Application procedure to Statistics Canada datasets

As soon as the project has been submitted, researchers are invited to complete the security clearance formalities. To do so, they have to contact Isabelle Cadieux or one of the Statistics Canada analysts working at the QICSS.

To access detailed microdata from Statistics Canada surveys, individuals must hold one of the following positions:

A - For Researchers:

Researcher affiliated with a postsecondary institution in Canada
Researcher not affiliated with a Canadian postsecondary institution, but part of a research team whose principal researcher is affiliated with a postsecondary institution in Canada
Researcher in a Quebec non-governmental organization (NGO)
Researcher at a postsecondary institution outside Canada on the condition that the QICSS accepts to welcome the
project

B - For Students:

Ph.D. or Masters student registered at a Canadian postsecondary institution (on the condition that their director is formally affiliated as principal researcher or co-researcher on the project)
Final year undergraduate student registered at a Canadian postsecondary institution (on the condition that a professor from the institution is the project's principal researcher - final year undergraduate students registered at a Canadian post-secondary institution have to be associated as co-researcher to a team where the main applicant (a teacher from the same institution) must submit a request for the team, see the procedure for researchers
Ph.D. or Masters student at a postsecondary institution outside Canada (on the condition that the QICSS accept to welcome the project)

C - Employees of a Quebec ministry working on social policies

The time required to review proposals decreased substantially since the past years. In the cases where the researchers do not have to modified their proposal (table 1), the statistics from April to October 2009 show that most (75%) of the student proposals are reviewed within 10 working days and most (75%) of the non-student proposals are reviewed within 15 working days. The respective median durations are 5.5 and 7 days.

In rare occasions researchers are required to resubmit a modified proposal (7.4% for non-students and 12.5% for students). For the time required to review a proposal once it has been resubmitted in response to comments from the reviewers (table 2), it is noteworthy that proposals that have been amended as a result of the reviewers' comments are reviewed quickly (median durations are 3 days for students and 4.5 for non-students). The time required for researchers to resubmit their proposals are quite consistent for both students and non-students. Both generally require approximately 1 month to revise and to resubmit their proposals.

The following tables describe the distribution of the review times for both students and non-students.

Table 1: Number of days required to review proposals that do not need modifications (April 1, 2009 to September 30, 2009)
	Non-Students (n=82)		Students (n=40)
	Elapsed time	Working days	Elapsed time	Working days
Maximum	54	38	62	44
75th percentile	21	15	14	10
Median	11	7	7.5	5.5
Interquartile range	14	10	8	6
Std. deviation	12.73	9.0	12.13	8.56

Table 2 : Additional number of days required to review proposals that do need modifications (April 1, 2009 to Septembre 30, 2009)
	Non-Students (n=82)		Students (n=40)
	Elapsed time	Working days	Elapsed time	Working days
Maximum	15	11	14	10
75th percentile	11	7	3	3
Median	6.5	4.5	3	3
Interquartile range	10	6	2	2
Std. deviation	5.75	4.03	5.63	3.91

Who should I contact if I need help?

QICSS offers assistance with preparation of proposals; if you need assistance or if you have any specific questions regarding the Research Data Centre Program (e.g., eligibility requirements), please, feel free to contact one of Statistics Canada's analysts on this matter.

If you have problems with SSHRC's online system, contact the helpdesk by telephone at (613) 995-4273 or by e-mail at soutienweb@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca.