Collaborative Research Teams

CRT projects must have a significant research component focused on developing new statistical methods and models and/or applying existing methods and models in innovative ways to research problems in an NSERC-funded discipline.

The scope of the proposed research and activity must be substantially beyond what can be successfully pursued with individual NSERC support. Research involving interactions between multiple disciplines and/or collaborations spanning geography and institutions are important for CRT projects, as is the potential for meaningful impact in disciplines outside statistical sciences and on society.

Project teams also commit to substantial communication and dissemination of research results.

Download the CRT Program Description and Review Criteria for additional information.

A Note on Funding

It is important to note that CANSSI does not give research grants and the CRT program does not fund research directly; rather, it funds the activities that enable sustained collaboration, as well as the training and development of HQP. Project funding goes primarily to support students and postdoctoral fellows involved in the project research and to support the interactions of the team.

Collaborative Research Teams are led by faculty members from CANSSI member institutions. Each team must have at least three team leads, and at least half the leads must be from the statistical sciences (actuarial science, biostatistics, data science, statistics).*

One team lead must be designated as the principal point of contact (PPC). The PPC must be a statistical scientist and bears ultimate responsibility for fulfilling the CRT requirements.

Only faculty members who have been awarded at least one NSERC Discovery Grant or an equivalent Tri-agency grant for individual research are eligible to apply to the CRT program as a lead. Early career researchers (ECR)—defined as tenure-track faculty in their first appointment who have not yet received tenure—applying to the CRT program as leads should include the names of senior faculty members in statistical sciences with relevant experience who will act as mentors. If there is any question on this point, the ECR should contact the CANSSI director or deputy director to discuss.

Team leads are jointly responsible for scientific leadership of the project and management of project activities, including the following:

• Organization of research activities and foci
• Budget planning, tracking, and reporting
• Annual reporting of activities and outcomes
• Provision of communications and stories about the project
• Supervision of (most) HQP involved with the project

Project leads secure their team, collaborators, and partner organizations.

CANSSI places restrictions on the eligibility of CANSSI-funded researchers to simultaneously apply for or receive additional funding from the same or another CANSSI program. Please refer to the simultaneous support policy on the How To Apply page for details.

*Note that because CANSSI does not directly fund research, team leads are not viewed as principal investigators on a grant.

Undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows are eligible to participate in projects under the supervision of the project leads.

Teams frequently include research collaborators from statistical sciences and other disciplines. Collaborators are typically faculty members at Canadian universities who carry out the following activities:

• Research in collaboration with the leads
• (Co)-supervision of HQP
• Reporting on activities to the team leads

Project research frequently involves collaboration with researchers in academic and non-academic organizations. These organizations may be located in Canada or other countries.

CANSSI aims to broaden and deepen participation in statistical sciences by members of traditionally under-represented groups. CRT project participants take part in CANSSI EDI activities as specified in the program requirements.