Indigenous Science and the Impacts of Plastic Pollution

June 2025 Competition

Overview

Value

Up to $237,500 annually for up to 2 years

Duration

2 years (with option to extend by one year with no additional funding)

Application deadline

October 16, 2025 (8 p.m. eastern)

* If a deadline falls on a weekend or a public holiday observed in Ontario , where SSHRC’s offices are, the online application system will stay open until 8 p.m. (eastern) the next business day.

Results announced

February 2026

Apply

Application form and Instructions

Description

Context

The Government of Canada has committed to reducing plastic waste and pollution. In 2018, Canada spearheaded and endorsed the Ocean Plastics Charter, closely followed by the Strategy on Zero Plastic Waste. These initiatives were adopted by federal, provincial and territorial governments under the auspices of the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment, which takes a circular economy and lifecycle approach to addressing plastic waste and pollution, providing a collaborative framework for action in Canada.

The federal, provincial and territorial governments also adopted the Canada-wide Action Plan on Zero Plastic Waste to implement the Strategy. The plan, consisting of two phases, provides tangible actions to better mitigate plastic waste and pollution in Canada. Phase 1 of the plan (2019) identifies actions to enhance the circularity of plastics within the economy and launch systemic changes needed to reduce plastic waste. Phase 2 (2020) outlines actions to prevent and reduce plastic pollution, foster awareness, bolster science and support global action.

Internationally, the Government of Canada has played a significant and proactive role in the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution. The committee aims to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment. Negotiations on this global instrument began in 2022, and a key aspect has been Indigenous communities' involvement, including through the International Indigenous Peoples' Forum on Plastics.

Indigenous Peoples have been integral in advocating that the instrument reflects their unique perspectives and knowledge, emphasizing the importance of:

• protecting traditional lands, waters and ecosystems from plastic pollution
• the inclusion of Indigenous rights, environmental stewardship and sustainable practices in the instrument

Description

To help reduce plastic waste and pollution and progress towards a circular economy for plastics, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) is partnering with the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) on this joint initiative. The funding opportunity provides research funding support through Research Partnerships grants to address knowledge gaps about the potential impacts of plastic pollution on Indigenous communities through the various stages of the plastic lifecycle, focusing on social, cultural and economic impacts.

Applications should demonstrate that the research project prioritizes Indigenous communities by indicating that it:

• has been designed through consultation
• has been co-developed or initiated by Indigenous communities and responding to their needs
• is designed to bridge, braid, and weave Indigenous science and knowledge in the project; and/or will be led or co-led by Indigenous researchers and organizations

Research findings will help inform evidence-based decision-making when developing future actions on plastics.

Research objectives

Proposed research projects must address at least one of the following research objectives, as applicable, locally or across Canada:

Theme 1: Understanding the Potential Impacts of Plastic Pollution on Indigenous Peoples

1. Investigating the potential impacts (e.g., social, cultural, and economic) of plastic waste and/or pollution on Indigenous Peoples. For example, investigating impacts of plastics in wildlife and/or environments of significance to Indigenous Peoples/communities; or potential impacts in terms of Indigenous rights.
2. Examining Indigenous approaches to assess the potential impacts (physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, etc.) from risks of and/or exposure to plastic pollution. For example, examining indicators of biocultural value—the linkage between biophysical and cultural values, livelihoods and well-being—to Indigenous Peoples so potential impacts can be evaluated; approaches to reduce potential risks to cultural use, resistance, survival and/or continuity.

Theme 2: Indigenous Approaches to Address Plastic Pollution

1. Generating knowledge based on Indigenous science and cultural approaches to address the impacts of plastic pollution on wildlife, the environment, and potentially human health (physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, etc.). For example, producing Indigenous science, knowledge, perspectives and approaches to plastics recycling, value recovery and/or waste management; or performing interdisciplinary research on food security, human health and plastics science.
2. Exploring environmental justice and Indigenous rights in relation to plastic pollution. For example, exploring Indigenous environmental justice-oriented approaches and inclusion in decision-making related to plastic pollution.

This joint initiative uses the definition of Indigenous science provided by ECCC's Indigenous Science Division: “a culturally specific method of accumulating knowledge, refining hypotheses, and changing practices associated with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples' deep understanding of and relationship to the natural world”. Indigenous science is “wholistic” (a term used to describe the ecosystem as a whole), and deeply braids, or weaves, new information over a longer-term perspective, while respecting expected codes of conduct and due diligence toward the collective benefit of all components, including humans, in ecosystems. Indigenous research paradigms have a number of common components; for instance, relational accountability, wholistic use and transmission of data and information, and respect for people as part of processes that can influence scientific outcomes. Indigenous science encompasses both past and real-time environmental events that Indigenous people have knowledge of, such as changes in species behaviour and distribution, water, climate change impacts and adaptations, prevention of wildfires as well as cultural burning, land stewardship, wildlife protection, and species at risk.

