SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellowship 2020-2021

[DrMyEyes]

On 2/29/2020 at 1:59 PM, Anthrogal said:

Good luck everyone. I think I am automatically out of luck. I realized (literally yesterday when the letters went out) that I had never submitted my final report for my doctoral award which I believe automatically disqualifies me. I was so worried about defence, revisions, and submitting postdoc and employment applications that I totally forgot about it. You have 6 months, but my 6 months were up at the end of November. I'm feeling pretty devastated that I am going to lose out based on my own ineptitude rather than the quality of my application (although I may very well have been unsuccessful anyway). I hope letters come quickly for you all and that you have great success.

OK ... first off, your university admin - the folks who manage your scholarship and who are responsible for administering your funds are required to send you those scholarship report requests and nag you to get those in - and in fact, at my university you actually can't proceed with defense arrangements until all ancilary papaerwork is completed (including any outstanding scholarship reporting that they manage). I'm not sure how you got all the way to the defense process without them checking in on this stuff - sounds like they dropped the ball. They're pretty officious about at most universities - because, for one thing, THEY are out a lot of big time funding if they're not doing THEIR job to 'manage' grad students who don't have the same practices in place for 'reporting' as tenured faculty receiving big time grants. When SSHRC talks about reporting they're talking about actual grants - not scholarships. From what I gather from my colleagues who have been on SSHRC evaluation committees, stuff like scholarship reporting isn't less of an issue than: not especially enthusiastic letters of support, poor track record of publication, feasibility of the research and strong supporting rationale - and then there's the issue of SSHRC's own funding 'priority areas' which are of course always useful to peek at before proposing a project. Don't let the SSHRC-holes get you down - it's a terrible process that does all sorts of symbolic violence because they don't bother letting anybody know why they didn't win the pony ... keep your head up!

 

 

[Anthrogal]

28 minutes ago, DrMyEyes said:

OK ... first off, your university admin - the folks who manage your scholarship and who are responsible for administering your funds are required to send you those scholarship report requests and nag you to get those in - and in fact, at my university you actually can't proceed with defense arrangements until all ancilary papaerwork is completed (including any outstanding scholarship reporting that they manage). I'm not sure how you got all the way to the defense process without them checking in on this stuff - sounds like they dropped the ball. They're pretty officious about at most universities - because, for one thing, THEY are out a lot of big time funding if they're not doing THEIR job to 'manage' grad students who don't have the same practices in place for 'reporting' as tenured faculty receiving big time grants. When SSHRC talks about reporting they're talking about actual grants - not scholarships. From what I gather from my colleagues who have been on SSHRC evaluation committees, stuff like scholarship reporting isn't less of an issue than: not especially enthusiastic letters of support, poor track record of publication, feasibility of the research and strong supporting rationale - and then there's the issue of SSHRC's own funding 'priority areas' which are of course always useful to peek at before proposing a project. Don't let the SSHRC-holes get you down - it's a terrible process that does all sorts of symbolic violence because they don't bother letting anybody know why they didn't win the pony ... keep your head up!

 

 

Thanks. I did get emails and completed all annual reporting. It was the final achievement report I did not get in before the deadline because I did not realize it was outstanding. I didn’t receive any reminders about it from the U or SSHRC. I’ll stay hopeful for a day or two until I receive my letter. Thanks again! ?

[DrMyEyes]

2 minutes ago, Anthrogal said:

Thanks. I did get emails and completed all annual reporting. It was the final achievement report I did not get in before the deadline because I did not realize it was outstanding. I didn’t receive any reminders about it from the U or SSHRC. I’ll stay hopeful for a day or two until I receive my letter. Thanks again! ?

Stay hopeful - and remember all the work you put into this you can use for something else - paper, panel presentations, maybe even another grant you could put in with your tenured mentors/colleagues!

[Tortuga22]

Can I ask you all what you see when you log into your online sshrc platform? Those of you who got it vs didn’t get it? I’m away all week so I’m trying to see if I can get any clues about the outcome... 

[Jaime Brenes Reyes]

2 hours ago, FSBM said:

It seems like someone in Ottawa received the letter today.

 

Haha, you beat me! I was going to post the same. Buena suerte a todos y todas!

[PeaDev]

5 hours ago, RachelWilson said:

I’m out of the country for all of March (which I knew was a possibility) but my partner is unexpectedly also gone for two weeks starting today. We don’t have anyone checking out mail because there’s a basket inside the door slot to catch it.

Does anybody know *any* way I can get the result from SSHRC by phone or email, rather than have to wait for two weeks and have my partner open it for me?

You could try reaching out to the scholarship office at the institution you applied to. That worked for the PhD level

[Chris_2020]

Someone also got their letter in Montreal. 

Edited March 3, 2020 by Chris_2020

[PeaDev]

And Toronto

[vs13]

My friend in Toronto just checked and their letter arrived. I send everything to my parents’ place in Windsor-area since I’ve moved a bunch so I’m waiting until they check for me. Will update. But - it’s probably safe to say that each will receive a response in the next 1-2 days. 

Edited March 3, 2020 by vs13

[Pfl]

I live just outside of Toronto and have not received the letter yet...

[vs13]

Hopefully tomorrow!

[vs13]

3 hours ago, vs13 said:

My friend in Toronto just checked and their letter arrived. I send everything to my parents’ place in Windsor-area since I’ve moved a bunch so I’m waiting until they check for me. Will update. But - it’s probably safe to say that each will receive a response in the next 1-2 days. 

Nothing arrived in Windsor yet.

[PeaDev]

My application was considered under committee 5, there were 93 applications 20 of which received offers, with the cut off being 3.89. 

I was ranked 35th overall with 3.4's across the board which is pretty useless information since there's no clear area to improve. Heartbroken

[Anthrogal]

12 minutes ago, PeaDev said:

My application was considered under committee 5, there were 93 applications 20 of which received offers, with the cut off being 3.89. 

I was ranked 35th overall with 3.4's across the board which is pretty useless information since there's no clear area to improve. Heartbroken

I'm so sorry the news wasn't what you hoped. Ranked 35/94 is still pretty awesome and these awards appear to be somewhat arbitrary. I know for my SSHRC doctorate award I did not win the first time around but did the second time, with very little change to my application. Again, I'm so sorry to hear your news. Take good care of yourself today.

[FSBM]

33 minutes ago, PeaDev said:

My application was considered under committee 5, there were 93 applications 20 of which received offers, with the cut off being 3.89. 

I was ranked 35th overall with 3.4's across the board which is pretty useless information since there's no clear area to improve. Heartbroken

I'm so sorry. It is hard to get over the news, but your rank shows you really have something. Don't let this to push you back; there are many opportunities yet to come. 

[Gradschoolguy]

Hey everyone. How do people know what committee they were reviewed by? It seems like some people knew a while ago what committee had their application, but I have never seen any of this info. Thanks!

[FSBM]

You must have selected one in the submission system. You can see the list here https://www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca/funding-financement/apply-demande/background-renseignements/postdoctoral_committees-comites_postdoctoral-eng.aspx

Depending on the numbers of applications, they may have two sections of a committee such as 4A and 4B. 

 

[Gradschoolguy]

3 minutes ago, FSBM said:

You must have selected one in the submission system. You can see the list here https://www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca/funding-financement/apply-demande/background-renseignements/postdoctoral_committees-comites_postdoctoral-eng.aspx

Depending on the numbers of applications, they may have two sections of a committee such as 4A and 4B. 

 

Right. I totally forgot about that. SSHRC is so confusing and complicated that I just assumed I did something wrong or forgot to submit something. Thanks!

[lethalpear]

I'm in BC still waiting for mine.

I would encourage NO one to find your worth in the ranking #s, whether high or low. My supervisor, who has been through the process and seen many students go through over the last two decades, said straight up that it is a total crapshoot. The difference between a 3.9 and a 4.0 is marginal, not to mention that all of these figures are totally subjective depending on who is looking at it. Folks, you're all capable and worthy. Don't hang your hat on your score or whether or not you get this (easier said than done, I know).

Edited March 4, 2020 by lethalpear

[Gradschoolguy]

2 minutes ago, lethalpear said:

I'm in BC still waiting for mine.

I would encourage NO one to find your worth in the ranking #s, whether high or low. My supervisor, who has been through the process and seen many students go through over the last two decades, said straight up that it is a total crapshoot. The difference between a 3.9 and a 4.0 is marginal, not to mention that all of these figures are totally subjective depending on who is looking at it. Folks, you're all capable and worthy. Don't hang your hat on your score or whether or not you get this (easier said than done, I know).

Here here! Well said.

[Tortuga22]

Has anyone in Alberta received their letter yet?

[FSBM]

2 minutes ago, Tortuga22 said:

Has anyone in Alberta received their letter yet?

 

I'm in Edmonton. I'll go and check my post at noon. I'll post an update then. 

Edited March 4, 2020 by FSBM

[DrMyEyes]

2 hours ago, lethalpear said:

I'm in BC still waiting for mine.

I would encourage NO one to find your worth in the ranking #s, whether high or low. My supervisor, who has been through the process and seen many students go through over the last two decades, said straight up that it is a total crapshoot. The difference between a 3.9 and a 4.0 is marginal, not to mention that all of these figures are totally subjective depending on who is looking at it. Folks, you're all capable and worthy. Don't hang your hat on your score or whether or not you get this (easier said than done, I know).

Amen. It's a glorified game of bullshit bingo. A lottery - and a deeply biased one (not that anything isn't biased but this really and truly is - very political).

[Anthrogal]

I was unsuccessful (but at least I was not disqualified). Score of 3.4, ranked 54/110 (ouch). Time to go drown my sorrows in a glass of whiskey. Wishing everyone else a successful outcome. 

 

[PeaDev]

Solidarity sister ❤️ we'll get 'em next year.