SSHRC

Deadline: October 6, 2010
This is the page for the SSHRC 2011-2012 postdoctoral fellowship. Someone suggested last year that it should have its own page, so here we are. Go to town!

Stats
How many people are applying? 29 (officially, Feb 2011: 877 applications)


 * Q: Where did this number come from?


 * A: Self-reporting by users of this wiki. If you applied for a SSHRC post-doc fellowship you edit the page and add one to the number. This won't of course be an accurate count of how many people looking at this page applied, as some people won't edit the number, but it gives some idea of what sort of sample size the info below is coming from.
 * Thanks for the response.
 * Thanks for the response.

Are you applying to hold it within Canada? 18

Outside Canada? 11

System Problems
Two of my referees have (separately) reported problems wtih the system: even after clicking "submit", the system still says that they have not submitted their reference. Has anyone else had this problem?

- I didn't have this problem, I hope you resolved it in time!

- I received an email saying that my proposed supervisor was ineligible to be a referee, and nearly freaked out. The supervisor was kind enough to call SSHRC who reassured him that it was all ok, and my application was submitted with no problems. Could that be related?

- one of my referees accidentally submitted the wrong discipline from the drop-down list of available departments. She was unable to ever change this, even after we both contacted SSHRC and asked them if there was anything that could be done.

Receipt of Applications
Email receipt of application Oct 8, 2010. :)

Email receipt of application Oct 13, 2010. :)

NEARLY DIED seeing a freakin email from SSHRC in my inbox, was just a newsletter :P

Notification of Awards / Offers
Received offer of fellowship via email - 5 January, 2011 - for last year's competition (2010-2011)

2/14 -- I just called the Fellowships office and according to the nice man who answered the phone, letters were put in the mail Friday at 12. So people should start hearing results... soon? Where are the successful applicants?
 * Really? Seems a bit suspect given that according to SSHRC awards aren't announced until February and they will definitely **not** communicate results by email. Let the mind games begin...
 * Yes, really. I was shocked when I received my notice, but called SSHRC to confirm, and according to the person I spoke to notifications did go out the morning of the 5th - both by email and regular mail. I have no clue if this is all of them or just an initial batch, though.
 * Did you receive notification of regular SSHRC or Banting SSHRC?
 * Regular
 * I'm sorry, but this is hard to believe. I contacted SSHRC, and they vehemently denied sending out any acceptances over email. I know, based on the past two years, that they often give out contradictory information, but it seems beyond the pale that they could notify this early (given very late dates in previous years) and over email. But, since crazier things have happened, maybe you could answer what your score was and how many applicants there were.
 * I understand the skepticism, but perhaps the change in protocol is related to the institution of the new "fully electronic online submission process" this competition.
 * Not quite sure why the SSHRC officer with whom I spoke wouldn't own up to it, though. I also think if offers *did* go out on the 5th, this forum would be flooded with comments by now. But, based on last year's farce, it's anyone's guess.
 * The notifications that went out were for LAST YEAR's competition: SSHRC apparently came into some extra funding and was able to offer some additional people who had been wait-listed fellowships.
 * That makes infinitely more sense.
 * Well, congrats to the belated recipient! It must make planning (or re-planning) difficult to hear so late, though. I'm worried that we won't receive notifications for this year until spring (April?!), rather than Feb. as promised. I hope they've sped up the process after last year's debacle...
 * Yes-- belated congrats! I know a couple people who were notified about last year's competition very late (like June and October 2010).
 * The date for this makes me suspect that it was a redistribution of an award from last year, for which the original awardee did not make the December 31 completion deadline for his/her PhD.
 * Let the sleepless nights begin... sigh

2/15: I received a notice in the mail today that I was successful! Track record: 13.1/15; program of work: 12.5/ 15. Total score: 25.6/ 30. I live in Toronto. Good luck everyone!!!! My field is political science/ sociology/ interdisciplinary studies.

Congratulations! :)

2/15 Successful. My field is history and my total score was 23.45. Address: Toronto.