ECCC and SSHRC welcome applications involving Indigenous research, as well as those involving research-creation. Partnership funding is intended for formal partnerships between postsecondary institutions and/or organizations of various types. For more information, see the definitions for formal partnership and partner organization. For this funding opportunity, at least one partner organization must be an Indigenous partner.

The quality of training, mentoring and employability plans for students and emerging scholars will be evaluated as an important part of the proposed initiative. SSHRC's Guidelines for Effective Research Training explain how students and emerging scholars can meaningfully participate in proposed initiatives.

The leadership and governance for creating a formal partnership can come from the research community and/or from partner organizations from the public, private (Canadian) and not-for-profit sectors. However, only an institution that meets the institutional eligibility requirements can administer the grant funding, once awarded. See details under Institutions.

SSHRC invites applicants and their partner organizations who wish to propose formal disciplinary, interdisciplinary, interinstitutional, international and/or cross-sector partnership arrangements to apply for support through this funding opportunity. Funds are available to support a variety of formal partnership development initiatives in all the disciplines and themes that meet SSHRC's subject matter eligibility guidelines. SSHRC's Partnerships Tool-Kit offers tools and resources to help plan and implement your partnership.

Applicants are invited to attend ECCC's Virtual Plastics Symposium planned for fall/winter 2025-2026. More details on the symposium will be posted on ECCC's site.

Types of research partnerships

At least one partner organization must be an Indigenous partner for this joint initiative. Research partnership proposals should demonstrate that project priorities have been designed through consultation with or co-developed with or initiated from Indigenous communities and/or organizations.

Two categories of research partnerships can request support:

• existing partnerships to foster new research and/or research-related partnership activities that are distinct from the partnership's previous/ongoing partnership activities
• new partnerships to foster new research and/or research-related partnership activities that are undertaken by partnerships in their initial stages

Value and duration

Grants for the Indigenous Science and the Impacts of Plastic Pollution funding opportunity are valued at a maximum of $237,500 per year over two years, up to a total of $475,000. A one-year automatic grant extension without additional funding is also available under this joint initiative.

Eligibility

Subject matter

Proposals can involve any disciplines, thematic areas, approaches or subject areas eligible for SSHRC funding. See the guidelines on subject matter eligibility for more information.

Projects whose primary objective is curriculum development, program evaluation, preparation of teaching materials, digitization of a collection, or creation of a database are not eligible for funding under this funding opportunity.

Applicants

Applications can be submitted by a team of researchers (consisting of one applicant / project director and one or more co-directors, co-applicants and/or collaborators ). The applicant / project director prepares the application on behalf of the partner organizations of the formal partnership.

Applicants must be affiliated with a Canadian institution or Indigenous not-for-profit organization that holds institutional eligibility before funding can be released. Researchers who maintain an affiliation with a Canadian institution that holds institutional eligibility, but whose primary affiliation is with a non-Canadian postsecondary institution, are not eligible for applicant / project director status.

Applicants who have received a SSHRC grant of any type but have failed to submit an achievement report by the deadline specified in their Notice of Award are not eligible to apply for another SSHRC grant until they have submitted the report.

Postdoctoral researchers are eligible to be applicants / project directors if they have formally established an affiliation with an eligible institution within five months of the grant start date, and maintain such an affiliation for the duration of the grant period. Before applying, postdoctoral researchers must confirm with their institution, usually through the research grants office, that the institution can administer the funding if awarded.

Students enrolled in a program of study are not eligible to apply. However, a PhD candidate is eligible to apply if they:

• will have met all requirements for the PhD before the grant is awarded, including all course work and successful defence of their dissertation
• establish a formal affiliation with an eligible Canadian postsecondary institution within five months of the grant start date, and maintain such an affiliation for the duration of the grant period

If intending to apply as an applicant, federal scientists (on contract) who are primarily affiliated with a Canadian postsecondary institution must demonstrate that their proposed research or research-related activity is not related to either the mandate of their federal employer or the normal duties for which they receive payment from that employer.

If the proposal falls within the mandate of the federal government and the research or research-related activity is performed in government facilities, funding can only be allocated for student salaries, stipends and travel costs.

Institutions

Grant funds can only be administered by an eligible Canadian postsecondary institution or Indigenous not-for-profit organization. Institutions proposing to administer a grant awarded under this funding opportunity must hold or obtain institutional eligibility.

