The goal of the CLSA is to enable data access as widely as possible, however, an application for data access can be denied. There may be some instances when an applicant is asked to revise and resubmit an application at the recommendation of the Data and Sample Access Committee (DSAC). To avoid applications being sent to the DSAC that are not appropriate, we try to work with interested researchers before the application is submitted, to provide them with information about the available data and feasibility of a project. During the application process itself, we ask applicants to correct errors and omissions and provide feedback from the DSAC review, so that applicants can clarify or revise and resubmit a proposal. Failure to provide the level of detail sufficient to assess the study feasibility could lead to the application being not approved.
Data access applications are now being accepted for Follow-up 2 (FUP2) alphanumeric, physical assessment and cognition data. Please check the CLSA Data Availability Table for current data availability that may be requested as part of a data access application.
No, simply having trainees as part of the project team does not satisfy criteria for eligibility for a fee waiver.
Currently the charge for partial cost recovery per application is $3,000 CAD for applications within Canada and $5,000 USD for international applications. This includes access to the Baseline, Follow-up 1, Follow-up 2, or all three datasets. Due to the additional work required to make some data research ready, additional fees apply for access to image files, raw data, and datasets that require more complex customization. Please see the table of additional fees under Data Access. The fees are payable for the retrieval and preparation of the dataset per approved project, not for each project team member.
No, you do not need to secure funding before applying to request CLSA data. If funding has been requested, but not yet approved, please provide the name of the funding agency in the appropriate section of the application. If your project is approved, and once the CLSA Access Agreement has been signed, the CLSA financial administrator will contact the primary applicant with the invoice for payment of the fees.
Evidence of peer-reviewed funding will be considered evidence of scientific review for data access applications. You must provide proof of the peer-reviewed funding for the specific project in your application. If there are no plans to submit an application for financial support for your project, or if it is a trainee project, please provide evidence of peer review (e.g., internal departmental review; thesis protocol defense, etc.) if available. Awards of funding not specific to the proposed project (i.e., student fellowships) are not considered proof of peer review. If no evidence of scientific peer review is provided with the application, the project will undergo scientific review by the Data and Sample Access Committee.
Yes, investigators affiliated with public research organizations outside Canada can apply to access alphanumeric data collected as part of the CLSA.
The CLSA data are currently available to approved public sector researchers, with no preferential or exclusive access for any individual. The CLSA welcomes applications from graduate students and postdoctoral or clinical fellows who wish to use the CLSA data for their thesis research or for their thesis or fellowship research, respectively. For trainee applications (Masters, PhD, postdoctoral or clinical fellows), the primary applicant must be the supervisor and the student must be clearly identified in the Trainee section of the application. The primary applicant must hold an eligible appointment (continuing or term appointment) at an eligible institution that is able to uphold the conditions of the data access agreement, administer grant funds and provide Research Ethics Board approval.
Publications about the CLSA as well as those using CLSA data, can be found under Publications.