SSHRC 2015-2016

This page is for tracking SSHRC awards to be held during the 2015-2016 academic year.

SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellowships support the most promising Canadian new scholars in the social sciences and humanities and assist them in establishing a research base at an important time in their research careers.

SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellowships provide stipendiary support to recent PhD graduates who are:
 * undertaking original research;
 * publishing research findings;
 * developing and expanding personal research networks;
 * broadening their teaching experience; and
 * preparing to become competitive in national research grants competitions.

Fellowships will normally be awarded to candidates affiliated with a university other than that which awarded the PhD. SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellowship awards are tenable at Canadian or foreign universities and research institutions.


 * Application deadline: (8 p.m. eastern) September 24, 2014
 * Results announced: February 2015

Stats
Applying as an ABD: 35

Applying with a PhD (0-1 years out): 16

Applying with a PhD (2-3 years out): 5 (really? only 1??!! well, 5 of us now, but still, really?)

Total: 56

Applying to hold at a Canadian institution: 35

Applying to hold at a non-Canadian institution: 13

OFFICIAL NUMBERS: 836 applications, 184 awards

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Pages from Previous Years
SSHRC 2011-12

SSHRC 2012-13

SSHRC 2013-14

SSHRC 2014-15

SEE ALSO: Humanities and Social Sciences Postdocs 2014-15 (Banting and Killam postdocs posted here)

Acknowledgement of application received
Submitted Sunday, September 21st, status was initially "Forwarded," changed to "Received" on Monday the 22nd. No email confirmation yet.

Submitted Monday, September 22 at 10 a.m. Status is 'forwarded'. Waiting for it to change to 'received'.

Submitted Wednesday, September 24th at 4 a.m. Status was "Forwarded" for about an hour, then changed to "received." No email confirmation.

Submitted Wednesday, September 24th. Status is forwarded; awaiting the change to 'received' and an email confirmation. Update - Received confirmation email Sept. 30th.

Submitted Wednesday, September 24th at 12:00 PM (PST). Status became "received" the next day. No email confirmation.

Submitted Wednesday, September 24th at 16:25 PM (PST). Status is "forwarded" (16:25 PM).

Submitted Wednesday, September 24th at 1:45 AM (GMT). Status is now received.

SSHRC Application Acknowledgment by email with application number, received October 3.

Submitted Wednesday, September 24th. Acknowlegment by email with application number, received October 6.

Hi, I realize this is very very late in the game, but did anyone NEVER get a confirmation email? I got the status forwarded/received, but no email with application number. I've spoken to two other people and some got it and some different. Anyone?


 * I didn't get one either, but when I called they confirmed receipt. I'm sure you can do the same, but I wouldn't worry. As long as you submitted your application successfully on their website, I'm sure you're fine.

Results received (successful)
FORMAT:

Score:

Discipline:

Location: (eg, Canada, US):

Status: (eg, ABD, 1yr, 2yr):

Qualifications: (eg, pubs, presentations):


