Tri-Agency Cohort Program
Description & Scope
- The Tri-Agency Cohort Program is designed to provide support as you develop a strong and competitive external funding application
- Through a blend of interactive workshops, guided proposal development, and constructive peer and expert feedback, we aim to create an encouraging environment
Programs Supported Include:
- NSERC Discovery Grant
- SSHRC Insight Grant & Insight Development Grant
- CIHR Project Grant
- SHRF Establishment Grants
- SHRF Solutions Program (Impact and Innovation Grants)
Our goal is to offer a collaborative, encouraging, and practical environment where you can refine your ideas and build a strong, compelling application.
Program Components
Participants in the Cohort Program will benefit from:
Guided Learning & Expert Insight
Our remote workshop sessions are designed to demystify what makes a strong Tri-Agency application. You’ll gain clear, actionable guidance and hear directly from senior scholars who can share proven strategies for success.
Ongoing, Personalized Support
Throughout the program, you’ll work closely with your Research Facilitator, who will help you shape your proposal, respond to feedback, and stay on track.
Development in Stages
Your proposal will evolve step-by-step, with opportunities to incorporate peer and facilitator feedback along the way. This staged approach helps you build a polished, high-quality application at a manageable pace.
Optional External Review
When possible, we can arrange for external peer reviewers to provide an additional layer of insight and advice.
Please note: There are no funds attached to Cohort participation itself. If you need seed funding for your project, we encourage you to explore the President’s Seed Grant (for health, science, and engineering) or the SSHRC Explore/Exchange Grants.
Please note: There are no funds attached to Cohort participation itself. If you need seed funding for your project, we encourage you to explore the President’s Seed Grant (for health, science, and engineering) or the SSHRC Explore/Exchange Grants.
Eligibility
This program is open to University of Regina academic faculty in permanent, term, probationary, and adjunct appointments at the University and federated colleges that meet funder eligibility requirements.
Application Process
We’ve made it easy to join:We aim to make this process welcoming, efficient, and tailored to your needs.
- Once we receive your EOI, a Research Facilitator will reach out to discuss your goals and how the Cohort Program can best support you
Contact Information
If you have questions or would like help deciding whether the program is right for you, we’re here to support you:Please contact the applicable Health, Science or Social Sciences Research Facilitator
Previous Attendees Testimonials
The Cohort was a savior for me. Barb is super organized and lays out the steps and timelines needed to get a successful application in by the deadline. Advice from peers both within and outside my discipline was invaluable. I'm not sure how many other universities run this type of Cohort, but I consider it one of the gems of this university.
The SSHRC IDG cohort equipped me with the relevant knowledge to prepare a competitive grant application. The facilitators covered topics such as preparing the budget, applying for ethics approval, and writing the research plan. Huge thanks to Barb for coordinating the cohort sessions!
Participating in our University of Regina SSHRC Cohort in support of research for our faculty and graduate students has been immensely gratifying. The Insight and Insight Development Grants workshops organized by Barb Flynn for faculty are extremely valuable in helping both junior and senior faculty fund their research agendas. At the graduate level, as Associate Dean of Graduate and Research in the Faculty of Media, Art, and Performance, I co-organize a Doctoral workshop with the Faculty of Education. I also organize a Master's workshop for MAP students, where we meet over the summer months to listen, advise and help build students' visions for their advanced research. Since 2020, we have had several students succeed at both levels. The SSHRC Cohorts are essential to the continuing success of the University of Regina's research and discovery enterprise. It's a pleasure to participate in mentoring and supporting the next generation of University of Regina faculty and grads.
I have participated in the Tri-Agency Cohort primarily as a presenter but once as an applicant, although as SSHRC Leader I have had follow-up discussions with applicants who have participated in the Cohort over the last number of years. The Cohort is excellent as it provides applicants with very useful and pertinent guidance as they complete their applications. By focusing on the various components of the application, each applicant that participates in the program will be able to submit an application that meets and, indeed, exceeds SSHRC requirements, providing they have been active researchers for some time. The Cohort initiative is great for making a good application better and more likely to be successful. However, the Cohort program cannot be expected to produce success if the applicant has a weak track record, delays completing the application until the last moment, and has a poorly developed research proposal. The Cohort must be seen as only one and perhaps the final step in a researcher’s journey to sustained Tri-Council funding. Barb and others involved in leading the program do a wonderful job with eager researchers but we can’t expect them to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear so to speak, even if they spend a lot of time trying to make something seem better than it actually is