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Application process and guidelines
Application process and guidelines are based on the affiliation of the Principal Investigator and the type of research being conducted at a Research Data Centre.
Based on the descriptions of the type of research project below, researchers may draft a proposal as part of their Research Data Centres (RDCs) Application.
| Type of Research Academic | Description |
|---|---|
| Faculty research (non-student) | A research project conducted by a faculty member or staff of a Canadian post-secondary institution. The research is not funded by a federal, provincial or territorial government department. |
| Masters or doctoral research (students) | A research project conducted by a student of a Canadian post-secondary institution. The project forms an integral part of thesis or dissertation work that is not funded by a federal, provincial or territorial government department. |
| Program of research (academic) | A series of academic projects linked by a common theme; often funded by a large research grant for a program of research |
| Academic course | A course designed to teach graduate level students methodology related to complex survey data analysis. |
| Unaffiliated academic research | These steps are designed for academic projects conducted by a researcher who works for an academic institution that is not a member of the Canadian Research Data Centre Network (CRDCN). |
| Type of Research Government Funded | Description |
|---|---|
| Government funded research - federal | A project based on statistical work involving employees of a federal government agency for the purposes of policy development research. Academic consultants hired on contract are eligible to apply under this mode of access. |
| Government funded research - provincial / territorial | A project based on statistical work involving employees of a provincial or territorial government agency for the purposes of policy development research. Academic consultants hired on contract are eligible to apply under this mode of access. |
| Program of research (government funded) | A series of government policy based projects linked by a common theme; often funded by a large research grant for a program of research or related to a Request for Proposal (RFP). |
The policies and procedures governing the RDC program
The RDCs provide a rich source of Statistics Canada microdata for researchers, under secure conditions that govern all aspects of work from data access to publication of analytical output.
Researchers whose projects are approved will be subject to a security check before being sworn in under the Statistics Act as 'deemed employees.' Deemed employees are subject to all the conditions and penalties of regular Statistics Canada employees, including fines and/or imprisonment for breach of confidentiality. In addition, all results to be physically removed from secure areas will be carefully screened for confidential data, whether as direct listings or as possible residual disclosures.
For more information on these and other Research Data Centre policies, please contact us at MAD-HOOU@statcan.gc.ca to receive the following documents:
- Guide for researchers under agreement with Statistics Canada (PDF). This guide describes the legal obligations, procedures and policies that apply to RDC researchers.
- Orientation session for Research Data Centre Users (PPT). This powerpoint presentation summarizes key elements of the guide for researchers.
Fees for service
Typically there are no fees for service associated with the use of RDCs for those conducting work for academic research purposes, and who are affiliated with an institution that is a member of the Canadian Research Data Centre Network (CRDCN).
However, the CRDCN reserves the right to apply a Fee for Service to any non-member researcher or application initiated by a non-member institution - any institution not included in one of the postsecondary institutions belonging to the consortium of the CRDCN. This would include any government employee or academic researcher conducting research on behalf of a government department. For more information on Fees for Service, please follow the steps outlined in the Government funded research steps and contact the Academic Director of the RDC to discuss the associated fees.