 * Score 5.06/6. Discipline: History. Location: doctorate awarded in UK. Postdoc for Montreal. Status: within one year. Qualifications: 3 peer reviewed out. Several forthcoming.  I should add that I got 2 or 3 out of 6 last year as an ABD, with almost the same application. There is hope!
 * Score: 4.47/6. Discipline: Political Philosophy. Location: Whitby, ON. Status: 1 year out. Qualifications: (eg, pubs, presentations) 1 edited volume, several journal articles, and many conference talks. Good luck everyone, and thanks for the mutual support throughout the process! [Congrats!]
 * Score 5.00/6 (5.25, 5.00, 4.90), History, PhD in Montreal, Postdoc at US Ivy League institution, ABD, 2 peer reviewed  articles (incl. one forthcoming), 1 non peer reviewed, 1 special issue co-edited (forthcoming), book reviews, many conferences in Europe and North America [results received Mon 23rd downtown Montreal]
 * Score 5.560/6 (5.60, 5.55, 5.55). Anthropology, PhD Montreal, Post-doc France. 1 year out. 5 first authored pubs, many conference talks. [results received Mon Feb 23]
 * Score: 4.690/6 (4.65, 4.70, 4.70). Discipline: Political Science. Location: Ottawa (received 2/23). ABD. Qualifications: 2 peer reviewed articles (co-written first author), 2 peer reviewed book chapters, 4 book chapters, 20+ conferences/invited presentations.
 * Score: 4.58 (4.5, 4.75, 4.5). Occupational Therapy, PhD in London, ON, Post-doc in Toronto. .5 years out. 3 peer reviewed articles (5 in review), many conference talks/posters, community talks. Thanks for keeping me informed and company throughout this process!
 * Score 4.71 (4.15/4.6/5), History of Science, PhD Toronto, Predoc Berlin, 0.5 years out. Located in Toronto, applied for Southern Ontario. 3 peer reviewed articles, 2 book chapters, 4 book reviews, 20+ North American & European conferences, 2 invited presentations.
 * Résultat: 4,95 (5.15/4.55/5.1), Discipline: Histoire; Localisation: PhD ULaval ,Qc, Postdoc à l'UQÀM; Statut: Avant dépôt (ABD); Qualifications: 1 livre, 1 ouvrage collectif, 1 direction de revue, 4 articles dans des revues avec comité de lecture (1 en évaluation), 8 chapitres de livre avec comité de lecture, plusieurs publications sans comité de lecture, plusierus rapports de recherche, plusieurs communications au Canada et à l'étranger.
 * Score: 4.24 (4.1/4.4/4.2). Psychology. Location: PhD in Southern Ontario (received 2/24), Post-doc at large Mid-Western Public Institution (US). ABD. Qualifications: 9 first-author publications (5 peer-reviewed), 1 non-primary author publication (not peer-reviewed), 8 peer-reviewed conference presentations, doctoral fellowship. Thanks everyone and good luck!
 * Score: 5.25 (5.25/5.25/5.25). Psychology. Location: Toronto, applying for post-doc in the US. ABD. Qualifications: 12 peer-reviewed publications (6 first author), many conference talks/posters/etc. Results received Tues, Feb 24 in Toronto. This application process was a harrowing experience - thanks everyone for all of the support!
 * Score: 4.39 (4.4/4.45/4.35). Geography. Post-doc at institution in Southern Ontario. ABD. Qualifications: 3 peer-reviewed pubs, 1 book chapter, many awards/grants, many North American conference presentations. Results received Feb 23. Just a quick note to say thank you to everyone on this board. Your collective knowledge and support has been a terrific help! congrats to all.
 * Score: 4.82 (4.65/4.55/5.05). Sociology. Ontario. ABD. Qualifications: 5 peer-reviewed publications (some in crappy journals), book chapters: 1 sole,  1 co-author, 1 accepted. Many grants, many Canadian conferences. Result received Feb 24 in Toronto. Good luck everyone!
 * Score: 4.12. Social Theory. Toronto. ABD. I have declined this postdoc because I received the banting postdoc, so one of you wait-listers will be funded :)
 * Score: 5.10 (5.00/5.15/5.10). Linguistics. Toronto. Post-Doc in BC. Applied ABD but with a defence date and subsequently defended. Qualifications: 6 peer-reviewed publications (4 co-authored, 2 in good journals, 1 in a top-tier journal), 1 peer-reviewed book chapter to appear (first author). 20+ national and international conference talks and invited talks. SSHRC Doctoral CGS and Masters CGS grants, SSHRC workshop grant. Other internal grants.  One thing to keep in mind... my scores are substantially higher (I'm talking 2 points higher) than last year with essentially the same program of work. The only difference was having a defence date and one more publication. So it's a crapshoot.
 * Score: 4.60 (5.05/4.45/4.50). Educational Psychology. Applying to mid-west US school. ABD. 5 peer-review pubs (2 first-authored), 20+ conferences (national & international, 1/4 first author). PhD & MA CGS SSHRC.
 * Score: 4.1 (4.7/ 4.7/ 3.5). Contemporary Art History. Oxbridge doctorate, 0.5 years out. To be held at OCADU. 4-peer reviewed pubs (all first author), many reviews, translations and other service to the profession. 20+ national and international conferences. PhD: SSHRC funded + significant private fellowships. Not really sure where the 3.5 came from but something to think about for future.

