Poster presenters are responsible for developing, printing, transporting, setting up and tearing down their poster.

• As we had a high volume of abstracts submitted, we are asking that all poster presenters register for the conference by October 4, 2024. Those who have not registered by that date risk losing their spot to someone on the waitlist.

Poster development

• Posters can be no bigger than 4 feet high by 3 feet wide (i.e., 48”x36” maximum).
• Posters should be printed on standard poster material (paper or canvas) that can be fastened to a typical poster board. If you would like to use a different material or set up, please consult with the organizing committee in advance.
• Posters can be written in the official language of the presenter’s choice (i.e., English or French).
• Please use plain language and present your information in a clear, accessible way.

Set up

• All posters must be set up between 8:00 a.m. and 8:50 a.m. ET on November 14, 2024.
• Staff will be available onsite to assist you, and materials will be provided so you can fasten your poster to the board.

During poster sessions

• Poster presenters are expected to attend the conference in person and be available at their poster during the designated poster viewing sessions as much as possible.

Tear down

• Poster tear down will occur between 4:30 p.m. and 4:45 p.m. ET on November 14, 2024.
• All poster presenters must take their poster offsite after the conference. Any posters left behind will be disposed of.

Subject: Participate in Statistics Canada's Study on Living with a Life-limiting Illness: Access to Care and Related Experiences

While slower labour productivity growth over much of the past decade stems largely from declines in business investment, concerns persist over the extent to which businesses are harnessing the benefits of innovation and advanced technologies. This presentation highlights data and analysis at Statistics Canada that can be used to explore linkages between innovation, technology adoption and productivity. It draws on new estimates from the agency’s productivity research program, along with recent surveys that examine the innovation and technological stance of Canadian businesses. The presentation is intended to support ongoing research on the competitiveness of Canada’s economy.

English webinar:

• Thursday, October 3, 2024, 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm, Eastern Time

French webinar:

• Friday, October 11, 2024, 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm, Eastern Time

Getting started

Why are we conducting this survey?

This survey collects information to better understand the issues that impact the sexual and reproductive health of women aged 18 to 49 in Canada. Topics include menstruation, sexual health and behaviours, birth control, pregnancy intentions, as well as access and barriers to care for miscarriage, still birth, ectopic pregnancy and abortion. The survey also collects information about access to a regular health care provider, as well as gynaecological surgeries and procedures.

Even after agreeing to participate in the survey, you may choose not to answer specific questions where you feel uncomfortable providing a response.

Results from the survey will be used by researchers, all levels of government and other organizations to assess and inform equitable program and policy development to better support women's sexual and reproductive health.

Your information may also be used by Statistics Canada for other statistical and research purposes.

Although voluntary, your participation is important so that the information collected is as accurate and complete as possible.

Other important information

Authorization and confidentiality

Data are collected under the authority of the Statistics Act, Revised Statutes of Canada, 1985, Chapter S-19. Your information will be kept strictly confidential.

Record linkages

To enhance the data from this survey and to reduce the response burden, Statistics Canada will combine the information you provide with information from the tax data of all members of your household. Statistics Canada and your provincial ministry of health, and the Institut de la statistique du Québec for Quebec respondents, may also combine the information you provide with other surveys or administrative data sources.

Statistics Canada may also combine the information you provide with other survey or administrative data sources.

Contact us if you have any questions or concerns about record linkage:

Email: infostats@statcan.gc.ca

Telephone: 1-877-949-9492

Mail:
Chief Statistician of Canada
Statistics Canada
Attention of Director, Centre for Population Health Data
150 Tunney's Pasture Driveway
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0T6

Demographics

Are you [FIRSTNAME] [LASTNAME]?

• Yes
• No
• No, my name has changed

What is your new name?

• First name
• Last name

What is your date of birth?

• Year
• Month
• Day

What is your age?

• Age in years

Geographic region

In which province or territory do you currently live?

• Province or territory
  OR
• Outside of Canada

To determine which geographic region you live in, provide your postal code.

• Postal code
  Example: A9A 9A9

Including yourself, how many people usually live in your household?

Note: Press the help button (?) for additional information, including who to include and who not to include.

• Number of people

Sex and Gender

The following questions are about sex at birth and gender.

What was your sex at birth?

Sex refers to sex assigned at birth.

• Male
• Female

What is your gender?

Gender refers to current gender which may be different from sex assigned at birth and may be different from what is indicated on legal documents.

Is it:

• Male
• Female
• Or please specify
  • Specify your gender

Please verify that all of the information is correct.

If all the information is correct, press the Next button.

To make changes, press the Previous button.

Your information

Sex assigned at birth: [Male/Female/Information not provided]

Gender: [Male/Female/Response/Information not provided]

Marital status

What is your marital status?

Is it:

• Married
  For Quebec residents only, select the "Married" category if your marital status is "civil union".
• Living common law
  Two people who live together as a couple but who are not legally married to each other.
• Never married (not living common law)
• Separated (not living common law)
• Divorced (not living common law)
• Widowed (not living common law)

Steady relationship

Are you currently in a steady relationship?

• Yes
• No

Sexual orientation

This question collects information on sexual orientation to inform programs that promote equal opportunity for everyone living in Canada to share in its social, cultural, and economic life.

What is your sexual orientation?

Sexual orientation refers to how a person describes their sexuality.

Would you say:

• Heterosexual (i.e., straight)
• Lesbian or gay
• Bisexual or pansexual
• Or please specify
  • Specify your sexual orientation

General health

The following questions are about health. By health, we mean not only the absence of disease or injury but also physical, mental and social well-being.

In general, how is your health?

Would you say:

• Excellent
• Very good
• Good
• Fair
• Poor

In general, how is your mental health?

Would you say:

• Excellent
• Very good
• Good
• Fair
• Poor

Disability

Do you identify as a person with a disability?

A person with a disability is a person who has a long-term difficulty or condition, such as vision, hearing, mobility, flexibility, dexterity, pain, learning, developmental, memory or mental health-related impairments, that limit their daily activities inside or outside the home such as at school, work, or in the community in general.

• Yes
• No

Menstruation

This survey asks questions related to sexual behaviours, birth control and pregnancy, all of which are based on sex at birth.[ If specific questions are not relevant, they can be skipped./BLANK]

Menstruation can be an indication of reproductive health. The information provided will help inform guidelines, programs and policies.

At what age did you have your first menstrual period?

Menstruation is when blood and tissue from your uterus comes out of your vagina.

If exact age is not known, provide your best estimate.

• Age in years
  OR
• I have never had a menstrual period 

In the past 12 months, have you had a menstrual period?

Select "Yes" if you have had at least one menstrual period.

• Yes
• No

What is the main reason you have not had a menstrual period?

Was it:

• Pregnancy or breastfeeding
• Removal of the uterus or both ovaries
• Radiation or chemotherapy affecting the uterus or both ovaries
• Menopause
• Hormonal birth control
  e.g., birth control pill, hormonal intrauterine device (IUD), injection
• Medication, hormones, or drugs
  Exclude birth control.
• Excessive physical activity, stress, weight loss
• Other
  • Specify other reason
• I don't know

Sexual behaviour and birth control

The next questions are about sexual behaviour. Understanding sexual behaviour can help inform the development of more equitable programs and policies related to birth control and pregnancy. Please be assured that, like all other information you have provided, these answers will be kept strictly confidential.

Have you ever had sex?

Include vaginal, oral or anal sex.

Note: Press the help button (?) for a list of support resources.

• Yes
• No

Who have you had sex with?

Please respond based on sex assigned at birth.

Include vaginal, oral or anal sex.

Select all that apply.

Was it:

• Males
• Females

Which of the following types of sex have you ever had?

Select all that apply.

Would you say:

• Vaginal
  i.e., a penis in a vagina
• Oral
  i.e., a mouth on the penis, vagina or anus
• Anal
  i.e., a penis in an anus

How old were you the first time you had vaginal sex?

If exact age is not known, provide your best estimate.

• Age in years

How old were you the first time you had oral sex?

If exact age is not known, provide your best estimate.

• Age in years

How old were you the first time you had anal sex?

If exact age is not known, provide your best estimate.

• Age in years

How many sexual partners have you ever had?

Sexual partners are people who have sex together, whether just once, a few times or as regular partners.

Include vaginal, oral or anal sex.

Would you say:

• 1
• 2 to 4
• 5 to 9
• 10 to 14
• 15 or more

In the past 12 months, have you had sex?

Include vaginal, oral or anal sex.

Note: Press the help button (?) for a list of support resources.

• Yes
• No

In the past 12 months, who have you had sex with?

Respond based on sex assigned at birth.

Include vaginal, oral or anal sex.

Select all that apply.

Was it:

• Males
• Females

In the past 12 months, which of the following types of sex have you had?

Select all that apply.

Was it:

• Vaginal
  i.e., a penis in a vagina
• Oral
  i.e., a mouth on the penis, vagina or anus
• Anal
  i.e., a penis in an anus

In the past 12 months, how many sexual partners have you had?

Sexual partners are people who have sex together, whether just once, a few times or as regular partners.

Include vaginal, oral or anal sex.

Would you say:

• 1
• 2 to 4
• 5 to 9
• 10 to 14
• 15 or more

The last time you had vaginal sex, did you or your partner use any of the following types of birth control?

Select all that apply.

