The following criteria will be used by the adjudication committees to evaluate social sciences and humanities Automotive Partnerships Canada (APC) grant applications.

Challenge—The aim and importance of the endeavour (30%)

originality, significance, and expected contribution to knowledge and understanding related to maintaining and enhancing the competitiveness of the Canadian automotive sector;
appropriateness of the theoretical approach or framework;
appropriateness of the methodologies or approaches (including for the co-creation of knowledge across sectors);
quality of training and mentoring to be provided to students, emerging scholars and other highly qualified personnel, as well as opportunities for them to contribute; and
likelihood to enhance the competitiveness of the Canadian automotive sector.

Feasibility—The plan to achieve excellence (30%)

feasibility to address issues related to understanding, maintaining and enhancing the competitiveness of the Canadian automotive sector;
strategies and timelines for the design and conduct of the research and/or
related activities;
appropriateness of the requested budget, justification of proposed costs, and indications of other planned resources (time, human and financial), including cash and in-kind support already secured from the host institution and/or from partners;
likelihood of positive impact(s) on the competitiveness of the Canadian automotive sector; and
quality and genuineness of the formal partnership(s) and associated management and governance arrangements and leadership, including evidence of genuine involvement of partners and others in the design and conduct of the research and/or related activities.

Capability—The expertise to succeed (40%)

quality, quantity and significance of past experience and published outputs of
principal team members relative to their role in the partnership, and to the stage of their career;
evidence of contributions through, for example, publications (such as commissioned reports, etc.); professional practice; and contributions to public discourses, public policies, products and services, and the development of talent;
experience with collaboration and formal partnerships; and
potential to make future contributions.

Description of Activity—Maximum 20 pages

You must attach an electronic copy of your Description of Activity to your completed application form (Form 101). Write your description in clear, plain language. Avoid jargon, acronyms and highly technical terms. Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) encourages the use of tables and charts, as they are often the most effective and efficient way to capture the proposed structure and co-ordination of formal partnerships and activities. Within your description, provide the following information:

clearly justify your proposal and its originality with respect to the stated APC objectives (i.e., issues related to understanding, maintaining and enhancing the competitiveness of the Canadian automotive sector);
clearly state the overall goal and specific objectives that the proposed research partnership will set out for itself;
address the program evaluation criteria listed under Evaluation Criteria and Weightings above;
demonstrate the relevance and significance of the proposed partnership's objectives for all of the partners that will be involved, especially for private sector partners in the automotive industry;
describe the research activity;
demonstrate the appropriateness of the chosen theoretical and methodological approaches to meet the stated objectives;
describe the roles of your team members and partners; and
describe, in general, the expected involvement of students, new scholars, emerging scholars and/or other highly qualified personnel.

Budget Justification—Maximum 5 pages

You must attach to your completed application form (Form 101) a budget justification for the funds requested from SSHRC. The figures provided need to be fair market value estimates of the amounts you anticipate needing to compete the project. All proposed expenses must conform to the Tri-Agency Financial Administration Guide. Please consult this guide for detailed information on eligible and ineligible expenses.

For each budget year, estimate, as accurately as possible, the research costs you are requesting SSHRC fund through the APC grant. All budget costs must conform to the rates and regulations of the applicant's institution and must be fully justified in terms of the needs of the project, including costs for organizing and integrating team activities and for communicating results to audiences, stakeholders and the general public.

Note that researchers affiliated with foreign postsecondary institutions can be named as co-applicants and thereby receive access to all eligible research expenditures.

Description of Partnership—Maximum 5 pages

List the host institution/organization and all partners (e.g., private sector corporations; industrial associations or consortia; labour unions; non-governmental organizations; key government departments; or others, as appropriate) that are participating.

Describe the expertise and knowledge that each partner institution/organization will bring to the research partnership. Justify partner participation in the project. Within your description, provide the following information:

describe the involvement of your host institution in supporting the partnership (e.g., infrastructure, cash and/or in-kind support, services, training, etc.);
describe, in general, the involvement of partners in the leadership of the partnership, and how they will benefit from their participation in the partnership;
describe in detail the management, governance arrangements and/or intellectual leadership structure, including the involvement of partners and others in the design and conduct of the research and related activities; and
describe the significance of past experience and published outputs of team members to justify their role in the partnership.