Results received (waitlisted)
FORMAT:

Score:

Discipline:

Location: (eg, Canada, US)

Status: (eg, ABD, 1yr, 2yr)

Qualifications: (eg, pubs, presentations)


 * Score : 3.520/6. Political science. Waitlisted. PhD from Canada. Applying to hold in Montreal, Canada. Two peer-reviewed articles, one book chapter, one book review, large amount of international conferences, SSHRC award for PhD. Letter received on 24-02.
 * Score: 3.650/6. English. Waitlisted for the second time. Letter received on 2/23 in Toronto. [sorry to hear that :( x4 that sucks, sorry.] (So sorry!)
 * Does the letter contain any info about the number of applications and awards? I'm sure that I'm not the only one wondering...(x4 - I don't know why SSHRC can't just announce this)
 * Thanks, folks. The numbers were 836 applications, 184 awards. This is very similar to last year's numbers (slightly better), which were 844/183.
 * Thanks, and sorry again, OP. This thing (as faculty in my dept. who have sat on SSHRC committees, have long advised me) is a huge lottery
 * Thanks, and sorry again, OP. This thing (as faculty in my dept. who have sat on SSHRC committees, have long advised me) is a huge lottery


 * Score: 3.750/6. ABD in history from Canadian school applying to hold at UofT. Have two substantial peer-review pieces, a couple book reviews, some non-academic publishing, and a decent amount of conference presentations. SSHRC award for both MA and PhD (CGS). Letter received on 2/24 in eastern ontario. [does the letter tell you your position in the waiting list?]
 * Score: 3.230/6. ABD in history applying to the University of Manitoba. One peer-reviewed article, 4 book reviews, 1 book chapter and 1 article undergoing peer review, many conference presentations, several international fellowships. Prepared my application for this postdoc in much less than a week. Re-reading my program of work I notice it has a couple typos. Letter recieved 24 Feb. in Winnipeg. [does the letter tell you your position in the waiting list?] -- no, the letter does not specify but I emailed SSHRC for clarification on the wait list and will post their response. So glad I discovered this forum, I feel a certain solidarity with everyone.
 * Score 3.95/6 (3.5/4.25/3.95). Sociology. ABD at Ontario school, applying to hold at Chicago. 4 peer-reviewed articles (1 sole, 2 co-author), 1 peer-reviewed book chapter, 1 book review, an R&R (sole authored), many conference presentations.
 * Score 3.95/6 (4.45/3.45/4.05). English. 1.5 years out, applying to hold at McGill. 6 peer-reviewed articles (3 sole in field, 3 co-authored in other field related to my research), 1 peer-reviewed book chapter, many conference papers. Three strikes, I'm out! [ugh, so sorry to hear that! I hope another (better!) opportunity turns up for you soon]
 * Score 3.630 (2.75/4.00/3.75). Polisci. 1 year (8 months) out. Foreign PhD, application for Canadian postdoc. 3 peer-reviewed articles, 2 refereed chapters, many presentations, many awards in different countries (including postdoc fellowship under way in Canada), two under review. ***FOR THOSE WHO WONDER OUT THERE*** I got a substantially lower score (2.75) on "challenge" (basically the research plan) compared to last year (3.50), even though my research plan has been reworked under the mentorship of some specialists in the field. Other scores are exactly the same as last year despite more publications, presentations, PhD completed, and 1-year postdoctoral fellowship underway. I wasn't expecting to get it (but was still hoping for a miracle), but I was still expecting a higher score than last year. I love this country but after a series of failures I'm afraid this was my last chance to stay here...I guess I will have to move out again and live off funds from foreign governments and research institutions :(