Would you say:

• Rhythm or calendar method
  e.g., tracking ovulation cycle
• Condoms
• Birth control pills
• Injection
  e.g., Depo-Provera®
• Hormonal intrauterine device (IUD) such as Mirena® or Kyleena®
• Copper intrauterine device (IUD) also called a "Coil" or "Copper T"
• Hormonal implant such as NEXPLANON®
• Contraceptive patch or vaginal contraceptive ring
  e.g., EVRA® patch, NuvaRing®
• Withdrawal or pulling out
• Vasectomy
  i.e., a permanent surgical procedure to close or block the Vas Deferens, that is the tubes that carry sperm to penis
• Tubal sterilization, also known as having your "tubes tied", or hysterectomy
• Cervical cap or diaphragm
• Spermicide
  e.g., jelly, foam or contraceptive sponge
  OR
• None
  OR
• I don't know

Since the last time you had vaginal sex, have you [changed the type of birth control you are using/started using birth control]?

• Yes
• No

Birth control

Birth control can be used for pregnancy prevention or for other health reasons. Are you currently using any of the following types of birth control?

Select all that apply.

Are you using:

• Rhythm or calendar method
  e.g., tracking ovulation cycle
• Condoms
• Birth control pills
• Injection
  e.g., Depo-Provera®
• Hormonal intrauterine device (IUD) such as Mirena® or Kyleena®
• Copper intrauterine device (IUD) also called a "Coil" or "Copper T"
• Hormonal implant such as NEXPLANON®
• Contraceptive patch or vaginal contraceptive ring
  e.g., EVRA® patch, NuvaRing®
• Withdrawal or pulling out
• Vasectomy
  i.e., a permanent surgical procedure to close or block the Vas Deferens, that is the tubes that carry sperm to penis
• Tubal sterilization, also known as having your "tubes tied", or hysterectomy
• Cervical cap or diaphragm
• Spermicide
  e.g., jelly, foam or contraceptive sponge
  OR
• None of the above

People may not be able to get birth control or access their preferred type of birth control. In the past 12 months, did any of the following reasons make it difficult for you to get birth control?

Select all that apply.

Would you say:

• Cost
• Lack of health care provider
• Getting an appointment or wait time too long
• Negative attitude of health care provider or previous negative experience
  e.g., lack of respect, culturally appropriate care or a disagreement
• Lack of social support or worried about reaction of others
  e.g., personal, family, cultural or religious values or beliefs
• Transportation
• Preferred type of birth control not available in area
• Concerns about privacy
• Side-effects, health concerns or medical concerns
• Other
  OR
• No difficulties
  OR
• I do not want to use birth control

Emergency birth control

The next few questions are about emergency birth control. Emergency birth control, sometimes known as the "morning after pill" is birth control that can be used after sex to lower the chance of becoming pregnant.

People may not use birth control, can forget to use birth control or forget to use it regularly.

In the past 12 months, have you needed emergency birth control?

Emergency birth control includes the "morning after pill" such as Plan B®.

Note: Press the help button (?) for more information or for a list of support resources.

• Yes
• No

In the past 12 months, did you use emergency birth control?

• Yes
• No

In the past 12 months, did you have any difficulties getting emergency birth control?

Would you say:

• Yes
• No
• I have not tried to get emergency birth control

Sexual behaviour and communication

Please think back to the past 12 months and indicate the answer that most applies to you in sexual situations with a partner. In these statements, "partner" refers to any sexual partners you had in or out of a relationship, in the past 12 months.

Note: Press the help button (?) for a list of support resources.

a. I am open with my partner about my sexual needs

• Strongly disagree
• Disagree
• Agree
• Strongly agree

b. I let my partner know if I want to have sex

• Strongly disagree
• Disagree
• Agree
• Strongly agree

c. It is easy for me to discuss sex with my partner

• Strongly disagree
• Disagree
• Agree
• Strongly agree

d. I refuse to have sex if I don't want to

• Strongly disagree
• Disagree
• Agree
• Strongly agree

e. I find myself having sex when I do not really want it

• Strongly disagree
• Disagree
• Agree
• Strongly agree

f. It is easy for me to say no if I don't want to have sex

• Strongly disagree
• Disagree
• Agree
• Strongly agree

Please think back to the past 12 months and indicate the answer that most applies to you in sexual situations with a partner. In these statements, "partner" refers to any sexual partners you had in or out of a relationship, in the past 12 months.

For partners who have been together for more than 12 months, consider the whole relationship.

Note: Press the help button (?) for a list of support resources.

a. I ask my partner if they practiced safe sex with other partners

• Strongly disagree
• Disagree
• Agree
• Strongly agree

b. I ask my partner about their sexual history

• Strongly disagree
• Disagree
• Agree
• Strongly agree

c. I ask my partner whether they have ever had a sexually transmitted infection or disease

• Strongly disagree
• Disagree
• Agree
• Strongly agree

Sexual health

Some people go through times when they are not interested in sex or find it difficult to enjoy sexual activities. The questions that follow are about some common difficulties that people experience.

In the past 12 months, how often have you had any of the following sexual health concerns?

a. Loss of pleasure

• Always
• Often
• Sometimes
• Rarely
• Never

b. Little interest in sex

• Always
• Often
• Sometimes
• Rarely
• Never

c. Difficulty with arousal

• Always
• Often
• Sometimes
• Rarely
• Never

d. Fear of sexual activity

• Always
• Often
• Sometimes
• Rarely
• Never

e. Pain or physical discomfort during or after intercourse or sexual activity

• Always
• Often
• Sometimes
• Rarely
• Never

Using a scale of 0 to 10 where 0 means "Very dissatisfied" and 10 means "Very satisfied", how do you feel about your sex life as a whole right now?

• 0 ─ Very dissatisfied
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• 10 ─ Very satisfied

Pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes and access to care

Have you ever been pregnant?

Select "Yes" if you are currently pregnant or have had a live birth, abortion, stillbirth, miscarriage, ectopic or tubal pregnancy.

Note: Press the help button (?) for a list of support resources.

• Yes
• No

Have you ever given birth?

Select all that apply.

Would you say:

• Yes, vaginal
• Yes, caesarean
  OR
• No, I have not given birth

Are you currently pregnant?

• Yes
• No
• I don't know

How many weeks pregnant are you?

• Less than 12 weeks
• 12 to less than 20 weeks
• 20 to less than 24 weeks
• 24 weeks or more

Please indicate to what extent the following statement describes your current situation.

It is important to me to avoid getting pregnant right now.

Would you say you:

• Strongly agree
• Agree
• Neither agree nor disagree
• Disagree
• Strongly disagree

In the past 5 years, have you been pregnant? Include pregnancies that resulted in a live birth, abortion, stillbirth, miscarriage, ectopic or tubal pregnancy. 

• Yes
• No

Thinking of your [current/most recent] pregnancy, in the month that you became pregnant, which of the following statements best describes how birth control was being used? Pregnancies resulting in a live birth, abortion, stillbirth, miscarriage, ectopic or tubal pregnancy should be included.

Note: Press the help button (?) for more information or for a list of support resources.

In the month you became pregnant:

• Birth control was not used
• Birth control was used but not every time
• Birth control was always used and we thought it failed at least once
  e.g., it broke, moved, came off, came out, or similar
• Birth control was always used and we did not think it had failed

For this question, think of when you first learned about your [current/most recent] pregnancy.

In terms of becoming a mother or a parent, for the first time or again, which of the following statements best describes your feelings about when this pregnancy happened?

Would you say:

• It was the right time
• It was later than you wanted
• It was sooner than you wanted
• It was the wrong time
• There would never be a right time

For your [current/most recent] pregnancy, thinking about the time just before you became pregnant, which of the following statements best describes your intentions about getting pregnant?

Would you say:

• You intended to get pregnant
• Your intentions to get pregnant kept changing
• You did not intend to get pregnant

For your [current/most recent] pregnancy, thinking about the time just before you became pregnant, which of the following statements best describes your feelings about having a baby?

Would you say you:

• Wanted to have a baby
• Had mixed feelings about having a baby
• Did not want to have a baby

Before your [current/most recent] pregnancy, which of the following statements best described your situation?

A partner could be a husband, wife, common-law partner or someone you have had sex with once or twice.

Would you say:

• You chose to become pregnant without a partner
• You and your partner had discussed getting pregnant together
• You and your partner never discussed having children together

What was the result of the discussion about pregnancy?

Was it:

• We agreed to get pregnant
• We had not agreed about getting pregnant
• We agreed to not get pregnant

In preparation for your [current/most recent] pregnancy, did you take any of the following actions before becoming pregnant?

Select all that apply.

Did you:

• Take prenatal vitamins
  e.g., folic acid
• Seek health advice to prepare for pregnancy
  e.g., from books or professionals
• Review or make changes to improve health
  e.g., you or your partner stopped or reduced smoking, use of alcohol, cannabis or other drugs; you ensured healthy eating and exercise
• Track your monthly menstrual cycle to try to become pregnant
• Use fertility or ovulation testing products
• Use any fertility medications or treatments to help you get pregnant
• Take some other health-related action
  • Specify other health-related action

OR

• I did not do anything in preparation for pregnancy

Sometimes a pregnancy does not result in a live birth. For example, a pregnancy may end in an abortion, a stillbirth, a miscarriage, or an ectopic or tubal pregnancy. Please be assured that, like all other information you have provided, these answers will be kept strictly confidential.

