About the CRDCN

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The Canadian Research Data Centre Network (CRDCN) is a partnership between a consortium of Canadian universities and Statistics Canada, through its Research Data Centre Program, to provide university, government and other approved researchers ready access to a vast array of social, economic and health confidential microdata in secure computer facilities located on university campuses across the country.

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Background and mission

In the early 1990s, Statistics Canada launched a series of longitudinal surveys to gather the information needed to understand and manage the challenges Canadian society faced as it moved into a new millennium. In 2000, nine Research Data Centres (RDCs) were set up across the country to ensure that these data could be more easily analysed by the larger research community without compromising the confidential nature of the information. From this original core, the Network rapidly grew over the following decade and transformed quantitative social science research in Canada, contributing to positioning Canada as an international leader in the field.

The CRDCN is now recognized and funded as one of Canada's major science initiatives. Headquartered at McMaster University since 2010, it comprises 32 Centres and Branches, and provides researchers with unique access to Statistics Canada census and surveys, as well as to an increasing number of administrative data files. The Network operates through a formal agreement with Statistics Canada under the terms of the federalStatistics Act.

The Network's mission is to build on its success as a data platform by providing Canada's talented researchers access to the best available information in order to address vital research questions and allied priority public policy issues. The CRDCN strategic plan has four goals:

Provide data access and services that enable Canada's social science and health researchers to conduct advanced statistical research of the highest standard
Promote the career development of the next generation of HQP for positions in the academy, government and the private sector
Maximize the relevance and application of research results for informing Canadian and international public policy
Adopt and implement best practices in network governance and management

Core funding comes from a SSHRC/CIHR directed grant and from a CFI Major Science Initiatives Award. Substantial cash and in-kind support is also provided by the host universities and Statistics Canada. In 2017, the Network has secured funding from the CFI Innovation Fund award to create a national high performance computing platform to meet the growing data processing and storage needs of its researchers.

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CRDCN Strategic Plan

In 2018, the central staff embarked on an ambitious National Engagement Strategy to consult our partners and researchers on their vision for the national network. The result of this cross-country tour combined with input from our Board of Directors was a new strategic plan for 2019-2024. The plan focuses on our growth as a physical, community, and institutional network and expands on the vision of CRDCN as Canada's national platform for leading edge research and training in the quantitative social and population health sciences to provide social, economic, health and environmental benefits for Canadians.

Download the strategic plan.

Social Statistics Matter: A History of the Canadian RDC Network

The CRDCN turned 15 in 2015, and this book tells the story of this quantum leap forward in quantitative social science research capability in Canada, paying tribute to the men and women who made it happen. You can read it online or order your own copy.

Research Data Centres (RDCs)

An RDC is a university-based laboratory, staffed by a Statistics Canada Analyst, which offers researchers:

Secure access to confidential micro-data - Statistics Canada census and surveys, plus a growing range of administrative data
What they need to analyse the data - fully-equipped workstations, statistical software and technical support

How to open an RDC

Universities wishing to establish an RDC on site can find out how to do so in the documents below. Except in exceptional circumstances, new research data access facilities will begin as Branch RDCs, attached to an existing RDC, and remain as such until the level of activity warrants consideration as a full Centre.

Steps to Establising an RDC (August 2014)

Partners and sponsors

Data Providers

Statistics Canada
Department of Justice Canada
Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-term Care
Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services (MCSS)
Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC)
Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI)
Data Documentation Initiative (DDI)
International RDCs

Service Providers

Canadian Network for the Advancement of Research Industry and Education (CANARIE)
Optical Regional Advanced Networks (ORANs)
Data Liberation Initiative (DLI)
Canadian Association of Research Libraries (CARL)