Carleton Researchers Secure $7.5 Million in SSHRC Partnership Grants
Three Carleton University-led research initiatives have been awarded Partnership Grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), bringing $7.5 million in federal funding to support collaborative research on cybersecurity, democratic governance and international trade.
The funding marks a record year for Carleton, with the university leading three of the 17 SSHRC Partnership Grants awarded nationally in 2026 — the highest number of grants it has ever received in a single competition.
Together, the projects will connect researchers, policymakers, industry leaders and community organizations across Canada and around the world to address complex societal challenges. The projects will also create new opportunities for student training, knowledge mobilization and public engagement.
SSHRC Partnership Grants support large-scale collaborations between post-secondary institutions and partner organizations to advance research, research training and knowledge mobilization in the social sciences and humanities.
Building Canada’s Cybersecurity Workforce
Carleton researchers Alex Wilner and Leah West will lead the Canadian Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence (3CE), a national network designed to strengthen Canada’s cybersecurity capacity through interdisciplinary education, research and training.
Based at Carleton’s Norman Paterson School of International Affairs (NPSIA), 3CE brings together researchers from four Canadian universities and partners from government, industry and the non-profit sector. The initiative will help train more than 160 graduate students and postdoctoral researchers while providing professional development and experiential learning opportunities across the cybersecurity ecosystem.
The network will focus on six key areas including emerging technologies, critical infrastructure protection, national security, foreign interference, research security, democracy, privacy and human rights. Through applied research projects, cybersecurity exercises, training institutes and knowledge-sharing initiatives, 3CE aims to prepare the next generation of cybersecurity professionals to respond to increasingly complex digital threats.
A key objective of the initiative is to broaden participation in cybersecurity and strengthen communication and collaboration across disciplines, sectors and communities.
Advancing Research on Civil-Military Relations and Democracy
NPSIA researcher Stephen Saideman will lead the Civil-Military Relations Network (CMRN), an international partnership focused on advancing understanding of the relationship between democratic governments and their armed forces.
As democracies around the world face growing political polarization, security challenges and concerns about democratic resilience, the network will bring together scholars, policymakers, military institutions, think tanks and civil society organizations to examine how civilian oversight and military institutions can effectively support democratic governance.
The partnership will explore topics such as institutional and legal frameworks, military personnel, public trust, politicization and democratic erosion. Through collaborative research, professional development programs, internships, exchanges and public engagement initiatives, CMRN will help train a new generation of civil-military experts while deepening public awareness of this vital relationship.
The network also places a strong emphasis on equity, diversity and inclusion, while fostering international collaboration aimed at strengthening democratic institutions in Canada and abroad.
Examining the Future of Trade Governance
Achim Hurrelmann, a researcher in the Department of Political Science and the Institute of European, Russian and Eurasian Studies will lead the Research Network on Trade Politics in North America and Europe (TRADEPOL), an international partnership examining how growing political debates around trade are reshaping governance and decision-making.
As governments increasingly use trade policy to address issues ranging from economic security to sustainability and geopolitical competition, TRADEPOL will examine how businesses, labour organizations, governments and civil society actors navigate a rapidly changing trade environment.
The network will study evolving trade politics across North America and Europe, focusing on changing policy actors, emerging trade agendas and shifting patterns of international cooperation and conflict. A key outcome of the project will be the creation of a new open-access Trade Politics Database, providing researchers and policymakers with a unique resource to analyze trade-related discourse and governance trends over the past two decades.
By connecting universities, government institutions, business associations, trade unions and think tanks, TRADEPOL will generate research and policy insights that support more equitable, inclusive and accountable approaches to trade governance.
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