Thinking about your last pregnancy, how did the pregnancy end?

Note: Press the help button (?) for more information or for a list of support resources.

Was it:

• Live birth
• Abortion
  i.e., the medical termination of an ongoing pregnancy
• Miscarriage
  i.e., the spontaneous or natural loss of a pregnancy before 20 weeks of pregnancy
• Stillbirth
  i.e., the loss of a pregnancy after 20 weeks of pregnancy but before the baby is born, can occur during pregnancy or during labour
• Ectopic or tubal pregnancy
  i.e., any pregnancy outside the uterus or womb, like in the fallopian tube or abdomen

How many weeks pregnant were you when you experienced this [abortion/miscarriage/stillbirth/ectopic or tubal pregnancy]?

If unsure, provide your best estimate.

• Less than 12 weeks
• 12 to less than 20 weeks
• 20 to less than 24 weeks
• 24 weeks or more
• I don't know

How old were you when you experienced this [abortion/miscarriage/stillbirth/ectopic or tubal pregnancy]?

If exact age is not known, provide your best estimate.

• Age in years

Did you have any of the following types of care as part of the [abortion/miscarriage/stillbirth/ectopic or tubal pregnancy]?

Include both in-person and virtual consultations such as over the telephone or by video.

Select all that apply.

Would you say:

• Yes, medication to help pass pregnancy tissue[ or to terminate a pregnancy/BLANK]
  e.g., Mifegymiso (Mifepristone and Misoprostol), Cytotec^TM (Misoprostol), Methotrexate, Potassium Chloride (KCl)
• Yes, [a procedural abortion or a surgical procedure/a surgical procedure]
  e.g., manual vacuum aspiration (MVA), dilation and curettage (D&C), dilation and evacuation (D&E)
• Yes, other type of care

Where did you get the medication? Was it a:

For medications that you obtained from a pharmacy, report where they were prescribed.

• Hospital
• Specialized clinic
  e.g., sexual health, birth control or abortion clinic
• Regular health care provider or walk-in clinic
  Include both in-person and virtual consultations such as over the telephone or by video with your regular provider.
  Include walk-in clinics, even if you have an appointment.
• Telemedicine or telehealth provider
  A healthcare provider prescribes the medication over the phone or internet.
• Other

What type of facility did you use for the [procedural abortion or surgical procedure/surgical procedure]? Was it a:

• Hospital
• Specialized clinic
  e.g., sexual health, birth control or abortion clinic
• Other

Did you have any of the following types of care as part of the [abortion/miscarriage/stillbirth/ectopic or tubal pregnancy]?
Include both in-person and virtual consultations such as over the telephone or by video.

Select all that apply.

Would you say:

• Yes, medication to help pass pregnancy tissue
  e.g., Mifegymiso (Mifepristone and Misoprostol), Cytotec^TM (Misoprostol), Methotrexate, Potassium Chloride (KCl)
• Yes, a surgical procedure
  e.g., manual vacuum aspiration (MVA), dilation and curettage (D&C), dilation and evacuation (D&E)
• Yes, other type of care
  OR
• No, I did not have any type of care

Where did you get the medication? Was it a:

For medications that you obtained from a pharmacy, report where they were prescribed.

• Hospital
• Specialized clinic
  e.g., sexual health, birth control or abortion clinic
• Regular health care provider or walk-in clinic
  Include both in-person and virtual consultations such as over the telephone or by video with your regular provider.
  Include walk-in clinics, even if you have an appointment.
• Telemedicine or telehealth provider
  A healthcare provider prescribes the medication over the phone or internet.
• Other

What type of facility did you use for the surgical procedure? Was it a:

• Hospital
• Specialized clinic
  e.g., sexual health, birth control or abortion clinic
• Other

Did you or someone else have to pay for any of the following expenses to get the [medication/procedural abortion or surgical procedure/surgical procedure/medication, procedural abortion or surgical procedure/medication or surgical procedure]?

Include costs covered by an organization, such as a charity, or costs that were or will be reimbursed.

Select all that apply.

Would you say:

• Yes, medication
• Yes, [a procedural abortion or a surgical procedure/a surgical procedure]
• Yes, transportation
• Yes, a place to stay
• Yes, meals
• Yes, childcare
• Yes, other costs
  OR
• No, I did not have to pay for any of these expenses
  OR
• I don't know

Approximately how much did the transportation cost?

Include costs for yourself or other people that were with you.

Was it:

• Less than $20
• $20 to $99
• $100 to $300
• More than $300
• I don't know

Did you experience any of the following difficulties seeking care for the [abortion/miscarriage/stillbirth/ectopic or tubal pregnancy]?

Select all that apply.

Would you say:

• Cost
• Lack of information about how to access services
• Getting an appointment or wait time too long
• Negative attitude of health care provider or previous negative experience
  e.g., lack of respect, culturally appropriate care or a disagreement
• Lack of social support or worried about reaction of others
  e.g., personal, family, cultural or religious values or beliefs
• Transportation
• Not available in my area
• Getting childcare
• Getting time off work or school
• Concerns about privacy
• Side-effects, health concerns or medical concerns
• Personal safety or harassment
• Other difficulty
  OR
• No difficulties

What province or territory did you live in when you had the [abortion/miscarriage/stillbirth/ectopic or tubal pregnancy]?

• Province or territory
  OR
• Outside of Canada

Did you travel outside the province or territory you lived in to get care, medication or a procedure?

• Yes, to another province or territory
• Yes, outside of Canada
• No

Overall, how satisfied were you with the quality of the care you received?

Were you:

• Very satisfied
• Somewhat satisfied
• Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
• Somewhat dissatisfied
• Very dissatisfied

Women may have an abortion, or may consider having an abortion, for different reasons. Thinking about the past 5 years, which of the following statements best describes your experience with abortion?

If you have had more than one experience with abortion in the past 5 years, refer to the last experience.
Note: Press the help button (?) for a list of support resources.

Would you say you:

• Have not been pregnant in the past 5 years
• Considered having an abortion but did not have one
• Had an abortion
• Have not considered getting an abortion
• Prefer not to answer

What was the reason you did not have an abortion?

Would you say:

• Could not access services and brought the pregnancy to term
• Too far along in the pregnancy
• Influence or pressure from others changed my decision
• Changed my mind
• My pregnancy ended in another way first

How many weeks pregnant were you when you experienced this abortion?

If unsure, provide your best estimate.

Was it:

• Less than 12 weeks
• 12 to less than 20 weeks
• 20 to less than 24 weeks
• 24 weeks or more
• I don't know    

How old were you when you experienced this abortion?

If exact age is not known, provide your best estimate.

• Age in years

Which of the following types of care did you receive for the abortion?

If you sought services for abortion for more than one pregnancy, refer to the most recent time you sought services.
Include both in-person and virtual consultations such as over the telephone or by video.

Was it:

• Medication to help pass pregnancy tissue or to terminate a pregnancy
  e.g., Mifegymiso (Mifepristone and Misoprostol), Cytotec^TM (Misoprostol), Methotrexate, Potassium Chloride (KCl)
• Procedural abortion or surgical procedure
  e.g., manual vacuum aspiration (MVA), dilation and curettage (D&C), dilation and evacuation (D&E)
• Other type of care

Where did you get the medication? Was it a:

For medications that you obtained from a pharmacy, report where they were prescribed.

• Hospital
• Specialized clinic
  e.g., sexual health, birth control or abortion clinic
• Regular health care provider or walk-in clinic
  Include both in-person and virtual consultations such as over the telephone or by video with your regular provider.
  Include walk-in clinics, even if you have an appointment.
• Telemedicine or telehealth provider
  A healthcare provider prescribes the medication over the phone or internet.
• Other

What type of facility did you use for the procedural abortion or surgical procedure? Was it a:

• Hospital
• Specialized clinic
  e.g., sexual health, birth control or abortion clinic
• Other

Did you or someone else have to pay for any of the following expenses to get the [medication, procedural abortion or surgical procedure/medication/procedural abortion or surgical procedure]?

Include costs covered by an organization, such as a charity, or costs that were or will be reimbursed.

Select all that apply.

Would you say:

• Yes, medication
• Yes, procedural abortion or surgical procedure
• Yes, transportation
• Yes, a place to stay
• Yes, meals
• Yes, childcare
• Yes, other costs
  OR
• No, I did not have to pay for any of these expenses
  OR
• I don't know

Approximately how much did the transportation cost?

Include costs for yourself and other people that were with you.

Was it:

• Less that $20
• $20 to $99
• $100 to $300
• More than $300
• I don't know

What province or territory did you live in when you [considered having an abortion/had the abortion]?

• Province or territory
  OR
• Outside of Canada

Did you travel outside the province or territory you lived in to get care, medication or a procedure?

• Yes, to another province or territory
• Yes, outside of Canada
• No 

Overall, how satisfied were you with the quality of the care you received?

Were you:

• Very satisfied
• Somewhat satisfied
• Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
• Somewhat dissatisfied
• Very dissatisfied

Did you experience any of the following difficulties when seeking care for the abortion?

Select all that apply.