All not-for-profit organizations that require institutional eligibility must contact institutional.eligibility@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca at least ten business days prior to the application deadline to be added to the application form and begin the eligibility process. SSHRC strongly encourages Indigenous not-for-profit organizations interested in obtaining eligibility to contact SSHRC institutional eligibility as early as possible for further information about the institutional eligibility process and requirements.

Indigenous not-for-profit organizations wanting to administer multiple Partnership Development Grants, Partnership Grants and/or Connection Grants going forward are encouraged to begin the institutional eligibility application process at least two months prior to the relevant funding opportunity's application deadline. Indigenous not-for-profit organizations being assessed for or holding institutional eligibility to administer multiple grants over a five-year period are eligible to apply. Institutional eligibility must be obtained before funding is released. Indigenous not-for-profit organizations may still apply for grant-specific provisional and/or restricted eligibility should they not wish to administer more than one grant.

Institutions or organizations must contact institutional.eligibility@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca to begin the institutional eligibility application process, or if they have questions about institutional eligibility.

To start the grant application in the Convergence portal, an organization must have started the institutional eligibility process, so that the administering organization will be available in the Affiliations step when creating an application. An institutional representative will need to be identified as the research administrator and will be responsible for forwarding the grant application to SSHRC by the deadline. Creating a research administrator role for the organization in the portal can take up to about five business days; however, during this time the applicant can continue to work on key sections of the grant application (e.g., attachments in the Supporting Documents section). See the application instructions for more details.

Indigenous postsecondary institutions, including but not limited to universities, tribal colleges, polytechnics and institutes, are encouraged to participate. If your organization does not meet the criteria for institutional eligibility, your organization may participate on a proposal as a partner organization or have individuals participate on a project team in the role of co-director, co-applicant or collaborator, as applicable. See below for more details.

Co-directors and co-applicants

Individuals (including postdoctoral researchers) are eligible to be co-directors or co-applicants if they are formally affiliated with any of the following, regardless of the institution or organization holding Institutional Eligibility at SSHRC:

• Canadian: postsecondary institution; not-for-profit organization; philanthropic foundation; think tank; or municipal, territorial or provincial government, or Indigenous governments, governance bodies and band councils

• International: postsecondary institution

Postdoctoral researchers who are affiliated with a postsecondary institution are eligible to be co-directors or co-applicants.

PhD candidates are eligible to be co-directors or co-applicants under the same conditions as those described for an applicant.

Collaborators

Any individual who makes a significant contribution to the project is eligible to be a collaborator. Collaborators do not need to be affiliated with an eligible Canadian postsecondary institution.

Individuals from the private sector or federal government can participate only as collaborators.

Partner organizations

Partner organizations can be Canadian or international institutions or organizations of any type (public, private or not-for-profit). The exception is international private organizations, which cannot participate as a partner organization for this joint initiative.

Indigenous academic and non-academic organizations (including private), Indigenous governments and Indigenous not-for-profit organizations are all welcome to partner. For this funding opportunity, at least one partner organization must be an Indigenous partner in Canada. To promote collaboration across institutions and organizations, not-for-profit organization applicants must include at least one Canadian postsecondary institution as a partner organization.

As indicated in the accompanying Instructions, all partner organizations are required to provide details about their organization and the partnership in the letters of support that must be included with the application.

Multiple applications and holding multiple awards

See SSHRC's regulations on multiple applications and holding multiple awards for more information.

Monitoring

Grant holders will be expected to report on the use of grant funds, on funded activities undertaken during the grant period, and on outcomes. Successful applicants will be informed of reporting requirements and the corresponding schedule when they receive their notice of award.

Application process

Applicants must complete the application form in accordance with the accompanying Convergence instructions. Applications must be submitted electronically by an authorized research grants officer, or equivalent, from the applicant's institution, or by a representative of the not-for-profit organization who has financial signing authority and is not participating in the project.

Eligible PhD students and postdoctoral researchers can submit their applications directly to SSHRC.

Applicants needing help while preparing their application should communicate with SSHRC well in advance of the application deadline. (The Convergence portal offers the option of connecting to ORCID.)

Requirements

Institutional and partner organization contributions

Applicants are expected to include a plan to seek and secure cash and/or in-kind contributions for their initiative during the life of the grant. While there is no minimum contribution requirement, institutions and their partner organizations are expected to demonstrate that a formal partnership currently exists, or is in the process of being developed, by supporting the activities of the formal partnership.