Results received (unsuccessful)
FORMAT:

Score:

Discipline:

Location: (eg, Canada, US)

Status: (eg, ABD, 1yr, 2yr)

Qualifications: (eg, pubs, presentations)


 * Score: 2.9/6 (Not recommended). Discipline: Education, Literature. Location: (eg, Canada, US) Montreal, award to be held internationally. Status: (eg, ABD, 1yr, 2yr) 2 yr. Qualifications: (eg, pubs, presentations) 10 peer reviewed publications (8 sole authored), 14 presentations (7 domestic, 6 intn'l; one invited speaker), previous SSHRC & other funding. WORSE than last year (3.5) with a better application letter!? Have totally had it. [that sucks. really really sorry. obviously with your pub record and previous funding you are fundable. sshrc is a mystery, a lottery, inscrutable, and awful. sorry you weren't funded. (x2 - this competition is ridiculous!!]

DISCUSSION

 * Does applying to hold the fellowship at a Canadian university versus a foreign university make any difference in the evaluations?  How does the university quota system work for these applications? And, all else being equal, how is ABD (versus PhD in hand) differently evaluated?
 * I'm sorry to say that the answer to all of these questions is "nobody knows." In past years the rate of awards for those holding at a foreign university has been slightly higher than those holding in Canada, though the difference may not be statistically significant. As for ABD vs. degree in hand, again, nobody knows, and from what I've seen, there is no pattern.
 * Anecdotally, it seems harder for ABDs to get the postdoc - I've known several people who failed as ABDs and then got the postdoc with degree-in-hand, with a virtually unchanged project and CV. But it's pretty unpredictable overall.


 * For those applying at non-Canadian institutions - are you applying to US schools? Does anyone know how SSHRC funding works with a J Visa and the home residency requirement?
 * We should hopefully be hearing something in the next few weeks (!!) - Does anyone know anything specific re. mail-out dates? Are we assuming that this should be mid-month, as in previous years? (01/20)
 * My advice (as a third and final time applicant, sigh) to not hold your breath and expect to get the letter close to March. In the past, SSHRC has assured applicants that the letters will be out "next week" and then actually mailed them in the last week of the month or just before. (x2 -- in solidarity, dude) [Thanks!]
 * Third-time applicant OP here. Keep in mind that there's also life beyond SSHRC if you don't get it this round. I was just awarded a much, much more competitive postdoc (and a better one, in terms of funding, time, and prestige) with the same project that was "recommended but not funded" twice by SSHRC, and will be declining the SSHRC postdoc if I'm finally offered it this year. Keep applying for other things too! You never know.


 * Based on previous years, it's usually mid/late February. I'm placing my bets on a mail date of Feb. 20, so those of you in Ottawa and nearby probably have about a month left to wait.


 * Officially February now! Looking forward to timely results.
 * Don't count on anything before the last week of the month (2x loser--3rd time a charm?)
 * Three weeks til the end of the month! One way or the other, the end of my suffering is in sight...


 * For those who did apply last year, is it worth emailing SSHRC to see when they plan on releasing the results? Or will there be an announcement when the results are availalble?
 * Didn't apply last year but several colleagues did (and I stalked this wiki to check out the process...) Emails tend to get a "soon", "mid-February" and occasionally "next week" response, but you're unlikely to get much more info than that. Typically the morning after they've been mailed out, SSHRC announces on their Twitter.  Let's hope it's soon!
 * A colleague emailed SSHRC. Apparently the letters will be in the mail by the end of the week.
 * Here's wishing everyone good luck!


 * Is anyone else plagued with butterflies in their stomachs, ridiculously shaking their magic 8 balls in the hopes of getting an "as i see it yes" to the question of "will i be awared a postdoc" and actually googling "where to make wishes"? i want the postal carrier to bring me my letter, but i am also terrified about its arrival. Good luck to everyone - both in the competition and in keeping your sh*t together before the mail arrived!
 * Yes. Waiting for this damn thing to arrive is really bad for my writing.
 * Definitely with you. I'm mostly trying to stay focused on my chapters and think up a solid Plan B... Sadly I think my Plan B is "stay in grad school."