Would you say:

• Cost
• Lack of information about how to access services
• Getting an appointment or wait time too long
• Negative attitude of health care provider or previous negative experience
  e.g., lack of respect, culturally appropriate care or a disagreement
• Lack of social support or worried about reaction of others
  e.g., personal, family, cultural or religious values or beliefs
• Transportation
• Not available in my area
• Getting childcare
• Getting time off work or school
• Concerns about privacy
• Side-effects, health concerns or medical concerns
• Personal safety or harassment
• Other difficulty
  OR
• No difficulties

Surgeries and medical procedures

The following questions are about surgeries or medical procedures you may have had

Have you ever had any of the following surgeries or medical procedures?

Select all that apply.

Have you had:

• Removal of uterus
• Removal of one ovary
• Removal of both ovaries
• Endometrial ablation
• Removal of fibroids
• Removal of one fallopian tube
• Removal of both fallopian tubes
• Tying of the fallopian tubes also known as having your "tubes tied"
• Mastectomy, lumpectomy, breast reconstruction, reduction or augmentation
• Surgery for pelvic organ prolapse
• Surgery for urinary incontinence
  OR
• None of the above

At what age did you have your uterus removed?

If exact age is not known, provide your best estimate.

• Age in years

At what age did you have your second ovary removed?

If exact age is not known, provide your best estimate.

• Age in years

At what age did you have your second fallopian tube removed?

If exact age is not known, provide your best estimate.

• Age in years

At what age did you have your fallopian tubes tied?

If exact age is not known, provide your best estimate.

• Age in years

Healthcare

Now, here is a question about primary health care. This type of health care is often delivered by family doctors or nurse practitioners.

Do you have a regular health care provider? By this, we mean a primary health care professional that you can consult with when you need care or advice for your health.

Select "Yes, another health professional" if you receive regular care from locums.

• Yes, a family doctor
• Yes, a nurse practitioner
• Yes, another health professional
  • Specify the other health professional
• No

In the past 5 years, did you feel that you were discriminated against in a health care setting for any reason?

Discrimination is an action or a decision that treats a person or a group badly for reasons such as their race, religion, age, sex, gender, marital status, or disability. These reasons are protected under the Canadian Human Rights Act.

• Yes
• No

Indigenous Identity

Are you First Nations, Métis or Inuk (Inuit)?

First Nations (North American Indian) includes Status and Non-Status Indians.

If "Yes", select the responses that best describes this person now.

• No, not First Nations, Métis or Inuk (Inuit)
  OR
• Yes, First Nations (North American Indian)
• Yes, Métis
• Yes, Inuk (Inuit)

The following question collects information in accordance with the Employment Equity Act and its Regulations and Guidelines to support programs that promote equal opportunity for everyone to share in the social, cultural, and economic life of Canada.

Select all that apply.

Are you:

• White
• South Asian
  e.g., East Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan
• Chinese
• Black
• Filipino
• Arab
• Latin American
• Southeast Asian
  e.g., Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian, Thai
• West Asian
  e.g., Iranian, Afghan
• Korean
• Japanese
• Other
  • Specify other group

Education

What is the highest certificate, diploma or degree that you have completed?

• Less than high school diploma or its equivalent
• High school diploma or a high school equivalency certificate
• Trades certificate or diploma
• College, CEGEP or other non-university certificate or diploma (other than trades certificates or diplomas)
• University certificate or diploma below the bachelor's level
• Bachelor's degree
  e.g., B.A., B.A. (Hons), B.Sc., B.Ed., LL.B.
• University certificate, diploma or degree above the bachelor's level

Administrative Information

To enhance the data from this survey and to minimize the reporting burden for respondents, Statistics Canada will combine your responses with information from the tax data of all members of your household. [Statistics Canada, the provincial ministry of health and the Institut de la statistique du Québec/Statistics Canada and the provincial ministry of health] may also add information from other surveys or administrative sources.

Having a provincial or territorial health number will assist us in linking to this other information. Do you have a [PROVINCE] health number?

• Yes
• No

For which province or territory is your health number?

If you do not have a Canadian health number, select "Does not have a Canadian health number" from the drop-down list.

• Province or territory

What is your health number?

Enter a health number for [PROVINCE]. In [PROVINCE], the health number is made up of [DIGITS]. Do not insert blanks, hyphens or commas between the numbers.

[Note: In Manitoba, health numbers of families can be listed on the same card. Be sure to capture the intended respondent's health number if there is more than one on the card./Note: In British Columbia, residents may have a combined driver's license and health card. If the respondent has a combined card, the health number is on the back above the barcode./BLANK]

• Health number

[To avoid duplication of surveys, Statistics Canada has signed agreements to share the data from this survey with provincial ministries of health. Provincial ministries of health may make the data available to local health authorities.

Data shared with your ministry of health may also include identifiers such as name, address, telephone number and health number. Local health authorities would receive only survey responses and the postal code. /

To avoid duplication of surveys, Statistics Canada has signed agreements to share data from this survey with provincial ministries of health and the Institut de la statistique du Québec. The Institut de la statistique du Québec and provincial ministries of health may make this data available to local health authorities.

Data shared with your ministry of health or the Institut de la statistique du Québec may also include identifiers such as name, address, telephone number and health number. Local health authorities would receive only survey responses and the postal code.]

These organizations have agreed to keep the data confidential and use it only for statistical purposes.
Do you agree to share the data you provided?

• Yes
• No

To reduce the number of questions in this questionnaire, Statistics Canada will use information from your tax forms submitted to the Canada Revenue Agency. With your consent Statistics Canada will share this information from your tax forms with [provincial ministries of health and the Institut de la statistique du Québec/provincial ministries of health].

These organizations have agreed to keep the information confidential and to use it only for statistical and research purposes.

Do you give Statistics Canada permission to share your tax information with [provincial ministries of health and the Institut de la statistique du Québec/provincial ministries of health]?

• Yes
• No

Resources

Thank you for completing the Canadian Sexual and Reproductive Health Survey.

[Contact information for some resources that may help support you or someone you know is available.

While you may wish to use these services, please note Statistics Canada is not affiliated with any of these organizations./Some resources are provided that may help support you or someone you know.

While you may wish to use these services, please note Statistics Canada is not affiliated with any of these organizations.] 

Resources list

Baby’s Breath

Provides support for parents experiencing all sudden and unexpected infant deaths and stillbirth
https://www.babysbreathcanada.ca/
Telephone: 1-800-363-7437

Parent Orphelins (Quebec residents)

Provides support for parents grieving due to pregnancy and infant loss
Telephone: 514-686-4880
https://parentsorphelins.org/en/

Access line for Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights

The Access Line is a 7-day a week toll-free, confidential phone and text line. It is available for questions about sexual health, pregnancy options, abortion, and safer sex. They provide information and make referrals to sexual health providers.
https://www.actioncanadashr.org/call-access-line-1-888-642-2725

Canadian Mental Health Association (National)

Provides advocacy, programs and resources that help to prevent mental health problems and illnesses and support recovery and resilience
https://cmha.ca/find-info/mental-health/
Telephone: 1-833-456-4566
Telephone: 1-866-277-3553 (in Quebec)

Government of Canada (Family violence resources and services in your area)

Links for family violence resources and services in your area
https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/health-promotion/stop-family-violence/services.html

Suicide Crisis Helpline

A national network of existing distress, crisis and suicide prevention line services
https://988.ca/
Telephone: 9-8-8
Text: 9-8-8

Information for respondents

Authority to publish

Section 17 of the Statistics Act allows for the disclosure of certain information relating to an organization. For this survey, Statistics Canada will release the names of federal departments and agencies whose science and technology (S&T) expenditures surpass 2% of the total federal S&T expenditures for the 2025/2026 reference year. This applies to departments that previously authorized publication in the 2024/2025 collection cycle. For each of these departments, data on expenditures and personnel will be published. 

Respondent Information:

• Name of person who approved the data reported
• Signature
• Official position
• Program
• Department or agency
• E-mail address
• Telephone number

Enquiries to be directed to:

• Name
• Date
• Position title
• Telephone number
• Email address
• Fax number

Purpose

This survey collects financial and operating data on expenditures and full-time equivalent personnel on the scientific activities of Federal Government Public Administration in Canada.

Additional information

The data collected are used by federal and provincial science policy analysts, and are also part of the gross domestic expenditures on research and development (GERD). Your information may also be used by Statistics Canada for other statistical and research purposes.

Authority

Collected under the authority of the Statistics Act, Revised Statutes of Canada, 1985, Chapter S-19.

Completion of this questionnaire is a legal requirement under this Act.

Confidentiality

Statistics Canada is prohibited by law from releasing any information it collects which could identify any person, business, or organization, unless consent has been given by the respondent or as permitted by the Statistics Act. Statistics Canada will use the information from this survey for statistical purposes.

Data-sharing agreements

To reduce respondent burden, Statistics Canada has entered into data-sharing agreements with provincial and territorial statistical agencies and other government organizations, which have agreed to keep the data confidential and use them only for statistical purposes. Statistics Canada will only share data from this survey with those organizations that have demonstrated a requirement to use the data.

Section 11 of the Statistics Act provides for the sharing of information with provincial and territorial statistical agencies that meet certain conditions. These agencies must have the legislative authority to collect the same information, on a mandatory basis, and the legislation must provide substantially the same provisions for confidentiality and penalties for disclosure of confidential information as the Statistics Act. Because these agencies have the legal authority to compel businesses to provide the same information, consent is not requested and businesses may not object to the sharing of the data.

For this survey, there are Section 11 agreements with the provincial and territorial statistical agencies of Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, and the Yukon.

The shared data will be limited to information pertaining to federal departments and agencies located within the jurisdiction of the respective province or territory.

Section 12 of the Statistics Act provides for the sharing of information with federal, provincial or territorial government organizations. Under Section 12, you may refuse to share your information with any of these organizations by writing a letter of objection to the Chief Statistician and returning it with the completed questionnaire. Please specify the organizations with which you do not want to share your data.

For this survey, there are Section 12 agreements with the statistical agencies of Prince Edward Island, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Innovation Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED), as well as the Office of the Chief Science Advisor (OCSA) of ISED. 

The shared data will be limited to information pertaining to federal departments and agencies located within the jurisdiction of the respective province or territory.

Record linkage

To enhance the data from this survey and to minimize the reporting burden, Statistics Canada may combine it with information from other surveys or from administrative sources.

Security of emails and faxes

Statistics Canada advises you that there could be a risk of disclosure during the transmission of information by facsimile or e-mail. However, upon receipt, Statistics Canada will provide the guaranteed level of protection afforded all information collected under the authority of the Statistics Act.

Return procedures

Please forward the completed questionnaire and listing of extramural performers through the Electronic File Transfer service (EFT).

For further inquiries:

• Phone Number: toll free at 1-888-659-8229
• Fax number: toll free at 1-800-755-5514
• Email: statcan.fsepsurv-enqdmsf.statcan@statcan.gc.ca

Thank you for your co-operation.

FSEP - Introduction

This introduction is intended to provide an overview of the process of collecting science expenditure data; definitions of and explanatory notes on natural sciences and engineering, social sciences, humanities and the arts, scientific and technological activities, performance sectors, and other terms used are given in subsequent sections.

The collection of science expenditure data is organized by the Centre for Innovation, Technology and Enterprise Statistics (CITES) of Statistics Canada. This exercise was formerly conducted under the aegis of the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat but is now solely a Statistics Canada survey.

Collection is undertaken to gather essential data describing the recent, current and proposed state of the federal resources allocated to science. Federal science expenditures data are provided to Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada who in turn use the data in the development of advice to the Assistant Deputy Ministers' Steering Committee on the Management of S&T, their Minister and the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, as well as in policy development and in monitoring the implementation of science policies. Statistics Canada maintains historical expenditure series in natural sciences and engineering dating back to 1963 and to 1971 in the social sciences, humanities and the arts. These data are available through the Centre for Innovation, Technology and Enterprise Statistics (CITES) or through special requests.

The basic reporting unit is the budgetary program of a department or agency. Each budgetary program forms the subject of separate scientific expenditure reports for the natural and for the social science activities within it. Both the program and the program activities within it may be scientific in whole or in part only. Only expenditures on the scientific components of a program or its activity are reported. In some programs it will be difficult to distinguish between the natural and social sciences. However, some allocation must be made and in determining this allocation, the dominant orientation of the projects and the area of expertise of the personnel involved must be considered. Detailed definitions are given on the following pages.

On the questionnaires, the identified expenditures are looked at from several different viewpoints and in various subdivisions. Expenditures on research and development (R&D) and related scientific activities (RSA) are subdivided to provide an indication of the "what" of a department's scientific effort. Expenditures in each category of scientific activity are further subdivided into "current" and "capital" segments. Current expenditures are additionally subdivided by sector, to indicate the "where" and "by whom" the activity is performed (e.g., in business enterprise, in higher education).

The human resources allocated to scientific activities are summarized in terms of the involved categories of personnel (scientific and professional, technical, etc.) and the principal focus of their efforts (R&D, RSA and, administration of extramural programs).

When completed, checked for consistency with previous reports, entered into the database and totaled along the various dimensions, these data provide snapshots of the federal resources allocated to science, supporting not only the work of central agencies but also the submissions of departments and agencies requesting resources.

Purpose

This survey collects financial and operating data on expenditures and full-time equivalent personnel on the scientific activities of Federal Government Public Administration in Canada.

Question 1: Expenditures by activity and performer

General

The social sciences, humanities and the arts consist of disciplines involving the study of human actions and conditions and the social, economic and institutional mechanisms affecting humans. Included are such disciplines as arts, economics and business, education, history and archaeology, law, language and linguistics, media and communications, philosophy, ethics and religion, psychology and cognitive sciences, social and economic geography, and sociology.

Expenditures by activity and performer

Scientific and technological (S&T) activities can be defined as all systematic activities which are closely concerned with the generation, advancement, dissemination and application of scientific and technology knowledge in all fields of science and technology, that is the natural sciences and engineering, and the social sciences, humanities and the arts.

The central activity is scientific research and experimental development (R&D). In addition there are a number of activities closely related to R&D, and are termed related scientific activities (RSA). Those identified as being appropriate for the federal government in the social sciences, humanities and the arts are: general purpose data collection, information services, special services and studies and education support.

The performer is equivalent to the sector in which the scientific activity is conducted. The basic distinction is between intramural and extramural performance. Extramural payments are classified on the basis of the performance sectors to which they are made. The appropriate extramural performers are business enterprise, higher  education, Canadian non-profit institutions, provincial and municipal government, and foreign performers.

I. Performers

lntramural activities include all current expenditures incurred for scientific activities carried out by in-house personnel of units assigned to the program; the related gross fixed capital expenditures (acquisition of land, buildings, machinery and equipment for scientific activities); the administration of scientific activities by program employees; and, the purchase of goods and services to support in-house scientific activities (include royalties or licences for the use of patents and other intellectual property rights, the lease of capital goods (machinery and equipment, etc.) and the rental of buildings to support scientific activities performed by the statistical unit in the reference year).

The intramural expenditures reported for scientific activities are those direct costs, including salaries, associated with scientific programs. The costs should include that portion of a program's contribution to employee benefit plans (e.g., superannuation and compensation) which is applicable to the scientific personnel within the program. The summation of intramural R&D activity is synonymous with the performance of R&D for the entire economy (GERD).

Extramural performers are groups being funded by the federal government sector for S&T activities. In this survey the extramural performers include:

• Business enterprise – business and government enterprises including public utilities and government-owned firms. Both financial and non-financial corporations are included. Incorporated consultants or unincorporated individuals providing scientific and engineering services are also included. Industrial research institutes located at Canadian universities are considered to be in the higher education sector.
• Higher education – comprises all universities, colleges of technology and other institutes of post-secondary education, whatever their source of finance or legal status. It also includes teaching hospitals (non-teaching hospitals are in the Canadian non-profit sector), all research institutes, centers, experimental stations and clinics that have their scientific activities under the direct control of, or administered by, or associated with, the higher education establishments.
• Canadian non-profit institutions – charitable foundations, voluntary health organizations, scientific and professional societies, non-teaching hospitals (teaching hospitals are in the higher education sector) and other organizations not established to earn profits. Non-profit institutions primarily serving or controlled by another sector should be included in the controlling sector.
• Provincial and municipal governments – departments and agencies of these governments as well as provincial research organizations. Government enterprises, such as provincial utilities are included in the business enterprise sector, and non-teaching hospitals in the Canadian non-profit institutions sector.
• Foreign performers – all foreign government agencies, foreign companies (including foreign subsidiaries of Canadian firms), international organizations, non-resident foreign nationals and Canadians studying or teaching abroad.

II. Research and experimental development (R&D)

Research and experimental development (R&D) - comprise creative and systematic work undertaken in order to increase the stock of knowledge - including knowledge of humankind, culture and society - and to devise new applications of available knowledge.

R&D activities may be aimed at achieving either specific or general objectives. R&D is always aimed at new findings, based on original concepts (and their interpretation) or hypotheses. It is largely uncertain about its final outcome (or at least about the quantity of time and resources needed to achieve it), it is planned for and budgeted (even when carried out by individuals), and it is aimed at producing results that could be either freely transferred or traded in a marketplace.

For an activity to be an R&D activity, it must satisfy five core criteria:

• To be aimed at new findings (novel);
• To be based on original, not obvious, concepts and hypothesis (creative);
• To be uncertain about the final outcome (uncertainty);
• To be planned and budgeted (systematic);
• To lead to results that could be possibly reproduced (transferable/or reproducible).

Examples of R&D:

• A review of theories on the factors determining regional disparities in economic growth.
• Understanding the fundamental dynamics of spatial interactions.
• Comparative evaluations of national education programs aimed at reducing the learning gap experienced by disadvantaged communities.
• Research studies analyzing the spatial-temporal patterns in the transmission and diffusion of an infectious disease outbreak.

Both "research" and "development" are often used with different meanings in the government. For example, it is increasingly common to hear that a person is "researching" something (i.e. the person is looking for information about something). Similarly, there are many units with either "research" or "development" or both terms in their titles which are concerned primarily with information gathering, speech writing, and preparation of position papers. These should be excluded from the scientific activity of R&D. On the other hand, a case study on unemployment in a specific region, if applying original techniques in interviewing survey respondents could include such data collection in its R&D effort. From a broad perspective, to the extent that the social sciences are using empirical data, the same guidelines have to be applied as for the natural sciences (although excluding the testing of their results on an experimental basis).

