CanPath’s cost recovery access fees model partially recovers expenses associated with the access process, including administrative costs related to reviewing applications, executing agreements, and retrieving and processing data and biosamples for release. CanPath applies tiered pricing to suit the different budgets of early-career researchers and established researchers.
Cost Recovery Access Fees are provided for informational purposes only and are subject to regular review. Researchers interested in submitting grant applications are encouraged to request a Cost Estimate by completing the Inquiry Form. Cost estimates provided by the Access Office prior to signing the Access Agreement are non-binding and subject to change.
Data
The table below reflects the application submission and cost-recovery access fees for academic researchers*. If you are seeking CanPath data and/or biosamples for an industry project**, please contact apply@canpath.ca.
A complete list of available CanPath harmonized datasets is available on the CanPath Portal. Each harmonized dataset includes data from multiple regional cohorts, which may vary across datasets and variables. For example, the Baseline Health and Risk Factor Questionnaire currently contains data from 6 cohorts described under “Individual Studies Included.” The “Harmonization Section” indicates which datasets were harmonized.
The following cost recovery access fee structure applies to all datasets except the COVID-19 and CANUE Datasets (see notes below). All fees are in Canadian dollars ($CDN) and are subject to regular review.
| Academic researcher* | Early-career researcher† Canadian institution | |
|---|---|---|
| Data-only application submission fee | $500 | $500 |
| Data and biosamples application submission fee | $750 | $750 |
| Cost for the first dataset (access up to five years) | $3,250 | $1,625 |
| Cost for each subsequent dataset (access up to five years) | $1,250 | $625 |
| Miscellaneous fee | $215/hr | $215/hr |
| Biosamples minimum fee (when requested) | $500 | $500 |
| Blood, blood fractions, or urine (per sample) | $27 | $27 |
| Dried blood spots (≤480 samples)‡ | $12 | $12 |
| Dried blood spots (>480 samples)§ | $10 | $10 |
| DNA | $45 | $45 |
| Biosample shipper fee|| | $150 | $150 |
Note: Access applications will be reviewed on a project-by-project basis, and Miscellaneous Fees will apply for requests beyond the standard scope.
A Data Access Renewal Fee applies to projects requiring access beyond five years. Datasets are billed annually at 20% of the current cost recovery access fee at the time of renewal.
*Academic researchers are based at a university or research institution who may receive funding from various sources, including government, non-profit, and the private sector. Please note that academic researchers seeking to conduct a CanPath study funded by industry may be considered an industry application. Please contact the Access Office.
**Industry represents a broad range of sectors, usually private, which are involved in some form of commerce to make a profit or support a business.
† Early Career Researcher, as defined by CIHR, is a researcher who, at the time of application, has held a full-time, independent research appointment for 0 to 5 years (60 months).
COVID-19 datasets
On April 21, 2020, CanPath launched its COVID-19 Initiatives to support national COVID-19-related research activities. The following COVID-19 datasets are free to researchers:
- CanPath’s 2020 COVID-19 Questionnaire (487 Variables) is free when conducting COVID-19 research, else the standard CanPath dataset fee applies.
- COVID-19 Antibody sub-study datasets:
- COVID-19 Antibody Baseline Questionnaire (644 variables)
- COVID-19 Antibody Test Baseline – Collection and Processing (10 variables)
- COVID-19 Antibody Test Baseline – Serology results (14 variables)
- COVID-19 Antibody Follow-up 1 Questionnaire (267 variables)
- COVID-19 Antibody Test Follow-up 1 – Collection and Processing (49 variables)
- COVID-19 Antibody Test Follow-up 1 – Serology Results (18 variables)
- COVID-19 Antibody Follow-up 2 Questionnaire (545 variables)
- COVID-19 Antibody Test Follow-up 2 – Collection and Processing (49 variables)
- COVID-19 Antibody Test Follow-up 2 – Serology Results (18 variables)
- COVID-19 Antibody Test Follow-up 3 – Neutralization Serology Results (14 variables)
Environmental exposure data
The Canadian Urban Environmental Health Research Consortium (CANUE) collates and generates standardized area-level data on environmental exposure and socioeconomic conditions. CANUE datasets have been merged with the CanPath Baseline and Follow up harmonized datasets using participants’ 6-digit residential postal codes (note – postal codes are not disclosed; only the environmental data is disclosed for research).
As outlined in the CANUE third-party agreement, researchers accessing CANUE data must be affiliated with an Academic Institution participating in the SMART Consortium Agreement.
CANUE data is available at no cost. A data preparation fee at the Miscellaneous Fee Rate is added for preparing the dataset.
Regional datasets
Each regional cohort houses additional datasets which may be available for access. More information is available on the regional cohorts’ websites. Regional datasets may be requested within your CanPath application. Regional data access fees apply.
Biosamples
CanPath offers one of Canada’s most comprehensive collections of biological samples. More information on CanPath’s available biosamples can be found on the Portal and Biosamples page.
The Biosample Shipper Fee (||) applies per shipment when transit time is 3 or more days. This fee reflects the additional supplies required to maintain sample integrity over longer transit times. Shipping costs are not included in biosample fees and are charged separately.
Pre-analytical data associated with released biosamples is included at no additional cost with the first CanPath dataset fee.
‡ Includes up to 2 punches per sample provided in 1.5 mL snap-cap microcentrifuge tubes (manually punched). § Includes up to 2 punches per sample provided in 96-well plate (automatic puncher).
Data linkage
Access to provincial administrative health data is outside the scope of the CanPath Access Process and may incur additional costs. However, we work with a number of provincial data custodians to support projects looking to use CanPath data along with administrative health data. Visit the Data Linkage webpage to learn more.