 * - 2/15 Just a question. You were successful with a score of 23.45 but someone below was waitlisted with a score of 23.8. Does your category/subject area play a role in determing your funding (e.g., above 23 in Sociology gets funded but you need more than 24 in say, Drama?). Basically, what I am trying to say is are applications ranked in their specific categories as opposed to all applications put into one heap and then they go down the list. Thoughts?
 * - My guess is that it depends on the discipline. For instance it's not so unusual for someone in the social sciences to have a high number of publications, whereas in some humanities that's not the case. In addition, I think they probably accept the first "X" number of applicants in each category, based on their scores, where X depends on the available funding. If, overall, historians have lower scores than sociologists, then there will be some historians with lower scores who will get the sshrc. That's what I think, at any rate.
 * 2/15: Successful. Total score of 24.5 (12/12.5). Field is political science (political theory, really). Address: St. Catharines, but award to be held in Toronto.
 * 2/15: Success with a score of 25.9/30 in Music (Fine Arts committee), 14/15 for track record and 11.9 for program of work. Address in Toronto. Award to be held in California.
 * 2/16: Successful - score of 26.65. Field is history.
 * 2/16: Success, with a score of 26.5. I'm in history as well. For the record, this was my third year applying. I had a strong track record, because I have a book with the top publisher in my field, and six articles.
 * Wow, double congrats--on the book too! (Agh, but I can't help it--this makes me wonder why us ABD candidates are bothering. Which isn't at all a slight on present company and others with stellar track records. Just a comment on how tough the competition has become... sorry)
 * 2/16: Waterloo (psychology). Successful with a score of 24.9.
 * 2/16: Success, with a score of 26.5. I'm in history as well. For the record, this was my third year applying. I had a strong track record, because I have a book with the top publisher in my field, and six articles.
 * Wow, double congrats--on the book too! (Agh, but I can't help it--this makes me wonder why us ABD candidates are bothering. Which isn't at all a slight on present company and others with stellar track records. Just a comment on how tough the competition has become... sorry)
 * 2/16: Waterloo (psychology). Successful with a score of 24.9.
 * 2/16: Waterloo (psychology). Successful with a score of 24.9.

Wait Listings
2/14. Ottawa. Apparently SSHRC will not be my Valentine. Recommended for funding, but not funded. A good omen for those still waiting: my score (19.5/30) was the exact same as last year, when I was rejected outright.

just got a rejection letter ... my app. was recommended for funding and I am on the waitlist ... my total score was not high enough to permit funding


 * sorry to hear that, it is so frustrating. But chances are still good you will get funding eventually, at least the SSHRC does a wait list. I know people who got it later last year after being on the wait list. Do you mind telling us when you received the notice (the exact date) and what part of the country you live in?

Just heard. 2/15: waitlisted. recommended by committee but not enough money. score 23.8/30.
 * Thanks for the encouragement on the waitlist front. One never knows ... I'll just wait and see. I received the notice letter today. I am in downtown Toronto and my score was 20.8/30. Today is Feb. 14 ... happy valentine's day!
 * Sorry to hear that, and I hope it works out for you! I am also in downtown Toronto and received nothing in today's mail (the mailman literally just left). Another sleepless night for me, I guess.
 * Yes, sorry about the limbo of waitlisting--but how come there's an outright rejection (below) at 19.7? This makes me sad. Just more SSHRC idiosyncracies? *or* does it depend on your field/scoring committee? Maybe that: lit vs. social sciences vs. history?
 * I'm also in Toronto and also received a 20.8, yet somehow no wait list. I suppose the cut-off differs by field?
 * Would the above two posters mind naming their field? So we can figure out the grey areas for recommended but not funded by committee?

2/14. Ottawa. Recommended but not funded. Scored 21.4/30. Fine arts.

2./14 London - no word yet.

2/24 Do people mind saying what committee evaluated their application. I am curious if there is any variation in the score required for funding between different fields. Waiting on the west coast.

2/14 Ottawa. Waitlisted (23.1; modern languages)
 * waiting with you! In California... I might know by the end of the week if I'm lucky. *fingers crossed* (for all those waiting and also wait listed)
 * How many applications this year? What were the odds?

2/14 kingston. waitlisted (23.8; sociology). letter says 877 applications and 157 awards. best of luck to all!

2/14 I posted above (earlier today) with the score of 20.8. Just for clarification my field is fine arts. BTW, there were 175 awards. There must be quite a large number of us on the wait list.

2/15. On the wait list with 21.6/30 (social sciences). Based on past SSHRC practice, wait listers can be notified months later - almost a year in some cases, so hang in there!

2/15 Ottawa. Waitlist. 20.3/30 (psychology). Looks like I'm at the bottom of said wait list. Ha. Not sure how much better my track record will be next year when I'm all done, so I'm a bit dejected. Onward!

- I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but don't expect a higher track record just on the basis of completion: I finished this year, and yet my track record was lower than it was last year (I also had a couple extra publications and some dissertation prizes)


 * What? Ouch :( I can't figure the track record out (not that I've gotten one, yet, but from last year's wiki page, too). Are they comparative, and so totally dependent on the other applications each year? Or totally dependent on that year's committee? Or perhaps drawn out of a hat...?
 * I've applied for a post-doc three times (third time lucky this year). My track record score dropped in my second attempt even though I had added two journal publications that year. This time around I have a forthcoming book and my score jumped by over three points. It certainly doesn't seem consistent with any predetermined scoring system.

