC encourages its funding recipients to disseminate research knowledge in both official languages, whenever feasible and/or appropriate.
Include a plan to increase knowledge uptake by target audiences, and anticipated outputs, outcomes and/or impacts of social sciences and humanities knowledge among various appropriate audiences or participants (academic and/or non-academic), including:
- methodologies and approaches to engage appropriate target audiences or participants, including, as applicable, diverse groups of researchers, policy-makers, business leaders, community groups, educators, media, international audiences, practitioners, decision-makers and the general public;
- timeframes or a schedule for the intended knowledge mobilization activities; and
- justifications for how the above points fit within the project’s particular knowledge mobilization objectives.
Open access and data management
Grant holders must follow the Tri-Agency Open Access Policy on Publications. To the extent possible, and in keeping with this policy and SSHRC’s endorsement of open access forms of knowledge dissemination, grant holders should make their research results openly available, through, e.g., open access publications, websites, publicly accessible databases and/or institutional repositories. To learn more, see Frequently Asked Questions
STRATEGIC ADVICE
Review SSHRC’s Guidelines for Effective Knowledge Mobilization document, including the definitions of Outputs, Outcomes, and Impacts.
Your Knowledge Mobilization Plan (KMP) should be concrete, and correspond to your Expected Outcome Summary (EOS) section. Consider structuring your KMP with the same three headings Scholarly, Societal, and Target Audiences. Which vehicles will you use to ensure your results reach each of these groups? For example, if in your EOS module you say your work will have an outcome on Canadian Policy, here describe how you will ensure that your work reaches policy makers. Your KMP should also link to your budget justification.
Be specific in describing your KM activities. Which conferences? Which journals? Why did you make those choices? If your KMP includes a website, how will you direct traffic to it? Will it last beyond the life of the grant? How will it be maintained?
Ultimately, the more proactive and multifaceted the approaches taken by researchers with users, the more successful and durable the relationships.