Graduate students, post-doctoral researchers and recent graduates conducting (or having conducted) research at the QICSS are invited to submit a proposal for the 11th edition of the New Scholars Conference that will be held on March 30 at UQAM. This year's theme is « Making Sense of Data: Multidisciplinary Perspectives in Social Statistics », and the deadline to submit proposal is February 16. All details available here.

Vital statistics (birth and death databases) for the year 2014 are now available in the RDCs. These administrative surveys collect demographic and medical information for the cause of death and on all live births annually from all provincial and territorial vital statistics registries.

To support the evaluations of current labour market programming, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) is requesting proposals for Programs of research/evaluation using the Medium Term Indicator (MTI) Performance Indicators database. The Programs will contribute to better understanding Canada’s labour market programs and/or Canada’s labour market dynamics. They will be undertaken collaboratively and will engage both academic and ESDC evaluators/researchers so that policy-relevant researchable questions that need empirical answers are formulated and addressed while taking into account the challenging features of the available data and applying the most appropriate econometric and statistical methods. An information session will be held on January 24 to provide researchers with sufficient information on the potential of the MTI Performance Indicators database before drafting and submitting their proposals which must be submitted by March 29. ESDC plans to fund two programs, each not exceeding $125,000 overall. All details are provided in the RFP.

On December 13, the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, welcomed Royal Assent of a bill that reinforces Statistics Canada’s independence through legislative amendments to the Statistics Act. Among other targeted amendments, the new Act enables the appointment of the Chief Statistician by the Governor in Council to a renewable term of not more than five years — the Chief Statistician may only be removed for cause — and creates the Canadian Statistics Advisory Council to advise the Minister and Chief Statistician on the overall quality of the national statistics system and publish an annual report. Read the news release.