Data Access Support Hub can assist researchers submitting CIHR Spring Project Grant applications
As the deadline for the CIHR Spring Project Grant applications fast approaches, HDRN Canada is inviting researchers to take advantage of its Data Access Support Hub (DASH). The DASH is a critical resource for health researchers who require access to administrative data from multiple regions across the country. "We know that accessing data from multiple regions can feel daunting, and want to make sure that researchers know just what kind of supports are available from the DASH," said Jordan Hunt, DASH Team Lead based at the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), an HDRN Canada member.
DASH services include a centralized data access request form and coordinated support throughout the data access process. Other useful DASH tools include a Data Assets Inventory, searchable by keyword, category or region, and an Algorithm Inventory, an online collection of published algorithms measuring population health, health service use, and the determinants of health that have been validated or tested for feasibility of implementation in two or more Canadian territories or provinces, or nationally.
DASH services are provided by a multi-centre coordination team comprising HDRN Canada members from various provincial and territorial data centres, as well as pan-Canadian organizations, including CIHI and Statistics Canada. “The goal is to make it easier for researchers to access health and health-related data from multiple provinces and territories,” Hunt added. “DASH staff do this by bringing data centres together to make the data request and access process as streamlined as possible for individual researchers and research teams.”
The DASH Team can support researchers whose studies require multiregional data in the CIHR Project Grant application process by providing feasibility confirmation, cost estimates, and Letters of Support. To ensure that DASH has enough time to prepare all the necessary information prior to the grant deadline, researchers must submit an online intake form no later than February 17, 2023. This will give the DASH Team enough time to process requests in advance of the CIHR deadline of March 8, 2023. For more information, visit HDRN Canada’s Data Access Support Hub.