Rejections
Toronto 2/14. Rejected. Score 19.7/30 2/15 -- I received a notification today. Unsuccessful. They funded 175 of 877 applicants.
 * I'm sorry. We'll be your valentines <3 hang in there.

Were 175 or 157 applications funded? See other post above.

2/15 Nothing yet here in Halifax, I guess on the 16th or 17th, that is if Canada Post doesn't deliver it to wrong address in the next apartment building. Don't sound too good if applicants at 23.8 are not being accepted. If I get accepted I will go buy a 12 pack immediately and if rejected the same.
 * I feel you. Cheers (and tears, probably) either way!

2/15 Here in Toronto, got my outright rejection. 19.6/30. I'm a bit confused about this, as someone above said that they were recommended for funding with a score of 19.5 - are the decisions made on the basis of score alone, or is that just some kind of guideline?
 * sorry to hear that. I think the collective guesses of this wiki add up to different waitlist cutoffs for different disciplines/selection committees.

Comments / Questions
I have a question about the notification. I gave my address in the USA as my correspondence address. Since we HAVE to put a permanent address in Canada, I also gave them the address of a relative but we are estranged. There is no way my family is going to tell me if I got any mail, and I would rather they not know actually. Was I being too hopeful in thinking that the correspondence address I gave would be where I actually receive correspondence from the SSHRC telling me yes or no thanks? I also think it is weird that you have to have a permanent Canada address. Recent grads can be transient, nomadic, simply abroad and/or homeless you know.

--I know, it's tricky... I don't have the estrangement problem, but I do have the problem of not knowing where I'll be, depending on how long it takes them to send notifications. Is there a friend in Canada you could have it sent to? Or maybe the Canadian address you use for taxes? I think you can definitely update your address with SSHRC, although I'm not sure that means they'll send it to the right place... but in other correspondence with them, they've sent things to my listed current US address rather than my permanent Canadian one.


 * 1/29: I emailed SSHRC to ask about addresses, and they said notification would be mailed "sometime in February" to the address I listed as current, not to the permanent Canadian address.

27 Jan: I've been reading the SSHRC sagas on this wiki for the past two years. So scared. I'm trying (already) to anticipate rejection. It's been one of those days/nights/weeks.

-- I hear you. I am also expecting rejection. It is really rough out there. Funny thing is with a PhD I can't even get a temp agency in my city to take me, I've tried 4 now. I guess we are so educated we don't need to eat. That or I can start eating the pages of all my books. I got most of them in pdf anyhow. Thanks everybody above for posting the info about the addresses btw.

1/30 Okay call me crazy, but I just wrote emails to: my MP, the Ministers of Finance (Flaherty) and of Human Resources and Skills Development (Finley), Harper, Ignatieff, and Layton. It's nearly budget time, people! Let's tell them SSHRC needs another couple million for innovation, competitiveness, community, dialogue, all those buzzwords about higher education's essential worth in times of economic doubt. After all, they did it last year... and isn't that where extra fellowships and late notifications come from? [Or wait, am I actually just plain crazy? Was SSHRC's budget for this year determined in 2010?] :: I have no idea re: your last question, but I would like to say: you are awesome for writing all those emails! I will try to write some emails myself.


 * Got a response from the Prime Minister's Office; apparently SSHRC falls under Tony Clement's Industry portfolio.

2/02 Also anticipating rejection. Scored abysmally last year on track record, whatever it means, and not much has changed since last application. I finished and defended, but SSHRC doesn't know that because it all happened in November and Decmeber after my application was in. Probably the last time I'll apply if not successful. Would be really happy if it didn't take as long as last year to put me out of my misery.

2/07 - I just called SSHRC to see which address they would be sending my postdoc results to. At the end of the conversation, I asked whether they had a timeline for when the results would be mailed out. For what it's worth, I was told mid-February. Perhaps not too much longer to wait, then? 2/10 Nervously checking the mailbox, twice a day hoping that decision letter has finally arrived. Wake up in middle of the night, and my brain is considering the statistics, last year 198 awards out of 891 or so applicants; was my application concise enough? Is my track record weak? The academic job market in the social sciences is so poor right now that this SSHRC is about the only one with a good chance; 1 in 5 odds for a SSHRC versus 1 in God knows how many for any tenure-track position or even one year contract.
 * Yes, it's too bad we can't update our profiles as things change--especially since it takes them so long to get back to us! Out of curiosity, did you apply to hold it at the same institution as last year? And if so, is it awkward to write the sponsor again, or are they just as accustomed to the vagaries of funding? Also, congrats on filing! It's something to be proud of, whatever comes next.
 * I agree we should be allowed to change our profile as things change, especially since track record is such a big part of the score. We should also be allowed to know how that part of the score was calculated, what they considered, etc. I'm almost thinking too many publications might hurt you too, given last years comments on the wiki. If you are already that published you shouldn't need the post doc to get a tenure track let's say. But who knows how they think.
 * Who knows indeed. I've failed twice, but applied again. I'm not even dreading rejection anymore. I've basically moved on emotionally and intellectually, and am largely apathetic about this.
 * To reply to the above - I did apply to the same instituation. Writing to my sponsor again was sort of a bummer, but it seemed easier than approaching somebody totally new. I basically felt like it would look bad to my current supervisor and committee right before my defense if I didn't apply, so I went through the whole ordeal again. It will at least be interesting to compare the two scores given that nothing changed from one application to the next.
 * I think the decision to ask your sponsor to support you again would vary by individual. I had a really positive interaction with my sponsor during the first cycle in which I applied (09-10) and when I didn't get it last year they seemed more than happy to give it another try. I think at this point most sponsors realize that this sort of thing is pretty arbitrary and doesn't necessarily reflect any faults in your application. I was also clear, however, that it wasn't intellectual laziness that made me want to reapply to work with them, and outlined - fairly specifically - how my application this year (10-11) would be better.
 * Thanks for this--fingers crossed. In terror. Is it better to have SSHRC'd and lost than never to have SSHRC'd at all?
 * Yes, thanks for sharing. I have a question for those of you who have endured this before. When I got my dissertation fellowship the notification came with a packet of things and not just a letter. Can we similarly tell acceptance or rejection from envelope size with the postdoc or am I actually going to have to muster up the courage to open the thing?
 * If I remember correctly, it wasn't a package exactly, but a regular envelope with two pages. However, it might be two pages for the rejection letters as well, since there should be a sheet with your scores...
 * If it helps, my rejection came on a single page if I remember correctly - same sheet as the bad news.
 * Yes, I also received two pages informing me that I had received the award, so I don't think that size matters in this case.


 * If it's any consolation to those who end up with bad news, I've heard that jurors this year were asked to aim for 17% success...

I just assume they will not be prompt in releasing results (as their track record proves), so I'm not getting jumpy about the mail until at least May! :)

147 were chosen last year out of 891 applicants during the "first round", and then a few on the waiting list were notified ("second round"). I was one of the lucky ones from the "first round" - just made the cut. My acceptance letter was mailed in a large envelope consisting of two pages, with another sheet giving general details about the adjudication process. Fyi, this was my second attempt at the SSHRC fellowship. My proposal sucked, but my track record was stellar, so it saved my ass. I agree with one of the above posters that the SSHRC is basically your best bet, odds wise. The success rate for other major fellowships is pretty much 5% or less. However, the number of applicants will definitely rise this year. A logical number would be 1000, as each year it goes up a hundred or so. So it's not 1 in 5; it's more like 1 in 9. And another thing: SSHRC hasn't mailed results in February for the last few years.

2/10. When did people start to receive their SSHRC notifications last year (2010)?

2/13: ack! I've been out of it (the country) so long I didn't know there was a Banting anything. Did anyone apply for the regular postdoc *and* Banting? Am I a total idiot to have missed that, or is it a long shot since the sciences are included as well?
 * earliest looks like second week of March, 2010. Like 8th-9th.

I applied for both, but the Banting looks like a long shot--not very many will be offered if you cut it into the three agencies (Med/Science/Social Science and Humanities).


 * oh, and the Banting's international too, right? No citizenship bonus :P

2/14: It seems that the letters are already mailed out. Can anybody confirm?

2/15: I received a notice in the mail today that I was successful! Track record: 13.1/15; program of work: 12.5/ 15. Total score: 25.6/ 30. I live in Toronto. Good luck everyone!!!!

Hurrah, first offer! Congrats, that's awesome! Do you mind saying what your field is? (and copying this under the section above for notifications/offers?)

Wow. For the first time in a while sshrc is notifying people in February. Someone forwarded last year's wiki to sshrc, so it looks like something positive has come out of it. Interesting to see also that the number of applicants has stayed the same! Guess I was wrong on both accounts.

2/15 I know that track record refers to the potential for scholarly research, but how exactly is this assessed by the SSHRC committees? Does anyone really know?

2/16: In downtown Toronto, and still waiting...for those who have heard already, did you receive the letter at the 'current' or the 'correspondence' address you listed on the application? The latter is home for me, while the former is my institutional mailbox...wanting to know just how frantically and frequently I should be stopping by the office.