Memorial students looking for a challenge are encouraged to enter a unique contest celebrating research communications.

The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) has launched its ninth annual Storytellers challenge.

The goal is to show Canadians how social sciences and humanities research affects our lives and our world for the better.

Submissions welcome

The challenge is open to all students — graduate and undergraduate — enrolled at a Canadian postsecondary institution.

Here is how the challenge works: students must tell a compelling story, in up to three minutes or 300 words, of a SSHRC-funded research project — their own or a professor’s.

A jury will select the top 25 finalists, who will receive a $3,000 cash prize and specialized training in research communications with their fellow finalists from across the country.

A second jury will select the final five winners to receive an additional $1,000 and be recognized at the 2022 virtual Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences. As an incentive, an additional $1,000 will be awarded to the Engagement prize winner: The finalist who most creatively and consistently promotes their submission, the submissions of other finalists, and the contest generally.

Learn more

Those interested in learning more about the challenge can follow SSHRC on Twitter, the #SSHRCStorytellers and visit its website.

Students can also check out the Storytellers gallery to see the top submissions from 2013 to 2020. They can also connect with SSHRC via e-mail at storytellers@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca.

The challenge closes on Jan. 24, 2022.