the challenge

CRDCN, in partnership with SAS and Statistics Canada, challenges emerging researchers to investigate a policy problem of their choosing using microdata and present their research findings to their peers and to a jury of researchers and policy makers.

CRDCN  National Policy Challenge

about the event

The Canadian Research Data Centre Network (CRDCN) designed this competition to encourage student researchers to share their policy ideas and to promote the use of microdata in developing innovative, evidence-driven policy solutions. 

Due to COVID-19, this year will showcase the research of both the 2019/2020 and the 2020/2021 finalists. 

participate

  1. Watch the videos created by the students (Click the view presentation button on the program below)
  2. Register for the live event 
  3. Ask questions during the live audience Q&A- after a 2-minute pitch and a 10 minutes lightning round of judges questions 
  4. Cheer for the prize winners 

This event is PRESENTED in partnership with:

Watch the finalists' video entries

Wednesday, June 9, 2021
12:30 PM - 12:40 PM (EDT)
 
 
 
 
12:45 PM - 1:00 PM (EDT)
Fernando Calderón Figueroa - University of Toronto
2020/2021 Cohort
Fernando Calderón Figueroa
1:05 PM - 1:20 PM (EDT)
Katarina McKenzie - University of Western Ontario
2020/2021 Cohort
Katarina McKenzie
1:25 PM - 1:30 PM (EDT)
 
 
 
 
1:30 PM - 1:45 PM (EDT)
Ebenezer Narh - The University Of Western Ontario
2019/2020 Cohort
Ebenezer Narh
1:50 PM - 2:05 PM (EDT)
Michael Hong - University of Western Ontario
2020/2021 Cohort
Michael Hong
2:10 PM - 2:25 PM (EDT)
Thipiga Sivayoganathan - University of Western Ontario
2020/2021 Cohort
Thipiga Sivayoganathan
2:30 PM - 2:40 PM (EDT)
 
 
 
 
Thursday, June 10, 2021
12:30 PM - 12:40 PM (EDT)
 
 
 
 
12:45 PM - 1:00 PM (EDT)
Anil Arora - Statistics Canada / Statistique Canada
 
Anil Arora
 
1:05 PM - 1:20 PM (EDT)
Adelia Jacobs - University of British Columbia
2020/2021 Cohort
Adelia Jacobs
1:25 PM - 1:30 PM (EDT)
 
 
 
 
1:30 PM - 1:45 PM (EDT)
Xiaoxi Wang - University of Western Ontario
2020/2021 Cohort
Xiaoxi Wang
1:50 PM - 2:05 PM (EDT)
Sukhdeep Kaur - Brock University
Celine Teo - Brock University
2019/2020 Cohort
Sukhdeep Kaur Celine Teo
2:15 PM - 2:30 PM (EDT)
 
 
 
 
2:30 PM - 3:00 PM (EDT)
Martin Taylor - Canadian Research Data Centre Network / Réseau canadien des Centres de données de recherche
 
Martin Taylor
 

PRIZe details

  • The FIRST place prize is $1,500
  • The SECOND place prize is $1,000
  • The THIRD place prize is $500
  • The POLICY PITCH prize is $250 

Acknowledgment

We would like to thank our adjudicators, mentors and judges for their contributions to the National Policy Challenge.

Adjudicators helped us select the finalists, our mentors provided guidance to some of the finalists while they worked on their projects, and the judges have reviewed the presentations and will be selecting the award recipients.

Mentors

  • Luc Clair, University of Winnipeg
  • Kirsten Fiest, University of Calgary
  • Kait Quinn, Ministry of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety and Ministry of Justice and Attorney General,  Government of Saskatchewan
  • Scott Strickland, Ontario Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services

Adjudicators

  • Cristina Anton, SAS Institute Canada
  • Donna Dosman, Statistics Canada
  • Harminder Guliani, University of Regina    
  • Mustafa Örnek, Statistics Canada
  • Lorne Rothman, SAS Institute Canada
  • Daniel Silver, University of Toronto

about crdcn

The Canadian Research Data Centre Network (CRDCN) is a premier research and training platform for over 2,000 researchers in the  quantitative social and health sciences in Canada. The Network provides unique access to Statistics Canada data on 33 campuses across the country to advance knowledge and inform public policy.

It is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the Fonds de recherche du Québec, Statistics Canada and our 42 primary and affiliated partner universities. CRDCN is recognized as one of Canada’s Major Science Initiatives.