The SSHRC Impact Award – Talent Category recognizes outstanding achievement by an individual who, on April 1, 2026, holds a SSHRC-funded doctoral scholarship* or postdoctoral award. This includes, but is not limited to, a Canada Graduate Scholarship, Canada Graduate Research Scholarship, Canada Postdoctoral Research Award, SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellowship, Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship or Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship.
The Award is given to an individual who maintains academic excellence, has a talent for research and knowledge mobilization, and has demonstrated clear potential to be a future leader within and/or outside the academic sector.
The Award may be taken up as a fellowship to fund the recipient’s doctoral* or postdoctoral research over a one-year period, or may be used, within one year of receiving the award, as a grant to support research, knowledge mobilization or other research-related activities. At least 10% of the award funds must be used to promote the recipient’s research achievements.
* UTM is only accepting postdoctoral applications. Doctoral nominees and/or faculty nominators should contact their graduate unit regarding that unit’s nomination process.
Award Overview
- Award Category: Postdoctoral Awards
- UTM Nomination Deadline to OVPAD: January 18, 2026 (11:59 PM)
- Value & duration: $50,000
- Area of Study: SSHRC funded disciplines
- Required legal status: Citizen or permanent resident of Canada
- Results: Internal - Late February, Communicated by OVPRI; National – Fall 2026
Eligibility
A nominee must:
- be a citizen or permanent resident of Canada, or a “protected person” under subsection 95(2) of Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, by the nomination deadline;
- be an active social sciences and humanities researcher or student;
- hold a SSHRC-funded doctoral scholarship or postdoctoral award on April 1, 2026*
This includes, but is not limited to: a Canada Graduate Scholarship, Canada Graduate Research Scholarship, Canada Postdoctoral Research Award, SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellowship, Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship or Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship.
- be in good standing with SSHRC;
- be affiliated with an eligible institution; and
- if awarded, maintain affiliation with an eligible institution (same as the nominating institution) for the duration of the award.
* UTM is only accepting postdoctoral applications. Doctoral nominees, or their supervisor, should contact their graduate unit regarding that unit’s nomination process.
Nominees:
- cannot nominate themselves;
- can be nominated in two sequential years for the Award, following which two years must pass before they can be nominated again;
- can be nominated in only one category in any year;
- can be nominated in a subsequent year for a different SSHRC Impact Award*; and
- cannot be a current member of SSHRC’s governing council, a previous Gold Medal winner or a SSHRC Impact Awards jury member.
*The SSHRC Impact Award – Talent category is one of four SSHRC Impact Awards
Nomination Process
The University of Toronto may nominate only one candidate annually for the SSHRC Talent Award. An advisory committee of representatives from across the social sciences and humanities reviews internal nominations to select the University's nominee each year.
The University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) may internally nominate a maximum of two candidates for consideration annually: one in the Humanities and one in Social Sciences. Internal nominations must be submitted by UTM Vice-Dean, Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs, in the Office of the Vice-Principal, Academic & Dean (OVPAD).
Doctoral Nominees
UTM is only accepting postdoctoral applications. Doctoral nominees and/or faculty nominators should contact their graduate unit regarding that unit’s nomination process.
Postdoctoral Nominees
Nomination guidelines:
- UTM faculty nominators need to submit the UTM Nomination Form, attaching the Internal Nomination Sheet and Nominee’s CV by the January 18, 2026 (11:59PM) deadline. Late applications will not be accepted.
- Nominations must come from the UTM supervisor or UTM faculty member.
- UTM faculty nominators may submit one postdoctoral candidate.
- Documentation sent directly (by the applicant, faculty or referee) to the School of Graduate Studies (SGS), the Office of the Vice-President, Research & Innovation (OVPRI) or SSHRC will not be considered.
Selection criteria
1. Challenge—ambition and importance (25%):
a. originality and significance of the body of work within the nominee’s fields of research, relative to the nominee’s career level.
2. Achievements—impact and outcomes (75%):
a. originality and significance of the nominee’s body of academic achievement and research, including, but not limited to, quality of publications, creative outputs, intellectual property, policies, etc., relative to nominee’s career level;
b. qualitative and quantitative evidence of impact of the nominee’s work within their fields of research and/or beyond the social sciences and humanities research community;
c. the nominee’s ability and commitment to mobilize research results within and/or beyond the academic community;
d. level of the nominee’s engagement with—and the quality of training, mentorship (formal or informal) and outreach provided to—students, emerging scholars, participants, community members and/or members of the general public, relative to the nominee’s career level; and
e. the nominee’s demonstrated potential for leadership and societal contributions within and/or beyond the academic community.
Results
Results will be communicated by OVPRI to University internal competition nominees in late February.
SSHRC will communicate results from the national competition in Fall 2026.
Contacts & Resources
For information regarding UTM nomination process and deadlines, contact:
Amanda Pennings
Graduate & Postdoctoral Affairs Specialist
Graduate & Postdoctoral Affairs Team, Office of the Vice-Principal, Academic & Dean (OVPAD) postdocs.utm@utoronto.ca