In an effort to alleviate barriers to all communities' participation, partners not providing cash and/or in-kind contributions may explain alternative support to the partnership in their letters (see Instructions). This alternative form of contribution can include social capital, an asset that may emphasize social and familial relationships and networks and may affect the cost of research. A contribution could also include linguistic capital, such as the ability to engage in the community using its ancestral language(s) and a national language of Canada.

For more information, see SSHRC's Guidelines for Cash and In-Kind Contributions.

Merit review

Applications are reviewed, and available funds awarded, through a competitive merit review process. SSHRC bases funding decisions on the recommendations of the merit review committee and on the funds available. Committee discussions are guided by the principle of minimum essential funding.

Applications are reviewed by multidisciplinary committees that include relevant expertise from the academic community, as well as research expertise from the public, private and/or not-for-profit sectors. The exact number and composition of merit review committees will be determined by the number and nature of proposals received. Participants in the review process, if not in a conflict of interest with the applicant or any team members, are asked to evaluate the proposal based on the evaluation criteria below.

Committee members read an entire cohort of applications. Members, as a group, then evaluate and rank all of the proposals assigned to their committee.

SSHRC's Guidelines for the Merit Review of Indigenous Research are relevant for researchers (applicants and project directors) and students preparing SSHRC applications related to Indigenous research. SSHRC provides these guidelines to merit reviewers to help build understanding of Indigenous research and research-related activities, and to assist committee members in interpreting SSHRC's specific evaluation criteria in the context of Indigenous research. SSHRC relies on a community of merit reviewers with experience and expertise in Indigenous research to judge the extent to which the guidelines can be applied to a particular research proposal. The guidelines may also be of use to external assessors, postsecondary institutions and partner organizations that support Indigenous research.

ECCC and SSHRC will establish a joint merit review committee with expertise including Indigenous research and related worldviews, ethics and protocols, as well as knowledge of plastics and their impacts. The merit review committee will include members who are Indigenous. ECCC personnel managing the joint initiative will be given access to relevant application material for purposes consistent with the merit review, as required. The final selection of projects will be made by ECCC based on the recommendations of the merit review committee and on the funds available, considering the final ranking of proposals as well as the aim of supporting a diverse portfolio of projects to ensure that a variety of partnerships and complementary themes are included.

Evaluation criteria and scoring

The following criteria and scoring scheme are used to evaluate the applications:

Challenge—The aim and importance of the endeavour (50%):

• originality, significance and expected contribution to overall goal and research objectives of the Indigenous Science and the Impacts of Plastic Pollution funding opportunity
• appropriateness of the literature review, including oral literature
• appropriateness of the theoretical approach or narrative framework (e.g., Indigenous ways of knowing and storytelling)
• appropriateness of the methods/approach (including co-creation of knowledge and Indigenous community involvement)
• quality of training and mentoring to be provided to students, emerging scholars and other highly qualified personnel, including community members who may not be enrolled in a postsecondary academic program, as well as opportunities for them to contribute
• potential for the project results to have influence and impact within and/or beyond the social sciences and humanities research community, particularly tangible benefits to Indigenous Peoples, communities and/or organizations
• clear demonstration of how it addresses the specific needs and priorities identified by the Indigenous community/partner and whether the research is grounded in the community's/partner's own knowledge systems, values and long-term goals
• identification of progress indicators

Feasibility—The plan to achieve excellence (20%):

• appropriateness of the proposed timeline and probability that the objectives will be met
• quality and genuineness of the formal partnership and associated management and governance arrangements and leadership, including active involvement and decision-making of Indigenous communities and partner organizations and others in the design and conduct of the research and/or related activities
• a plan for bridging, braiding, and weaving Indigenous systems and Western methodologies in a way that respects and values Indigenous knowledge
• expertise of the team and appropriateness of partner organizations in relation to the proposed project;
• appropriateness of the requested budget and justification of proposed costs, including for addressing relevant Indigenous community needs
• indications of other planned resources, including leveraging of any cash and in-kind support from the administering institution and/or from partner organizations, as well as any social or linguistic contributions, such as engaging a community in an ancestral language
• quality and appropriateness of the knowledge mobilization plans, including effective dissemination, exchange and engagement with Indigenous Peoples and other stakeholders within and/or beyond the research community, where applicable and culturally appropriate

Capability—The expertise to succeed (30%):

• qualifications of the applicant/team to carry out the proposed project (significance of relevant past experience and published and/or creative outputs of the applicant and any co-directors/co-applicants relative to their roles in the partnership and/or communities or to their respective stages of career)