 * Any letters yet? I keep checking my mailbox! This is agonizing!
 * They haven't been sent yet. They'll announce on Twitter (https://twitter.com/SSHRC_CRSH) when they do. I'm pretty sure they'll mail on Thursday afternoon and we'll start seeing results pretty quick. I'm in the US so I think I'll be waiting for ages!
 * I'm with you. I'm in Europe and will probably be checking my mail compulsively until early March.
 * I noticed last year that someone in Europe received their letter four days later from Canada. I thought it might take more than a week to get here, but it actually came quicker than on the West Coast!


 * Where do you get the idea that they'll send them tomorrow? Do you have any basis for this assumption (I'll even accept clairvoyance as a reasonable basis at this point).
 * They were sent on Friday, Feb. 21 last year and SSHRC admin said they'll be in the mail by the end of the week, so I'm guessing they'll go out on the Friday.
 * Thursday person here - I'm not quite clairvoyant, but I'm pretty sure. I've had friends apply the last few cycles and SSHRC announces they're mailed on a Friday morning but friends in Ottawa received them that same morning, once within an hour of the announcement. So it seems they stick them in the mail on the Thursday and announce it on the Friday. Fingers crossed!
 * I saw that they were sent on the 21st last year - I would have hoped that we would have had the results earlier then that this year given that we submitted a week earlier (they submitted Oct 2nd last year, I believe).


 * Why on earth can't SSHRC notify all of the applicants of the ourcome at once by e-mail, and follow up with an official award offer/rejection letter by post? This is clearly possible - I've gotten previous awards that used this kind of notification process.
 * Last two years I received my rejection letter (in Toronto) on the Monday of the last week of February. I assume this is a pattern, so I would try not to get too ansty before the 23rd. Wine with lunch helps.
 * Like your attitude --- and really hoping that this is your year, fellow 3-time applicant.
 * This is also my 3rd year applying. Sending all the good vibes possible to fellow 3-time applicants, and hoping for your good vibes back. and wine with lunch? what about wine with breakfast?!


 * RESULTS MAILED 20/2.
 * The end is in sight! Good luck, everyone!
 * Is anyone else refreshing this page every ten minutes to see if anyone got a letter? I mean, I know that I didn't get a letter... I just want information, any information!x7 (it makes me feel a bit better to know I'm not the only one!)
 * I just saw the postman pass by here in Ottawa...but no letter for me! I'm not gonna enjoy this weekend.
 * sometimes the postman comes to my neighborhood on Saturdays...I might just sit by the mailbox all weekend.
 * Stephen Harper just hand delivered my rejection in CA. He then muttered some lines from Dr. Faustus, added something about shutting down Canadian higher ed altogether in favor of wholesale seal slaughter and oil extraction, drew a pentagram, and then disappeared in a puff of red smoke!
 * He visited me last night too!!! at least I'm currently living in NL so I can maybe get cut in on all the seal hunting and oil extracting that will replace the universities the PM plans to shutter. Otherwise I might consider taking up work in another growth area of the economy such as typewriter repair or public broadcasting!


 * Man, Monday afternoon and still no results for anyone? Come on, mail!!!
 * X6! I've never been more anxious for people I don't know to get their mail
 * Nothing in today's mail collection (Toronto)
 * Nothing today in Germany, not that I was expecting it to arrive here so soon...[2/23]
 * Me too - mail just came, no letter (Toronto, 2/23)
 * No letter yet in Ottawa, which seems odd if they were all mailed thursday, must be a friday mailing. [2/23]
 * Nothing in Kingston [2/23]. Another sleepless night....
 * No letter in Waterloo, either... [2/23]


