CMHC Housing Research Scholarship Program

The CMHC Housing Research Scholarship Program works to build Canadian expertise in housing research. It also promotes excellence in research through training.

The specific scholarship objectives are to:

• recognize excellence in early-career academic research
• advance knowledge and application in the field of housing
• expand the community of reliable, highly skilled and qualified researchers

Recipients of this scholarship will build on feedback gathered in the 2016 CMHC-led national Let’s Talk Housing consultations. Opinions were solicited from individual Canadians and housing organizations, experts and stakeholders. The analysis featured in What We Heard: Shaping Canada’s National Housing Strategy helped identify important housing challenges where research could help provide answers.

The scholarships address research and knowledge translation gaps in housing and related fields. Significant areas for action include the National Housing Strategy priority areas.

CMHC is collaborating with the three federal granting agencies (tri-agencies) to provide postdoctoral fellowships:

Partner

• Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)
• Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC)
• Canadian Institutes of Health Research’s Institute of Population and Public Health (CIHR-IPPH)

A maximum of 13 applicants will receive funding as part of this call for applications. There will be up to:

• 7 scholarships with SSHRC in all National Housing Strategy priority areas
• 4 scholarships with NSERC - two in all of the Strategy’s priority areas and two with a focus on Indigenous Housing
• 2 scholarships with CIHR-IPPH in all National Housing Strategy priority areas

The maximum amount awarded for a single fellowship annually for up to 2 years is:

• $45,000 for CMHC-SSHRC Housing Research Training Awards Program
• $45,000 for CMHC-NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowships
• $60,000* for CIHR-IPPH Urban Housing and Health Trainee Research Awards Program

*Note: The value of each award is determined by the degree(s) held, licensure (where applicable), location of tenure and experience of the applicant.

For specific eligibility criteria, applicants should refer to the postdoctoral fellowship funding opportunity description of the agency to which they are applying:

• SSHRC postdoctoral fellowship funding opportunity
• NSERC postdoctoral fellowship funding opportunity
• CIHR postdoctoral fellowship funding opportunity

Note: The award must be held in Canada.

The applicant must provide a justification. It must show how the proposed research aligns with the priority areas of the strategy. 

The granting agencies recognize that some research proposals may overlap agency mandates. Further, they recognize that some research may require an interdisciplinary approach. As such, the agencies are collaborating to ensure that areas of research that cross agency boundaries are eligible for support.

Applicants should consult the guidelines of each agency to select the one best suited to consider their application.

For more information on how to apply and details on application deadlines please refer to the relevant scholarship details once they become available:

• SSHRC postdoctoral fellowship application instructions
  (Competition Now Open, Deadline: September 16th, 8pm EST)
• NSERC postdoctoral fellowship application instructions
  (Launching soon)
• CIHR postdoctoral fellowship application instructions
  (Launching soon)

Evaluation Process

• The relevant granting agency will adjudicate and administer a merit review process. Available funds will be awarded to successful candidates.
• CMHC and partners will make funding decisions based on recommendations from the merit review committees and the funds available. Applications will be reviewed according to the criteria and weighting outlined in each agency’s program description.

Candidates must apply through the relevant federal granting agencies' postdoctoral fellowships funding opportunity, based on their area of research.

Reporting requirements:

• Applicants looking for specific requirements should refer the postdoctoral fellowship funding opportunity of the agency to which they are applying.
• Additionally, CMHC may reach out to award recipients to obtain information for promotional purposes. Information requests include:
• research results to date and expected impacts
• publications and knowledge translation
• paragraph summary/quote that could be used in a CMHC newsletter
• picture of Fellow with research partners (if applicable)

Specific Requirements

Fellows may participate in standard knowledge translation activities. This includes presenting research findings to targeted audiences and producing lay summaries for dissemination. Fellows may be expected to attend the National Housing Conference to share research project results with other Fellows and stakeholders. Associated costs (travel and hospitality) will be covered by CMHC.

• Historical housing research held in CMHC’s Housing Knowledge Centre
• Glossary
• Information from the 2016 Let’s Talk Housing Consultations helped identify important housing challenges where research could provide answers. Detailed analysis on these consultations are in What We Heard: Shaping Canada’s National Housing Strategy.

Refer to the agency you are applying to for questions on applications, merit review process or guidelines:

• SSHRC postdoctoral fellowship funding opportunity
• NSERC postdoctoral fellowship funding opportunity
• CIHR postdoctoral fellowship funding opportunity

General inquiries about the strategy or technical support

• Phone: 1-800-668-2642 - Business hours 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. ET
• Email: Innovation-Research@cmhc.ca