• evidence of other knowledge mobilization activities (e.g., contributions to Indigenous community through culturally appropriate knowledge-sharing, films, performances, commissioned reports, knowledge syntheses, experience in collaboration / other interactions with stakeholders, contributions to public debate and the media) and of impacts on professional practice, social services and policies, etc.
• demonstration of commitment to incorporating Indigenous knowledge systems (e.g., oral traditions, ecological knowledge, spirituality)
• evidence of past contributions to the training and mentoring of students, postdoctoral researchers and other highly qualified personnel
• past experience in formal partnerships

Scoring table

Merit review committee members assign a score for each of the three criteria above, based on the following scoring table. The appropriate weighting is then applied to arrive at a final score. Applications must receive a score of 3.0 or higher for each of the three criteria to be recommended for funding.

Score	Descriptor
5-6	Very good to excellent
4-4.9	Good to very good
3-3.9	Satisfactory to good
Below 3	Unsatisfactory

Communication of results

SSHRC makes competition results available to applicants (via the SSHRC Extranet for Applicants) and institutions (via the Grants and Scholarships Administration Portal). Applications from not-for-profit organizations will also receive competition results through SSHRC's extranet site. ECCC and SSHRC will publicly announce the results of the competition after the results have been communicated to successful applicants.

All applicants will be provided, in addition to SSHRC's notice of decision, a summary of the merit review committee's evaluation of their proposal, where applicable.

Regulations, policies and related information

SSHRC reserves the right to determine the eligibility of applications, based on the information included. SSHRC also reserves the right to interpret the regulations and policies governing its funding opportunities.

All applicants and grant holders must comply with the regulations set out in the Tri-agency Guide on Financial Administration.

Grant holders must also comply with the Tri-Agency Open Access Policy on Publications (see the Open Access overview for more information) and the Tri-Agency Research Data Management Policy, which, as of April 1, 2021, has replaced SSHRC's Research Data Archiving policy for all active grants.

On January 16, 2024, the Government of Canada published its Policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern (STRAC), which applies to this funding opportunity. Grant applications that involve conducting research and related activities that aim to advance a sensitive technology research area will not be funded if any of the researchers involved in activities supported by the grant are affiliated with, or in receipt of funding or in-kind support from, a university, research institute or laboratory connected to military, national defence or state security entities that could pose a risk to Canada's national security. Read the tri-agency guidance on the STRAC policy to understand how this may impact an application.

Specific rules for the use of grant funds

• Grant funds cannot be used to remunerate Team members (applicant, co-director, co-applicant or collaborator) regardless of an individual's eligibility to apply for grants. * This includes postdoctoral fellows serving in any of these capacities.

  *Exception to the above rule: In some cases, Indigenous team members may be compensated. For more information, please consult the Tri-agency guideline on remuneration for Indigenous people participating in funded projects. Note that in such cases, the team member may not be delegated to authorize grant expenditures, and under no circumstances is the applicant/project director eligible to be compensated from grant funds.

• Grant funds cannot be used for salaries or stipends to individuals whose status would make them eligible to hold a grant from the agency.
• Grant funds cannot be used for course release time to allow an individual to engage in research activities.
• A salary research allowance can be requested for not-for-profit organizations involved in the partnership with a named eligible participant on the team to release them from duties to their organization. A salary research allowance is not a salary for the project participant, but is paid to the Canadian not-for-profit organization to offset the costs of replacing its employee for time spent participating on a SSHRC-funded research project.

Guidelines and related support material

All applicants for SSHRC funding should consult the following guidelines while preparing their application:

• SSHRC's Definitions of Terms for terms used in the grant application process
• the Guidelines for Effective Research Training, which can also be useful to reviewers and postsecondary institutions
• SSHRC's Indigenous Research Statement of Principles and Guidelines for the Merit Review of Indigenous Research
• Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans, in particular, Chapter 9: Research Involving the First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples of Canada, Inuit Nunangat Policy
• SSHRC's Guide to preparing a data management plan which includes information on the First Nations principles of ownership, control, access and possession (OCAP®), as well as the CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance
• SSHRC's definition of knowledge mobilization and Guidelines for Effective Knowledge Mobilization for guidance on connecting with research users to create impact
• SSHRC's Guidelines for Support of Tools for Research and Related Activities, for clarification on how applicants can include up to $7,000 of funding for research and research-related tools in any SSHRC grant application
• SSHRC's Guidelines for Research-Creation Support Materials
• SSHRC's Guidelines for Cash and In-Kind Contributions
• Tri-Agency guidance on the Policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern (STRAC Policy)

Contact information

For more information, contact:

Email: partnerships@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca

Toll-free: 1-855-275-2861