The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC; , CRSH) is a Canadian federal research-funding agency that promotes and supports post-secondary research and training in the humanities and social sciences. It is one of three major federal granting agencies (the others being the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and Canadian Institutes for Health Research) that together are referred to as the "Tri-Council" or "Tri-Agency. History Created by an act of the Parliament of Canada in 1977, SSHRC reports to Parliament through the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Economic Development. SSHRC came into existence on 1 May 1978 under the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Act which was passed in an omnibus manner by the government of Pierre Elliot Trudeau. Governance SSHRC creates policy, plans budgets, and directs priorities through a council established by the federal government. The appointed members are a mix of academics and representatives from the industry. They have the role of advising the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development on research policy in the areas of research and scholarship in the social sciences and humanities, with the goal of representing the interests of academic, public and private sectors. Council committees create and oversee SSHRC's programs, determine the distribution of funds and handles the strategies for enacting the councils policies. President Past presidents include André Fortier (1977–?), William E. Taylor (also, William Ewart Taylor Jr), Paule Leduc (June 1988 to March 1994), Lynn Penrod (1994–1997), Marc Renaud (1997–2005), and Chad Gaffield (2006–2014). Ted Hewitt was appointed president of SSHRC in March 2015, and continues to serve as President. Programs SSHRC funding opportunities are available through three programs: Talent, Insight and Connection. Talent program The Talent program is to support students and postdoctoral candidates to become researchers and leaders across society, both within academia and across the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. The program promotes research skills and assists in the training of highly qualified personnel in the social sciences and humanities. In this way, SSHRC fosters the development of talented and creative people who will become leaders across campuses and communities. Insight program The Insight program is to build knowledge and understanding about people, societies and the world by supporting research excellence in all subject areas eligible for funding from SSHRC. Research and training in the social sciences and humanities provide the foundation for a vibrant, healthy and prosperous society. They build knowledge