 * Hi everyone! I received a fabulous rejection letter in Toronto today (2/23) and it is totally liberating. This will be my first and final SSHRC postdoc experience. I am very happy to break up with SSHRC before we were ever even together. The best thing about applying to SSHRC has been reading the posts on this wiki and feeling connected to people during a very isolating process. So, a huge thank you to everyone! While I don't think the details even matter much, I applied ABD (I finished Jan 2015) with a decent record of grants, publications, research and teaching experience, conference presentations, professional service, etc., and a good research proposal for a US ivy league school. While I was worrying about my SSHRC result, another postdoc opportunity presented itself last month for something that is actually much cooler than what I had proposed, and without the zany application process. Basically, I wanted to be shown what's next, and it showed up, totally unexpected, via a contact, and with a better salary. So, for anyone reading this wiki and feeling down about SSHRC math, and without down-playing the fabulousness of the postdoc awardees, my committee members have long told me that this competition is a lottery. So, don't feel bad if the SSHRC math on your letter isn't stellar. Congrats to all the postdoc recipients, and congrats to everyone for walking through this door to what's next.
 * Thank you for writing this encouraging post, a refreshing read - Good luck! (no letter, Montreal, 2/23)
 * x2, more or less. SSHRC rejected me last year, and then (unfortunately after I went through the SSHRC application process yet again) I got a multi-year Oxbridge fellowship. I'm very happy with how things turned out, but WTF??
 * Nothing in Kingston on the 23rd. Somewhat off topic, but does anyone find it odd how the mail works? It seems like we have people in th GTA getting letters today, yet people in Ottawa and Kingston haven't.
 * Yes! Being in Toronto sans letter, I'm so confused how a batch of letters could be mailed at the same time to the same city, and some of them reach their destinations today while others don't.
 * Could it be alphabetical, the reason some letter have arrived and others no?
 * It's not alphabetical. What I think it has to do with is where central hubs are located. Those who received letters in TO today probably live close to some central hub where the letters are first filtered when sent to Toronto addresses and thus their mailpersons received the letters in time to deliver them today. Those of us who are further away from the central hubs for our geographical locations (in the Ottawa to Toronto area at least) will probably receive our letters tomorrow - presumably it would need to be sent to some secondary hub and then sent out from there. Maybe? This is how I imagine snail mail works.
 * I know many of us are anxious to receive our letters, frustrated with the process, and eager to move on (to hopefully wonderful things), but I wanted to say thanks to all of your for contributing to this thread. The converstations seriously help me remain sane. So thank you and good luck, everyone!! *fist-bump*
 * Thanks to everyone posting updates, it makes this whole thing feel a lot less mysterious and lonely.  No letter today (Hamilton), high hopes for tomorrow...
 * Same here. Every time the pressure-anxiety gets too high, I check this page (so often). It has really helped, especially in the past week. Thank you all. And remeber: Everything is going to be ok!
 * No letter in Vancouver ;-). I reread my programme of work and was really happy with it. Hopefully that will get me through the probable no.
 * I just did the same :) ... haven't been home yet to check my mail though!
 * No letter in New England! ill never understand why they dont send out digital responses for this!
 * Literally sat by the door waiting for the postman to arrive this morning. no response yet in the US.
 * No letter in Atlantic Canada yet. I thought you might want to see the Canada Post delivery time tables.  You can find them here if you scroll down! Good Luck everyone!  http://www.canadapost.ca/business/tools/pg/manual/pgservstds-e.asp?ecid=murl07001056
 * OMG does this mean it could take 5 DAYS TO GET OUT HERE?????
 * i am refreshing this page every five minutes. i just want the letter to come! the waiting is eating up my work time!
 * Mine too!  Especially as the Post time table says it should arrive today if it was mailed on Thursday - fingers crossed!
 * I like seeing new results pop up but I wish time would hurry up so my letter would come. I've received three rejections of other postdocs so far this week and would like to keep all my bad news to this one week so I can move on and try getting over it...
 * Around noon here in New York City, no letter yet.
 * Nothing today in Europe. I do hope it comes by Friday. The thought of having to wait another weekend is not pleasant. [2/24] x2
 * Nothing today in Europe [2/25]
 * Nothing in the mail today in the Midwest USA. [2/24]
