The Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences (), also known as the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences, is a member-based organization and the national voice for researchers in the humanities and social sciences in Canada. Formed in 1996 through a merger of the Social Science Federation of Canada and the Canadian Federation for the Humanities, it is a non-profit charitable organization that represents more than 85,000 researchers in 81 scholarly associations, 80 universities and colleges, and 6 affiliates across the country. Purpose Through its activities, the federation strives to support and advance Canada's research in the humanities and social sciences, which are important for social, cultural and economic understanding and addressing the most pressing public policy issues of today. Research in the humanities and social sciences allows innovation in all areas to flourish. A better understanding of social, cultural and political issues ensures more effective technological innovation, medical discovery and economic growth. The federation: represents and convenes one of the biggest research communities in Canada; hosts the biggest multidisciplinary gathering of scholars in North America; supports the publication of 150 scholarly books per year; awards scholarly book prizes each year; runs a series of lectures on Parliament Hill to bring humanities and social science research to policy makers; addresses professional matters, including equity issues; undertakes research projects to help advance Canada's humanities and social science fields. The federation is a non-profit, charitable organization, governed by an executive committee and board of directors made up of scholars from its member groups with a permanent secretariat based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The federation's work is sustained by membership fees, revenue from its annual Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences, project funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and other government bodies, and through the support of colleagues, institutional donors and other individuals through the Canadian Endowment for the Humanities and Social Sciences. Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences Originally established in 1930 as the Learned Societies Conference, and later renamed the Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences in 1996, this congress is the largest annual academic gathering in Canada and its multidisciplinary character marks it as unique in the world. Since its beginning, it has been an important meeting place for new and established academics and researchers working in such diverse areas as anthropology, bibliotherapy, communication and disability studies, English language and literature,