Many social scientists perform work in which they bring the established methodologies and facts of the social sciences to bear upon a particular problem, but which cannot be classified as research. The following are examples of work which might be included in this category and are not R&D: interpretative commentary on the probable economic effects of a change in the tax structure using existing economic data; forecasting future changes in the pattern of the demand for social services within a given area arising from an altered demographic structure; operations research as a contribution to decision-making, e.g. planning the optimal distribution system for a factory; the use of standard techniques in applied psychology to select and classify industrial and military personnel, students, etc., and to test children with reading or other disabilities.

1. In-house R&D – R&D performed by personnel of the reporting program. It may include R&D carried out on behalf of another program or federal government department.

2. R&D contracts – R&D contracts to an outside institution or individual to fund R&D performed by the institution or individual. The criterion is: would the performer report the R&D contract as in-house (intramural) R&D that is government-funded? If the answer is yes the activity would be an R&D contract. If no, and the funding is to provide goods and services necessary to support the in-house R&D of the federal government it should be reported as In-house R&D.

3. R&D grants and contributions – awards to organizations or individuals for the conduct of R&D and intended to benefit the recipients rather than provide the program with goods, services or information. These funds are normally identical to that portion of the budgetary "grants and contributions" line object of expenditure which is devoted to R&D activities.

4. Research fellowships – awards to individuals for advanced research training and experience. Awards intended primarily to support the education of the recipients should be reported as "education support".

5. Administration of extramural programs – the costs of identifiable units engaged in the administration of contracts and grants and contributions for scientific activities that are to be performed outside the federal government. These expenditures should be broken down by the type of scientific activity supported, i.e. R&D or RSA.

6. Capital expenditures – the annual gross amount paid for the acquisition of fixed assets that are used repeatedly or continuously in the performance of scientific activities for more than one year. They should be reported in full for the period when they took place, whether acquired or developed in house, and should not be registered as an element of depreciation.

The most relevant types of assets used for capital expenditures are:

• Land and buildings
• Machinery and equipment
• Capitalized computer software
• Other intellectual property products

III. Related scientific activities (RSA)

Related scientific activities (RSA) are all systematic activities which are closely concerned with the generation, advancement, dissemination and application of scientific and technological knowledge. The types of related scientific activities for the social sciences, humanities and the arts are described below.

7. In-house RSA – RSA performed by personnel of the reporting program. It may include RSA carried out on behalf of another program or federal government department.

In-house RSA activities include all current expenditures incurred for scientific activities carried out by in-house personnel of units assigned to the program; the purchase of goods and services to support in-house scientific activities (include royalties or licences for the use of patents and other intellectual property rights, and the rental of buildings to support scientific activities performed by the statistical unit in the reference year). Also include expenses of persons who provide ancillary services such as security, cleaning and maintenance work, finance and administration that are proportional to the RSA being conducted. However, the personnel providing these services are not to be included in the in-house personnel counts (see Section 2. Personnel).

The intramural expenditures reported to RSA are those direct costs, including salaries, associated with scientific programs. The cost should include that portion of a program's contribution to employee benefit plans (e.g., superannuation and compensation) which is applicable to the scientific personnel within the program. Also include the costs of self-employed individuals, consultants and researchers who are working on-site on the departments' RSA projects.

8. RSA contracts – contracts to an outside institution or individual to fund RSA performed by the institution or individual. The criterion is: would the performer report the RSA contract as in-house (intramural) RSA that is government-funded? If the answer is yes the activity would be an RSA contract. If no, and the funding is for the purchase goods and services to support the in-house RSA of the federal government department, it should be reported as In-house RSA (Item 7).
Contracts to other federal government departments should be reported as a transfer of funds in question 3A (i) and 3A (ii) of the questionnaire.

9. RSA grants and contributions – awards to organizations or individuals for the conduct of RSA and intended to benefit the recipients rather than provide the program with goods, services or information. These funds are normally identical to that portion of the budgetary "grants and contributions" line object of expenditure which is devoted to RSA.

In-house RSA, RSA Contracts and RSA grants and contributions can include the following items:

• General purpose data collection – the routine gathering, processing, collating and analyzing and publication of information on human phenomena using survey, regular and special investigations and compilations of existing records. It excludes data collected primarily for internal administrative purpose (e.g. departmental personnel statistics) as well as the collection of data as part of an R&D project.
  Data collected as part of an existing or proposed research project are charged to research. Similarly, the costs of analyzing existing data as part of a research project are R&D costs, even when the data were originally collected for some other purpose. The institutions involved are generally the statistical bureaus of Canadian governments and the statistical sections of departments and agencies. If there are units whose principal activity is R&D, their costs and personnel should be assigned to R&D; specialized libraries with separate budgets should be assigned to information services.
• Information services – all work directed to collecting, coding, analyzing, evaluating, recording, classifying, translating and disseminating scientific and technological information as well as museum services. Included are the operations of scientific and technical libraries, S&T consulting and advisory services, the Patent Office, the publication of scientific journals and monographs, and the organizing of scientific conferences. Grants for the publication of scholarly works are also included.
  General purpose information services or information services directed primarily towards the general public are excluded, as are general departmental and public libraries. When individual budgets exist, the costs of libraries which belong to institutions otherwise entirely classified to another activity, such as R&D, should be assigned to information services. The costs of printing and distributing reports from another activity, such as R&D, are normally attributed to that activity.
• Sub category under Information services:
  • Museum services – the collecting, cataloguing and displaying of specimens and representations relating to human history, social organization and creations. The activity involves a systematic attempt to preserve and display the works of human beings and to provide information on their works, history, and nature. The scientific activities of historical museums, archeological displays, and art galleries are included. In all cases the costs of providing entertainment and recreation to visitors should be excluded (e.g. restaurants, children's gardens and museums).
    When a museum also covers aspects of natural history, the museum's operations should be divided between the social and natural sciences. However, museums of science and technology, war, etc., which display synthetic or artificial objects and may also illustrate the operations of certain technologies, should be considered as engaged in museum services in social sciences.
  • Special services and studies - systematic investigations carried out in order to provide information needed for planning or policy formulation. Demonstration projects are also included.
    The work is usually carried out by specialized units in some government departments, by consultants, by royal commissions, and by task forces. The activity is similar to R&D since it may require innovative analyses and a high degree of scientific ability. However, such studies are not intended to acquire new knowledge but to provide specific answers to specific problems (generally immediate, localized and perhaps temporary). The day-to-day operations of units concerned with departmental planning, organization or management are not normally included (i.e. administrative records kept by departments of education) but special projects may be relevant.
• Sub categories under Special services and studies include:
  • Economic and feasibility studies – the investigation of the socio-economic characteristics and implications of specific situations (e.g. a study of the variability of a petrochemical complex in a certain region). Note that feasibility studies on research projects are part of R&D.
  • Operations and policy-related studies – covers a range of activities, such as the analysis and assessment of the existing programs, policies and operations of government departments and other institutions; the work of units concerned with the continuing analysis and monitoring of external phenomena (e.g. defence and security analysis); and the work of legislative commissions of inquiry concerned with general government or departmental policy or operations.
    Any activity aimed at providing close support to policy actions, as well as to legislative activity, should be included as a related scientific activity (RSA). This includes policy advice and relations with the media, legal advice, public relations or even technical support for the administrative activity (e.g. accounting).
    Research activities aimed at providing the decision makers with a thorough knowledge of social, economic or natural phenomena have to be included in R&D. These R&D activities are usually performed by skilled personnel - researchers - in small teams of experts and consultants and meet the standard academic criteria for scientific work (in addition to the R&D criteria).
  • Education support – grants to individuals or institutions on behalf of individuals which are intended to support the post-secondary education of students in technology and the social sciences. General purpose grants to educational institutions are excluded. The activity includes the support of foreign students in their studies of the social sciences at Canadian or foreign institutions. Grants intended primarily to support the research of individuals at universities are either R&D grants or research fellowships.

10. Administration of extramural programs – the costs of identifiable units engaged in the administration of contracts and grants and contributions for scientific activities that are to be performed outside the federal government. These expenditures should be broken down by the type of scientific activity supported, i.e. R&D or RSA.

11. Capital expenditures – the annual gross amount paid for the acquisition of fixed assets that are used repeatedly or continuously in the performance of scientific activities for more than one year. They should be reported in full for the period when they took place, whether acquired or developed in house, and should not be registered as an element of depreciation.

The most relevant types of assets used for capital expenditures are:

• Land and buildings
• Machinery and equipment
• Capitalized computer software
• Other intellectual property product

Question 2: Personnel

Full-time equivalent (FTE) – the ratio of working hours actually spent on scientific activities during a specific reference period divided by the total number of hours conventionally worked in the same period by an individual or a group. For example, an employee who is engaged in scientific activities for half a year has a full-time equivalence of 0.5. Personnel data reported should be consistent with expenditures data.

Scientific and professional – researchers and professionals engaged in the conception or creation of new knowledge. They conduct research and improve or develop concepts, theories, models, techniques instrumentation, software or operational methods. They require at least one academic degree or a nationally recognized professional qualification, as well as those with equivalent experience.

Technical – technicians and equivalent staff are persons whose main tasks require technical knowledge and experience in one or more fields of engineering, the physical and life sciences, or the social sciences, humanities and the arts. They perform scientific and technical tasks involving the application of concepts and operational methods and the use of research equipment, normally under the supervision of researchers.

