How to apply

NB: Refreshed guidelines have now been posted. The changes contained therein pertain to digital publications and publishers eligible to work with the Program. Formerly, digital publications had to be exclusively in open access in order to receive ASPP funding; that is no longer the case. As well, non-Canadian publishers are no longer eligible to work with the ASPP.

 

Eligibility | History | FAQ | For Reviewers | How to Apply

We encourage all prospective applicants to read the detailed submission guidelines contained within the Guidelines, Eligibility Criteria and Procedure document before engaging in the submission process. The document addresses important topics such as eligibility of works, requirements for publishers, and the peer-review process.

First time authors

While all authors are free to submit their works directly to the Program, many scholars find that talking with a publisher before coming to the Program is very helpful. First-time authors in particular may find it beneficial to approach publishers before engaging in the Program submission process. Works that are declined funding by the Program may not be resubmitted to the Program in their current or a revised form; working with a publisher can help ensure that a work is polished and ready for submission to the Program's Publications Committee. An experienced academic publisher will work with you to help ensure that your application and manuscript meet the scholarly standards of the Program and that your application for Program funding is as competitive as it can be.

Is this Program for you?

Most Aid to Scholarly Publications Program-supported authors are career academics wishing to publish a manuscript through one of many eligible Canadian scholarly publishers.

Your title may be appropriate for Program submission if it is an academic work that contributes significantly to the advancement of scholarship in your discipline. Your manuscript should be book-length (at least 100 typescript pages in length). You should be prepared to undergo a rigorous peer-review process that may take several months. You should be willing and prepared to revise your manuscript based on your readers' reports and the recommendations of the Publications Committee, if necessary.

Ineligible publications and works

The Program does not support the publication of textbooks, technical reports, original works of poetry, fiction and drama, scholarly journals and articles, and conference proceedings. If your manuscript is a "trade" or popular publication (self-help book, volume of personal reflections, etc.), it is not eligible for funding under the Aid to Scholarly Publications Program.

For additional details, please read about the submission process and review the Guidelines, Eligibility Criteria and Procedure document.

Submission Process

The Program's submission and evaluation process involves considerable due diligence and may take several months from receipt of the manuscript, depending on whether you have submitted it to the Program directly (requiring the Program to secure reviews of the work), or have had it submitted on your behalf by a qualified publisher.

The manuscript's and author's eligibility is first determined by Program staff or Publications Committee. If the application is deemed eligible, a peer-review process, consisting of the securing of readers' reports and authors' replies, is undertaken. In some cases, reviews will be secured by the Program; in other cases, reviews will be submitted by the work's publisher.

Upon conclusion of the peer-review process, the manuscripts submitted to the Program proceed to compete for the Program's funds. Members of the Publications Committee - composed of scholars representing all of the disciplines in the humanities and social sciences in which the Program accepts submissions - examine the readers' reports, the author's reply, and manuscript excerpts, and decide on one of five courses of action:

  • Decline to fund
  • Invite resubmission after appropriate revision
  • Approve (support is prioritized for this manuscript)
  • Adjudicate (support is provided only if funds allow)
  • Defer decision until additional reports have been obtained

Once a manuscript is approved, the publisher may publish the title. To obtain the $8,000 grant, the publisher must submit a financial form provided by the Program along with two copies of the published volume bearing the mandatory acknowledgement of Aid to Scholarly Publication Program support.

Complete details of the submission process can be found in the Eligibility Criteria and Procedure document.

The Aid to Scholarly Publications Program process is represented in graphical format below.

Forms

The Program registration form is available in PDF and MS-Word formats. Before beginning your submission, it is imperative that you first read the Program eligibility and procedure guidelines, also posted below.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact the Program Secretariat.

Telephone:

613-238-6112 x350

Fax:
613-238-6114

Email: