1. Development of a Common Research Classification Standard
The development of a common Canadian Research Classification Standard (RCS) is led by the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) and Statistics Canada.
Ariadne Legendre
May 2018

2. Why do we need to classify research?
Support peer reviewer identification
Report on efforts and investments at agency level
Report on efforts and investments at national level
Report on efforts and investments at international level
When researchers apply for funding they are asked to identify 1. their expertise and 2. the field of research for their application. This data is used to support peer review by ensuring adequate matching, report on investments and efforts in specific and overall in research and science at the agency, national, and international levels.

3. Provincial Funding Organization
Current landscape
Research Topics
Disciplines
Areas of Research
Domain of Research
Research Areas
Research Sector
Research Subjects
Provincial Funding Organization
Currently different RCS are used between and across the funding agencies. In some cases, within individual agencies multiple different RCS are used. The different RCS do not cover all sectors of research and refer to the same thing using different terminology.
Universities

4. Drivers for a common RCS
Interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary
Increased collaborations
Need for improved data on research efforts
Quickly evolving research fields
The agencies have been exploring the feasibility, opportunities, and challenges to adopt a common research classification since The drivers are NOW aligning and the timing seems right for all the agencies to adopt a single shared RCS. Recognizing that the agencies are not experts in classifications and standards, the collaboration and leverage of Statistics Canada’s expertise on the development of a common research classification standard will ensure that the developed research classification is based on sound, internationally agreed-upon established approaches and best practices with regard to concepts and methods, allowing for better comparability within Canada and internationally.

5. Benefits of adopting a common RCS
Improved identification of researchers and research
Improved identification of interdisciplinary research
Reduced burden and confusion
Increased consistency and coherence of statistics
Improved interaction with research community and Canadians
The adoption, by the Canadian research funders, of a single shared research classification standard will allow researchers and research to be identified more accurately; will enable better identification of interdisciplinary research; will reduce burden and confusion, especially to the researchers applying to multiple agencies; and will improve the information and support to the research community and Canadians by providing consistent, coherent and relevant statistical information about Canada’s contribution in specific fields of and overall research and science.

6. New Common RCS
Align with international standards for collecting and reporting data on research (OECD’s Frascati manual)
Modelled on the established Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC)
The new Canadian common research classification standard will align with international standards to collect and report on research and development, namely with the recommendations from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) Frascati manual (2015), and will be modeled on the Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC).
Aligning with international research classification standards will allow Canada to evaluate the state of its investments in research and science relative to other countries and will assist in the development of policies and other measures that will enhance Canada’s position as a world leader in research.
This new standard will categorize research by type of activity (i.e. basic or applied), field of research (e.g., chemistry, sociology), and socio-economic objectives including those which intersect across scientific disciplines (interdisciplinary) and those that go beyond just academia (trans-disciplinary).

7. 3 Dimensions of Research
Basic
Applied
Developmental
Type of Activity
Chemistry
Sociology
Immunology
Field of Research
Defense
Environment
Health
Socio-Economic Objectives

8. Development of common RCS
Need to reflect contemporary and Canadian research landscapes
ANZSRC model will be revised
Consultations in 2018
To ensure that, in addition to reflect contemporary and Canadian research and science landscape, it serves the Canadian research community, the granting agencies will hold consultations on the research classification standard in 2018 before finalizing it.
The granting agencies will work with their respective research communities to ensure that they are familiar with the new research classification standard as it comes into force so that researchers are prepared to use it in future funding competitions.

9. Thank you!
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