Why write your SSHRC proposal before Labour Day?

Are you applying for a SSHRC Standard Research Grant? Or an Aboriginal Research Grant (project or development)? Or a Research Development Initiative Grant? Or an Image, Text, Sound & Technology Grant?

The deadlines for those are all in September and October. The Standard Research Grant is October 15th. So why would you want to get them wrapped up in the next couple of weeks?

Beginning of term chaos

No one has ever accomplished much of anything on the research front in the first couple of weeks of term. Unless they are on sabbatical.

Meetings

You have more meetings than at any other time of year. Department meetings. Receptions for new students. Meetings with your TAs. Meetings with heaven knows who. Lots of meetings.

And students

Lots of them.

Many of them are new. They have no idea what they are doing or where to go or who to ask. They have yet to figure out the proper channels. They are still figuring out what classes they want to take and are changing their minds all the time.

They want to talk to you about the course, about changing their major, about … The reasons they want to meet with you seem infinite.

Teaching

Maybe you’re teaching some new courses; maybe some you have taught before.

You need to make sure you have enough copies of the syllabus and the course pack is ready and the textbook is in the shop. And if it isn’t you need a Plan B so that the students know how and when they will receive these things.

You need to check out the teaching rooms. Make sure the technology you need is there. Make sure you can access it. And you know who to call if it decides not to cooperate.

And TAs. You might need some. You might have some. You might know them or you need to get to know them. Or you need to go harass someone about getting you the TAs you deserve. OR….

See what I mean?

No time to work on your grant.

And even if there is time in principle, you are not going to be in the right frame of mind.

The back-end

You are not alone.

Yes, your name is on the grant application and the money, if you get it, is for you to spend on your research.

But you cannot do the whole process alone.

The university has to agree to administer the funds. And because all kinds of other money rides on success in Tri-Council competitions, the university has a considerable interest in you putting in the best proposal possible. They want you to get the money.

At the most basic level, your application needs signatures from important people. And the Research Office coordinates that process because a whole bunch of folks are applying at about the same time.

On top of that, the Research Office people are going to check to make sure your application is complete. That your budget numbers add up. That your files are in the right format.

Back when you actually mailed a paper copy, the Research Office did that for you. Bigger universities couriered over big boxes of applications. Now that applications are all electronic, the Research Office is the place to go to make sure you are submitting a full application in the proper format.

Smart people ask for help

Because the university has an interest in you getting a grant, they are going to offer help.

The research office will look over and comment on your application. Or the Associate Dean of Research will do it. Or organize a team of more experienced people to do it. Or pay someone like me to do it.

The extent and quality of the help you receive will depend on the resources (of money and personnel) that the university has available.

You can organize your own support.

You have colleagues who have done this before (and been successful) who can provide copies of their own applications or read and comment on your draft.

And you can hire someone like me to read and comment on the draft. I have read a lot of grant applications and helped a lot of people.

I find it interesting that people who have been successful in the past, actually seek me out. They come back. They send me draft proposals that are pretty darn good.

And maybe that’s why they’ve been successful. Because they know that the whole process is easier if you get help.

Interested?

Pay a deposit, and I’ll send you an e-booklet to guide you through the appendices. Then you send me the proposal along with the balance and I send detailed comments.

Tell me whether you have “Writing Your SSHRC Grant Proposal” or not, then click “Add to Cart”. Even though I’m not shipping you anything, you need to enter your post-code to calculate the tax.

Although e-Junkie (my shopping cart provider) uses PayPal to process payments, you do not need a PayPal account. You can just pay with your credit card. All prices are in Canadian dollars.

I also recommend…

Get comments from someone in your discipline who can spot the things your peers will care about (or for the Aboriginal Research Grants, someone with experience of Aboriginal research).

It’s cheaper

I’ve added an extra incentive.

If you submit the draft proposal before Labour Day, it’ll cost you $100 less than if you submit it in September.

You are free to focus on the chaos and go home and drink beer and relax in the evening. And you save $100.

Then you have the comments back with plenty of time to revise the proposal before the Research Office needs it so they can do whatever they are going to do.