This page has been archived.
Information identified as archived on the Web is for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. It has not been altered or updated after the date of archiving. Web pages that are archived on the Web are not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards. As per the Communications Policy of the Government of Canada, you can request alternate formats on the "Contact Us" page.
One of the goals of SSHRC's strategic direction is to strengthen connections across borders and disciplines. SSHRC's international policy and strategy is a key means by which the Council aims to meet this objective. The international policy and strategy is multi-lateral in its basic orientation and aims to:
Specifically, the international strategy aims to:
Current key international activities, initiatives and partnerships include the following.
The European Research Area and Canada (ERA-Can): ERA-Can is a multi-agency, multi-year (2005-06 to 2008-09) initiative within the European Commission's European Research Area Network (ERA-NET) program. The initiative has established a Canada-European Union Cooperation Office to facilitate S&T collaboration between Canada and the European Union.
SSHRC's Canadian partners in the initiative are Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, CFI, NSERC, CIHR, Genome Canada and the National Research Council Canada. Key results in 2006-07 include:
European Research Area on Societal Aspects of Genomics (ERA-SAGE): ERA-SAGE is a multi-agency, multi-year (2005-10) consortium64 that aims to co-ordinate research funding efforts and capacity-building on the societal aspects of genomics.
SSHRC's partners in the consortium include research funding agencies in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Canada, Austria, Finland, Norway, Germany, Israel and Switzerland. Canada is a full member of the network through SSHRC. The Council is working closely with Genome Canada65 on ERA-SAGE and has taken a lead in mapping North American
research capacity in this area. Key results in 2006-07 include:
The reports from these activities will be used by ERA-SAGE to help develop a plan for future transnational activities.
New Opportunities for Research Funding Co-operation in Europe (NORFACE) -
A Strategy for Social Sciences: The ERA-NET NORFACE Strategy for Social Sciences66 is a multi-agency, multi-year (2005-10) partnership between research funding agencies in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Estonia, Slovenia and Portugal to increase co-operation in research, research
funding and research policy in Europe. Canada is an associate member of NORFACE. In 2006-07, SSHRC contributed to the work of the network by:
Canada-Mexico Partnership: In 2005, Canada and Mexico entered into an agreement to strengthen bilateral policy and economic and research co-operation, and to promote private and public sector dialogue at senior levels between the two countries. SSHRC and Mexico's Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT)67 are members of one of the related working groups on human capital. The group is examining how enhanced research collaboration between the two countries can be promoted. Key results for 2006-07 include:
The Tri-Council Memorandum of Understanding on the Roles and Responsibilities in the Management of Federal Grants and Awards68 (MOU) was put in place in 2001. It describes the basic requirements for obtaining and maintaining institutional eligibility to administer agency funds. The MOU represents an important and tangible element in the shared accountability of granting agencies and institutions in support of research, and these organizations' joint responsibility for the more than $1 billion annual research investment made by the federal government.
Development was started in 2004 on a second phase of the MOU to add several appendixes to the agreement. Phase 2 has involved two rounds of consultations with the university community to ensure that the provisions of the new appendixes are clear and can reasonably be implemented at the institutions.
The second round of consultations was completed in spring 2006. The tri-agency working group now charged with the development of Phase 2 held an informal consultation in May 2007 on the latest version of the MOU, inviting representatives of several organizations to review the text and identify any concerns. The final text of the Phase 2 MOU will be made available to the university community for review in fall 2007. Sign-off by the executive heads of the universities is anticipated for late 2007.
In 2006 the federal government launched an independent blue ribbon panel to recommend measures to make the delivery of grant and contribution programs more efficient while ensuring greater accountability. In December 2006 the panel submitted its final report, which identified the MOU as a best practice.
In 2001 the three federal research granting agencies developed, approved and implemented a joint policy statement to promote the ethical conduct of research involving human subjects-the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans. The agencies will only fund researchers, institutions or partnering organizations that comply with the ethical principles and articles of the policy statement.
In 2006 a group of organizations, including the three federal research granting agencies, sharing a common interest in promoting research involving humans that meets the highest standards in excellence and ethics, came together to form the Sponsors' Table for Human Research Participant Protection in Canada. The Sponsors' Table is exploring new ways to encourage ethical practice, as well as a system of accreditation or alternative system for the governance of human research ethics. To this end, the participating sponsors have created a committee of experts to develop and assess an accreditation and alternative systems for human research participant protection in Canada.
The Experts Committee report is expected to be released in late summer 2007 as part of an upcoming consultation exercise carried out by the Sponsors' Table. SSHRC is working closely with NSERC, CIHR and other members of the Sponsors' Table to ensure that the consultation exercise and any decisions regarding ethics governance accommodate the needs and interests of all researchers.