November 1, 2018
Q: How can I submit my application?
A: Thank you for your interest in participating in the Research Initiative, Education + Skills (RIES). The guidelines for the proposal can be found here.
Q: What is the deadline for the Call for Proposal?
A: The deadline for the proposal is November 9th 4:00 PM EST.
Q: Are codebooks for the data available?
A: Yes. The documentation that is available publicly can be accessed at: https://mowatcentre.munkschool.utoronto.ca/research-initiative-education-skills/ under “Survey Documentation”.
Q: Can I apply with one or more collaborators?
A: Yes. Please note that the honorarium is paid to the project, and not to individual researchers. Distribution of the honorarium is up to the discretion of the principal applicant of the project.
Q: What is the process around honorarium allotment?
A: Honoraria will be paid to projects selected for the RIES. Each Honorarium will be paid upon receipt of the final, approved research report. Each project will receive one honorarium, to be paid to the principal applicant, who will decide how the honorarium is split amongst collaborators on the project.
Q: If I am not successful in this round, can I apply for future waves of call for proposals?
A: Yes.
Q: Do RIES analysts have to conduct the data analysis for my project?
A: If the applicant already has received security clearance to access Statistics Canada’s Research Data Centre, they may choose to conduct research themselves as part of RIES. Researchers who do not have clearance to access the Research Data Centre will be required to use the services of the RIES analyst. In either case it is expected that investigators coordinate with their assigned data analyst throughout the life of the project.
Q: A RIES analyst is carrying out the analysis for my project. How can I track research progress in the Research Data Centre?
A: Statistics Canada has very firm guidelines around data access and dissemination. One requirement is that the details of analyses cannot be shared with anyone who is not listed on the project. This will mean that successful applicants will need to be added to projects once their application is approved. In the event Statistics Canada’s security clearance procedure is backlogged, or is taking an unexpected time to complete, researchers will have access to data output once the output has been vetted by an RDC analyst. Project investigators will have open access to their assigned data analyst to receive project and timeline updates during the life of the project.
Q: Does the project need to be quantitative? Do I have to use PIAAC/LISA data to carry out this project?
A: Yes, the project needs to have a foundation in quantitative research using either (or both) of the PIAAC/LISA surveys.
Q: What information is available in the 2016 LISA wave (Wave 3)?
A: Unfortunately, the third wave of LISA data is not yet available to researchers in the Research Data Centres, so we do not have much information on the specifics of this wave. However, we know that the wave has a number of themes relating to postsecondary education history, RESP use, and work-integrated learning.
Q: Is there a specified geographical scope required for this project?
A: No. Though applicants should be mindful of possible sample sizes to ensure requested analyses pass Statistics Canada’s disclosure requirements.
Q: What kind of human capital information is contained in the LISA, and do the surveys contain information on lifelong learning and firm-sponsored training?
A: The LISA files contain several ways to capture human capital investment through measures of educational attainment, field of study, cognitive and non-cognitive skills, and a number of variables related to formal, non-formal, and informal training. There are both self-assessed, and objective measures of skills, as well as self-response on participation in workshops, tutorials, and seminars; computer-assisted or online training; and self-study.
Q: What information in the files is available on the transition of international students? Does the data contain information on postsecondary education?
A: While the LISA is connected to the Immigration Database administrative file, the IMDB file that we have access to does not provide information regarding temporary resident information. This temporary resident information is used to keep track of respondents’ statuses (e.g. temporary worker, student visa, or refugee claimant) prior to becoming a permanent resident in Canada. Without this information, we are unable to identify international students who came to Canada before becoming permanent residents.
Q: Does either the LISA or the PIAAC offer an ability to longitudinally track education, training, employment, and earnings? What about for groups like persons with disabilities? And what about nuances like measuring at census metropolitan areas (CMAs) levels?
A: Both LISA and PIAAC have capabilities to tap into education, training, employment, and earnings. The surveys also capture a variety of respondents’ backgrounds and include disability status measures. The surveys also have some capabilities to analyze data at CMA levels. However, cell size limitations may arise if analyses become too nuanced. Studying groups with low proportions of respondents at CMA levels may produce samples that are too small to pass Statistics Canada’s disclosure requirements.