 * SSHRC has mailed the letters out from Ottawa on Thursday or Friday. Canada Post provides the estimated delivery dates in business days, the maximum being four business days unless you are located in a remote area. Does this mean that the letters just sit at some Canada Post location for the whole weekend, rather than being in transfer in a truck or airplane? That sounds quite inefficient to me. (But of course that is not as dumb as still using snail mail instead of electronic communication. Slower and costly service at the expense of taxpayers!)
 * Did SSHRC start following anyone else on twitter today? I thought it was really weird that they picked today of all days to follow me. I haven't received my letter yet so I'm trying to figure out of this means anything, or I'm just being crazy.
 * Here's your chance to send a direct message to them over Twitter!
 * Would it be safe to assume that each of these six categories have roughly 836/6=135 applicants, of which about 184/6=31 are funded? (I am also assuming that each category is separate, and one should look at the results from the applicants that fall under the same category when assessing the threshold between funded applications and others. Am I correct?) The six categories are as follows: http://www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca/funding-financement/apply-demande/background-renseignements/postdoctoral_committees-comites_postdoctoral-eng.aspx
 * Not quite. You can see previous years' statistics here http://www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca/results-resultats/stats-statistiques/index-eng.aspx which show the number of applications per committee and the number of funded apps per committee. Some committees get a lot more applications and also fund more applications. For example, last year Committee 1 (Literature & Fine Arts) had 192 apps and funded 39, while Committee 3 (Anthro, Soc and others) had 95 apps and funded 22. You are right (as far as anyone has ever been able to figure out) that the threshold between funded/not funded is different from committee, so a 4 might get funded in one committee while a 4.3 is waitlisted in another.
 * FWIW, I was talking to a mentor about the scoring the other day (they regularly sit on SSHRC committees) and according to them, the scoring for those in the middle is basically a moot point --- the committees debate the relative merits of the applications that are recommended but not scored way at the top or way at the bottom, and decide who gets funding, so technically someone who scored higher during the review process than someone who was awarded a SSHRC could be waitlisted, if I'm understanding correctly. (I guess this just reflects the fact that the scoring itself is really subjective and that incremental differences are therefore largely meaningless...). Honestly, from this conversation, my takeaway was the the way that SSHRC reviews proposals at all levels is deeply flawed and assessments are not necessarily being made by people who know anything about the research area (i.e. what a good journal vs a crap journal is, what an innovative project is vs something less strong), due to the diversity of the committees and due to SSHRC's understandably small and shifting pool of (unpaid) adjudicators. It sounds like a difficult and thankless job. There are other review models that would be a lot fairer for everyone, from MA students to faculty, from applicants to adjudicators, that SSHRC should really look into.
 * Agreed that the adjudication process could be far more transparent. However I would point out that the job is certainly not thankless. First, you get to shape the discipline (which a lot of these people seem to want to do). Then you get to put the work down on your CV as service. And the deans like it because it's tied to the Tri-Council. Do they meet in Ottawa to discuss it? (If so, there's a trip to the nation's capital along with expenses). Personally, I've won Tri-Council funding and I've also lost and I don't find it to be as lottery-like as some may argue. And I would say that regardless of my own result in this competition. When my proposals have been weak, the scores have reflected that. Same for my stronger ones.
 * You make some good points. Regarding the benefits of sitting on the committees, sure, participants get to see the process up close, shape the discipline, and put a line on their CV. However, serving doesn't officially count as service for faculty at some universities (only university service 'counts') and a free trip to Ottawa to adjudicate isn't exactly a vacation. There are other models that might spread the work around more, get more people contributing to the direction that the disciplines take, and make possible more expert reviews of doctoral and postdoctoral proposals, that's all I'm saying. Second, while I agree that this competition isn't actually a lottery --- everyone knows that there are obviously proposals and track records that anyone could see are stellar and those that are... definitely not --- it's still less predictable than it should be, ideally, as we can see from wildly changing project scores for essentially the same project proposal.
 * You are right that SSHRC ctte. work may not always count as "service," but I think any person who does this accrues a significant amount of capital at the university with research officers, research centres, VP research etc. Going to Ottawa may not seem desirable, but there are, again, significant networking opportunities when participating in these committees. I'm not implying it is a crude quid pro quo, but professors frequently like to emphasize their labour rather than the benefits they receive. Should the system be reformed? Absolutely. It is not impossible, but it would take a lot of sophisticated lobbying of the Industry Minister who appoints the governing council by co-ordinated efforts of various interest groups. As for results, I am not denying there are biases against ABDs etc. I just don't think it is that useful to future applicants to over-emphasize the randomness of the decision (though there is some anecdotal evidence to back that up), when candidates who have worked on their proposals with departmental sponsors for many months are likely to have better (though not guaranteed) results. Given the diverse perspectives out there, it is likely you may find ctte members unsympathetic to your ideas. I have found, however, that even people with highly divergent views can sometimes (not always or even perhaps often)  recognize well-planned research proposals.
 * I think we pretty much agree. I should mention that my frustration with the process comes mainly from my own past experience, which I think is not the norm. In the first year that I applied (ABD), my project score was unbelievably great (better than most of the people who got funding), but my track record score was not high and I was waitlisted (this was fair - I just didn't have the record that other candidates had). The next year I applied with a much stronger CV, and, on the advice of my advisor and proposed supervisor, a virtually unchanged proposal since it had scored so high in the first round. That time, my track record score was very high, but my project score was not (it plummeted, in fact), and I was again waitlisted. Given this experience, and my mentor's frustration with being asked to assess proposals way, way outside their area of expertise, I do retain faith that the process works well more often than it doesn't but am keenly aware of a certain level of unpredictability depending on who reviews the proposals. That said, I think you're right that focusing on this isn't very helpful for future applicants themselves - focusing on creating the best proposal possible and building one's CV during the PhD is the thing to do.
 * The points still seem to have a lot of weight though. Nobody below 4 seems to get funding, and nobody below 3 seems to get waitlisted. (If you know of any exceptions to this, please inform.) The range between 3 and 4 is probably quite a grey area.
 * That's true - I imagine that most of the debate, if not all of it, occurs in that area.
 * I haven't recieved my letter yet, but am getting pretty depressed seeing the profiles of the people who have been waitlisted. I've known for a long time that this is an insane market, but seeing this makes it more real than ever. Glad, at least, for our cameraderie on and offline. We may be competitors, but I'm really grateful that, even while doing so, we can support one another.
 * Got my letter. Rejected, hard. Very low score. I'm amazed. The project was vetted by two Canada Research Chairs, among other senior people. My personal score, in terms of capability, was very high --the only part that was. The rest, though, the committee thought was crap! So strange. And yes, thanks to Wiki community for support :)
 * Where are you located at? Did you receive the letter today?
 * Please post your details to the above section. They will be more helpful there
 * The letter says that they gave only 184 fellowships out of 836. That's a very low 22%.
 * While it seems low, the SSHRC award does seem to have the best odds out of any Postdoc competition I've seen these days. Some have 800 applicants and 2-5 winners.
 * I would second that! Just lost out in a competition stateside where the numbers were unreal. Something like 6 out 1300 for a 4-year postdoc. There is actually one postdoc where the odds are 1 out of 1200. Really! SSHRC may have its problems but these are the best odds just about anywhere.
 * Yeah, it's one of, if not the, best-odds competitions for Canadian humanities and social sciences ABDs/PhDs. FML.
 * This is my second year on the market, and I have to say that 22% is FABULOUSLY, FABULOUSLY good odds. Most North American competitions are no better than lotteries or, if you are person of faith, a prayer. Success rates are usually lower than 5%, often below 1%.
 * Yeah, 22% sounds bad but it's actually quite good. Especially for Canadians who can be limited by the postdocs in the US with citizenship restrictions and don't have many options. I just got rejected from a postdoc that received more apps than SSHRC and awarded 2 positions.