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Data Champions Pilot Project Call

Data Champions Pilot Project Call is now closed.

The Alliance is pleased to announce its Data Champions Pilot Project Call ($916,000 CAD). This funding call aims to build national research capacity and deliver on the Alliance’s mandate to create a broad and integrated Canadian digital research infrastructure (DRI) ecosystem. Specifically, the call will address the needs of the research community related to Research Data Management (RDM), while promoting an equitable and inclusive DRI environment in Canada. 

Important information:

Data Champions Pilot Project Call

Aim and Scope: The Alliance’s Data Champions Pilot Project aims to promote a shift in data culture within the Canadian DRI ecosystem by promoting sound RDM practices. As part of this Pilot Project, the Alliance will be gathering information to evaluate potential development of a scalable and sustainable Data Champions Program. 

Key Objectives: The role of the Data Champion is to develop activities at the local, regional and/​or national level that advance awareness, understanding, development, and adoption of RDM tools, best practices, and resources in Canada. 

Data Champions applications for funding will describe and expand upon activities they propose to undertake within the following broad categories: 

  • Training/​mentoring
  • Promoting/​advancing RDM 
  • Addressing disciplinary challenges 
  • Driving culture change 
  • Informing future initiatives 

Other Pilot-aligned activities may be considered as well. 

Value and Duration:

The funding envelope ($916,000 CAD) will provide up to $50,000 CAD per applicant to a diverse cohort of researchers who will take on the role of ​‘Data Champions’. The Data Champions Pilot Project provides funds that are to be used exclusively for salary/​stipends and pay-related benefits of the applicant/​team for the project duration (April 2022-March 2023). 

Eligibility

Eligible Lead Organizations include: 

  • A university or post-secondary college or educational institution or a hospital that is situated in Canada and that carries on, or is capable of carrying on, meaningful research. 
  • A non-profit organization that is situated in Canada and that carries on, or is capable of carrying on, meaningful research. 
  • An institution or non-profit organization that is situated in Canada and whose activities support Canada’s DRI ecosystem. 

The Alliance welcomes and encourages submissions from: 

  • small institutions
  • Indigenous research groups. 

Federal Government institutions and agencies (Federal departments, agencies or Crown corporations, including their research facilities), Provincial or Municipal organizations, and non-profits situated in Canada that are a vested stakeholder of Canada’s DRI ecosystem and whose activities depend upon the Alliance are encouraged as Project Collaborators. Collaborations with international partners and private sector organizations within the Project Team are also desirable and encouraged. 

Application Process

Applicants must complete an application form in accordance with the embedded instructions. Applications must be submitted electronically by the Principal Applicant. An Expert Merit Review Committee will review applications. The questions on the application form are available here (for reference only). 

 

Award Recipients 

Applicant: Mark Ansermino 
Team: Dr. J Mark Ansermino supported by Jessica Trawin at the Data CoLaboratory, Centre for International Child Health (CICH) 
Project: Data CoLaboratory (Data CoLab): A Canadian Open Data Access Initiative to Optimize the Re-Use of Clinical Data to Improve Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health 
Institution: University of British Columbia 

Applicant: David Barber 
Team: Canadian Watershed Information Network (CanWIN) 
Project: Mobilizing Scientific Data into Action – How to Make Science Usable 
Institution: University of Manitoba 

Applicant: Simon Beaudry 
Team: Simon Beaudry on behalf of the University of Ottawa RDM Advisory Group 
Project: University of Ottawa Scalable and Sustainable Data Champion and DMP Consulting Initiative 
Institution: University of Ottawa 

Applicant: Alicia Cappello 
Team: Queen’s Data Champions (qDC) 
Project: Empowering Research Data Management Excellence at Queen’s - "Empower RDM" 
Institution: Queen’s University 

Applicant: Kelly Cobey 
Team: Ottawa Data Champions Team 
Project: Developing a Pan-Ottawa Data Champion Program and Research Data Management Training Program in Medicine 
Institution: University of Ottawa 

Applicant: Dr. Colin Conrad 
Team: Dr. Colin Conrad and Dr. Darren Abramson 
Project: Beyond the Black Box: Unlocking the Potential of Digital Humanities 
Institution: Dalhousie University 

Applicant: Michelle L. Dion 
Team: Spark: A Centre for Social Research Innovation, McMaster University 
Project: Research Data Practices in the Social Sciences: A Collaborative Pilot Study for Developing Expertise and Research Supports 
Institution: McMaster University 

Applicant: Nadia Gosselin 
Team: Centre d'études avancées en médecine du sommeil 
Project: De milliers de nuits à des millions de données pour bâtir une médecine du sommeil personnalisée 
Institution: Université de Montréal 

Applicant: Dr. Lawrence Grierson 
Project: Research Data Management Champion in the Medical Education Research Sector 
Institution: McMaster University 

Applicant: Kat Kavanagh 
Team: Water Rangers 
Project: Championing Research Data Management in Community-Based Water Monitoring 
Institution: Water Rangers 

Applicant: Gary Lewis 
Team: Diabetes Action Canada Digital Health Team 
Project: Innovation in Diabetes RDM for Advancing Integrated Health Care 
Institution: University Health Network 

Applicant: Andrea Lawrance 
Team: Carleton RDM Working Group 
Project: Beyond the RDM Checkbox: An RDM Webinar Series to Build Expertise for All 
Institution: Carleton University 

Applicant: Aude Motulsky 
Team: Electronic Health Record FAIR support Team 
Project: From Big to Great Data: Support the Fairification of Healthcare Real-Life Research Data 
Institution: Université de Montréal 

Applicant: Tim Murphy and Paul Pavlidis 
Team: Databinge: a student driven, peer-to-peer network of data champions 
Project: The Dynamic Brain Circuits Cluster Databinge Team 
Institution: University of British Columbia 

Applicant: Ocean Networks Canada 
Team: Ocean Networks Canada Data Stewardship Team 
Project: Dynamic Citation Identifiers Training and Education (DynaCITE) - Promoting the Power of  Persistent Identifiers (PIDs) 
Institution: OceanNetworks 

Applicant: Mike Smit 
Team: Canadian Integrated Ocean Observing (CIOOS) RDM 
Project: Accelerating RDM in Ocean Observing & Research (ARDMOOR) 
Institution: Dalhousie University 

Applicant: Dr. Amol Verma and Dr. Fahad Razak
Team: GEMINI 
Project: Building a Collaborative Research Environment that Promotes Best Data Management Practices Using Hospital Data 
Institution: Unity Health Toronto 

Applicant: Mathew Vis-Dunbar 
Team: UBC Okanagan RDM Collaboration 
Project: Organizing Data Futures: A Scalable RDM Model and Resource Guide for Graduate Students in Research Labs and Interdisciplinary Communities of Practice 
Institution: University of British Columbia