Other – other supporting staff includes skilled and unskilled craftsmen, and administrative, secretarial and clerical staff participating in science and technology projects or directly associated with such projects.

Question 2: Personnel by gender

Gender – refers to current gender which may be different from sex assigned at birth and may be different from what is indicated on legal documents. Categories include: man, woman, and non-binary person.

Man – this category includes persons whose reported gender is male. It includes cisgender (cis) and transgender (trans) men. 

Woman – this category includes persons whose reported gender is female. It includes cisgender (cis) and transgender (trans) women. 

Non-binary person – this category includes persons whose reported gender is not exclusively male or female.

Question 3: Sources of funds

Question 3A (i). Transfers for social sciences, humanities and the arts activities

Include payments and recipients for contracts, transfers and joint programs from/to other federal government departments. Please identify the amount and names of the origination and recipient programs.

Question 3A (ii). Sources of funds for total scientific and technological activities

This question identifies the sources of funds for expenditures on scientific activities reported for all three years. It will help to ensure that work funded from outside the department is not overlooked.

• Departmental S&T budget – that portion of the total departmental budget which was spent on social sciences, humanities and the arts activities.
• Revenues to / from other federal departments – money transferred from this program to another federal department or money transferred into this program from another federal department for activities in the social sciences, humanities and the arts.
• Provincial government departments – all funds from the provincial government used for social sciences, humanities and the arts activities. The funds are referred to as payments, contributions, transfers, etc. Also include provincial portions of federal-provincial cost sharing programs performed by the department program.
• Business enterprises – all funds from business enterprises used for social sciences, humanities and the arts activities performed by the department.
• Other – all funds for social sciences, humanities and the arts activities from sources not specified above.

Question 4: Socio-economic objectives

Intramural and extramural scientific and technological expenditures by socio-economic objective for the reporting year by activity (research and experimental development, related scientific activities, and total).

• 1. Exploration and exploitation of the Earth
• 2. Environment 
• 3. Exploration and exploitation of space
• 4. Transport, telecommunication and other infrastructures
• 5. Energy
• 6. Industrial production and technology
• 7. Health
• 8. Agriculture (include forestry and fisheries)
  • 8.1: Agriculture
  • 8.2: Fishing
  • 8.3: Forestry
• 9. Education 
• 10. Culture, recreation, religion and mass media
• 11. Political and social systems, structures and processes
• 12. Defence

1. Exploration and exploitation of the Earth – scientific activities with objectives related to the exploration of the Earth's crust and mantle, seas, oceans and atmosphere, as well as on their exploitation. It also includes climatic and meteorological research, polar exploration (under various headings, as appropriate) and hydrology. It does not include scientific activities related to soil improvement (objective 4), land use or fishing (objective 8), or pollution (objective 2).

Examples:

• General scientific activities
• Mineral, oil and natural gas prospecting
• Exploration and exploitation of the sea-bed
• Earth's crust and mantle excluding sea-bed and studies of soil for agriculture (objective 8)
• Hydrology - excludes scientific activities on: water supplied and disposal (objective 4) and water pollution (objective 2)
• Sea and oceans
• Atmosphere
• Other scientific activities on the exploration and exploitation of the earth

Excludes: scientific activities on pollution (objective 2), soil improvement (objective 4), land-use and fishing (objective 8).

2. Environment - covers scientific activities aimed at improving the control of pollution, including the identification and analysis of the sources of pollution and their causes, and all pollutants, including their dispersal in the environment and the effects on humans, species (fauna, flora, micro-organisms) and the biosphere.

The development of monitoring facilities for the measurement of all kinds of pollution is included, as is scientific activities for the elimination and prevention of all forms of pollution in all types of environment.

3. Exploration and exploitation of space – covers all civil space scientific activities relating to the scientific exploration of space, space laboratories, space travel and launch systems. Although civil space scientific activities is not in general concerned with particular objectives, it frequently has a specific goal, such as the advancement of knowledge (e.g. astronomy) or relates to particular applications (e.g. telecommunications satellites or earth observation). This chapter does not include corresponding scientific activities for defence purposes.

4. Transport, telecommunication and other infrastructures – Transport, telecommunication and other infrastructures - covers scientific activities aimed at infrastructure and land development, including the construction of buildings. More generally, this objective covers all scientific activities relating to the general planning of land use. This includes scientific activities into protection against harmful effects in town and country planning but not research into other types of pollution (objective 2). This objective also includes scientific activities related to transport systems; telecommunication systems; general planning of land use; the construction and planning of buildings; civil engineering; and water supply.

5. Energy – covers scientific activities aimed at improving the production, storage, transportation, distribution and rational use of all forms of energy. It also includes scientific activities on processes designed to increase the efficiency of energy production and distribution, and the study of energy conservation. It does not include scientific activities related to prospecting (objective 1) or scientific activities into vehicle and engine propulsion (objective 6).

Examples:

• Fossil fuels and their derivatives
• Nuclear fission
• Radioactive waste management including decommissioning with regard to fuel/energy
• Nuclear fusion
• Renewable energy sources
• Rational utilization of energy

6. Industrial production and technology – covers scientific activities on the improvement of industrial production and technology. It includes scientific activities on industrial products and their manufacturing processes except where they form an integral part of the pursuit of other objectives (e.g. defence, space, energy, agriculture).

Examples:

• Increasing economic efficiency and competitiveness
• Manufacturing and processing techniques
• Petrochemical and coal by-products
• Pharmaceutical products
• Manufacture of motor vehicles and other means of transport
• Aerospace equipment manufacturing and repairing
• Electronic and related industries
• Manufacture of electrical machinery and apparatus
• Manufacture of non-electronic and non-electronical machinery
• Manufacture of medical and surgical equipment and orthopaedic appliances
• Manufacture of food products and beverages
• Manufacture of clothing and textiles and leather goods
• Recycling

7. Health - covers scientific activities aimed at protecting, promoting and restoring human health broadly interpreted to include health aspects of nutrition and food hygiene. It ranges from preventive medicine, including all aspects of medical and surgical treatment, both for individuals and groups, and the provision of hospital and home care, to social medicine and paediatric and geriatric research.

Examples:

• General scientific activities
• Medical scientific activities, hospital treatment, surgery
• Preventive medicine
• Biomedical engineering and medicines
• Occupational medicine
• Nutrition and food hygiene
• Drug abuse and addition
• Social medicine
• Hospital structure and organization of medical care
• Other medical scientific activities

8. Agriculture (include forestry and fisheries) – covers all scientific activities on the promotion of agriculture, forestry, fisheries and foodstuff production, or further knowledge on chemical fertilizers, biocides, biological pest control and the mechanization of agriculture, as well as concerning the impact of agricultural and forestry activities on the environment. Also covers scientific activities on improving food productivity and technology.

8.1 Agriculture – covers scientific activities on animal products, veterinary medicine, crops, food technology and other scientific activities on agricultural production and technology.

8.2 Fishing – covers scientific activities on fishing, salting, drying, and initial freezing of products (but not on preparation and canning (objective 6)), scientific activities on fish-farming, exploration of new fishing grounds, exploration and development of new and unconventional sources of seafood.

8.3 Forestry – covers scientific activities into the ecological and economic aspects of forestry and timber production.

9. Education – covers scientific activities aimed at supporting general or special education, including training, pedagogy, didactics, and targeted methods for specially gifted persons or those with learning disabilities. Applied to all levels of education as well as to subsidiary services to education.

10. Culture, recreation, religion and mass media – covers scientific activities aimed at improving the understanding of social phenomena related to culture activities, religion and leisure activities so as to define their impact on life in society, as well as to racial and cultural integration and on socio-cultural changes in these areas. The concept of "culture" covers sociology of science, religion, art, sport and leisure, and also comprises inter alia R&D on the media, the mastery of language and social integration, libraries, archives and external cultural policy.

11. Political and social system, structures and processes – covers scientific activities aimed at improving the understanding and supporting the political structure of society, public administration issues and economic policy, regional studies and multi-level governance, social change, social processes and social conflicts, the development of social security and social assistance systems, and the social aspects of the organization of work.

12. Defence – covers scientific activities for military purposes. It also includes basic research and nuclear and space research financed by the Department of National defence. Civil scientific activities financed by ministries of defence, for example, in the fields of meteorology, telecommunications and health, should be classified in the relevant objectives.

Question 5: Expenditures and personnel by region

Scientific and technological expenditures and personnel of federal organizations for the reference year, including current and capital expenditures for intramural R&D and RSA and by scientific and professional and total personnel for R&D and RSA.

• Newfoundland and Labrador
• Prince Edward Island
• Nova Scotia
• New Brunswick
• Quebec (excluding NCR - Quebec)
• National Capital Region (NCR) - Quebec
• Ontario (excluding NCR - Ontario)
• National Capital Region (NCR) - Ontario
• Manitoba
• Saskatchewan
• Alberta
• British Columbia
• Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut
• Canada Total

Information for respondents

Authority to publish

Section 17 of the Statistics Act allows for the disclosure of certain information relating to an organization. For this survey, Statistics Canada will release the names of federal departments and agencies whose science and technology (S&T) expenditures surpass 2% of the total federal S&T expenditures for the 2025/2026 reference year. This applies to departments that previously authorized publication in the 2024/2025 collection cycle. For each of these departments, data on expenditures and personnel will be published.

Respondent Information:

• Name of person who approved the data reported
• Signature
• Official position
• Program
• Department or agency
• E-mail address
• Telephone number

Enquiries to be directed to:

• Name
• Date
• Position title
• Telephone number
• Email address
• Fax number

Purpose

This survey collects financial and operating data on expenditures and full-time equivalent personnel on the scientific activities of Federal Government Public Administration in Canada.

Additional information

The data collected are used by federal and provincial science policy analysts, and are also part of the gross domestic expenditures on research and development (GERD). Your information may also be used by Statistics Canada for other statistical and research purposes.

Authority

Collected under the authority of the Statistics Act, Revised Statutes of Canada, 1985, Chapter S-19.

Completion of this questionnaire is a legal requirement under this Act.

Confidentiality

Statistics Canada is prohibited by law from releasing any information it collects which could identify any person, business, or organization, unless consent has been given by the respondent or as permitted by the Statistics Act. Statistics Canada will use the information from this survey for statistical purposes.

Data-sharing agreements

To reduce respondent burden, Statistics Canada has entered into data-sharing agreements with provincial and territorial statistical agencies and other government organizations, which have agreed to keep the data confidential and use them only for statistical purposes. Statistics Canada will only share data from this survey with those organizations that have demonstrated a requirement to use the data.

Section 11 of the Statistics Act provides for the sharing of information with provincial and territorial statistical agencies that meet certain conditions. These agencies must have the legislative authority to collect the same information, on a mandatory basis, and the legislation must provide substantially the same provisions for confidentiality and penalties for disclosure of confidential information as the Statistics Act. Because these agencies have the legal authority to compel businesses to provide the same information, consent is not requested and businesses may not object to the sharing of the data.

For this survey, there are Section 11 agreements with the provincial and territorial statistical agencies of Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, and the Yukon.

The shared data will be limited to information pertaining to federal departments and agencies located within the jurisdiction of the respective province or territory.

Section 12 of the Statistics Act provides for the sharing of information with federal, provincial or territorial government organizations. Under Section 12, you may refuse to share your information with any of these organizations by writing a letter of objection to the Chief Statistician and returning it with the completed questionnaire. Please specify the organizations with which you do not want to share your data.

For this survey, there are Section 12 agreements with the statistical agencies of Prince Edward Island, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Innovation Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED), as well as the Office of the Chief Science Advisor (OCSA) of ISED. 

The shared data will be limited to information pertaining to federal departments and agencies located within the jurisdiction of the respective province or territory.

Record linkage

To enhance the data from this survey and to minimize the reporting burden, Statistics Canada may combine it with information from other surveys or from administrative sources.

Security of emails and faxes

Statistics Canada advises you that there could be a risk of disclosure during the transmission of information by facsimile or e-mail. However, upon receipt, Statistics Canada will provide the guaranteed level of protection afforded all information collected under the authority of the Statistics Act.

Return procedures

Please forward the completed questionnaire and listing of extramural performers through the Electronic File Transfer service (EFT).
For further inquiries:

• Phone Number: toll free at 1-888-659-8229
• Fax number: toll free at 1-800-755-5514
• Email: statcan.fsepsurv-enqdmsf.statcan@statcan.gc.ca

Thank you for your co-operation.

FSEP - Introduction

This introduction is intended to provide an overview of the process of collecting science expenditure data; definitions of and explanatory notes on natural sciences and engineering, social sciences, humanities and the arts, scientific and technological activities, performance sectors, and other terms used are given in subsequent sections.

The collection of science expenditure data is organized by the Centre for Innovation, Technology and Enterprise Statistics (CITES) of Statistics Canada. This exercise was formerly conducted under the aegis of the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat but is now solely a Statistics Canada survey.

Collection is undertaken to gather essential data describing the recent, current and proposed state of the federal resources allocated to science. Federal science expenditures data are provided to Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada who in turn use the data in the development of advice to the Assistant Deputy Ministers' Steering Committee on the Management of S&T, their Minister and the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, as well as in policy development and in monitoring the implementation of science policies. Statistics Canada maintains historical expenditure series in natural sciences and engineering dating back to 1963 and to 1971 in the social sciences, humanities and the arts. These data are available through the Centre for Innovation, Technology and Enterprise Statistics (CITES) or through special requests.

The basic reporting unit is the budgetary program of a department or agency. Each budgetary program forms the subject of separate scientific expenditure reports for the natural and for the social science activities within it. Both the program and the program activities within it may be scientific in whole or in part only. Only expenditures on the scientific components of a program or its activity are reported. In some programs it will be difficult to distinguish between the natural and social sciences. However, some allocation must be made and in determining this allocation, the dominant orientation of the projects and the area of expertise of the personnel involved must be considered. Detailed definitions are given on the following pages.

On the questionnaires, the identified expenditures are looked at from several different viewpoints and in various subdivisions. Expenditures on research and development (R&D) and related scientific activities (RSA) are subdivided to provide an indication of the "what" of a department's scientific effort. Expenditures in each category of scientific activity are further subdivided into "current" and "capital" segments. Current expenditures are additionally subdivided by sector, to indicate the "where" and "by whom" the activity is performed (e.g., in business enterprise, in higher education).

The human resources allocated to scientific activities are summarized in terms of the involved categories of personnel (scientific and professional, technical, etc.) and the principal focus of their efforts (R&D, RSA and, administration of extramural programs).

When completed, checked for consistency with previous reports, entered into the database and totaled along the various dimensions, these data provide snapshots of the federal resources allocated to science, supporting not only the work of central agencies but also the submissions of departments and agencies requesting resources.

Purpose

This survey collects financial and operating data on expenditures and full-time equivalent personnel on the scientific activities of Federal Government Public Administration in Canada.

Question 1: Expenditures by activity and performer

General

The natural sciences and engineering consist of disciplines concerned with understanding, exploring, developing or utilizing the natural world. Included are the engineering and technology, mathematical, computer and information sciences, physical sciences, medical and health sciences, and agricultural sciences, veterinary sciences and forestry.

Expenditures by activity and performer

Scientific and technological (S&T) activities can be defined as all systematic activities which are closely concerned with the generation, advancement, dissemination and application of scientific and technology knowledge in all fields of science and technology, that is the natural sciences and engineering, and the social sciences, humanities and the arts.

The central activity is scientific research and experimental development (R&D). In addition there are a number of activities closely related to R&D, and are termed related scientific activities (RSA). Those identified as being appropriate for the federal government in the natural sciences are: scientific data collection, information services, special services and studies and education support.

The performer is equivalent to the sector in which the scientific activity is conducted. The basic distinction is between intramural and extramural performance. Extramural payments are classified on the basis of the performance sectors to which they are made. The appropriate extramural performers are business enterprise, higher education, Canadian non-profit institutions, provincial and municipal government, and foreign performers.

I. Performers

lntramural activities include all current expenditures incurred for scientific activities carried out by in-house personnel of units assigned to the program; the related gross fixed capital expenditures (acquisition of land, buildings, machinery and equipment for scientific activities); the administration of scientific activities by program employees; and, the purchase of goods and services to support in-house scientific activities (include royalties or licences for the use of patents and other intellectual property rights, the lease of capital goods (machinery and equipment, etc.) and the rental of buildings to support scientific activities performed by the statistical unit in the reference year).

The intramural expenditures reported for scientific activities are those direct costs, including salaries, associated with scientific programs. The costs should include that portion of a program's contribution to employee benefit plans (e.g., superannuation and compensation) which is applicable to the scientific personnel within the program. The summation of intramural R&D activity is synonymous with the performance of R&D for the entire economy (GERD).

Extramural performers are groups being funded by the federal government sector for S&T activities. In this survey the extramural performers include:

• Business enterprise – business and government enterprises including public utilities and government-owned firms. Both financial and non-financial corporations are included. Incorporated consultants or unincorporated individuals providing scientific and engineering services are also included. Industrial research institutes located at Canadian universities are considered to be in the higher education sector.
• Higher education – comprises all universities, colleges of technology and other institutes of post-secondary education, whatever their source of finance or legal status. It also includes teaching hospitals (non-teaching hospitals are in the Canadian non-profit sector), all research institutes, centers, experimental stations and clinics that have their scientific activities under the direct control of, or administered by, or associated with, the higher education establishments.
• Canadian non-profit institutions – charitable foundations, voluntary health organizations, scientific and professional societies, non-teaching hospitals (teaching hospitals are in the higher education sector) and other organizations not established to earn profits. Non-profit institutions primarily serving or controlled by another sector should be included in the controlling sector.
• Provincial and municipal governments – departments and agencies of these governments as well as provincial research organizations. Government enterprises, such as provincial utilities are included in the business enterprise sector, and non-teaching hospitals in the Canadian non-profit institutions sector.
• Foreign performers – all foreign government agencies, foreign companies (including foreign subsidiaries of Canadian firms), international organizations, non-resident foreign nationals and Canadians studying or teaching abroad.

II. Research and experimental development (R&D)

Research and experimental development (R&D) - comprise creative and systematic work undertaken in order to increase the stock of knowledge - including knowledge of humankind, culture and society - and to devise new applications of available knowledge.

R&D activities may be aimed at achieving either specific or general objectives. R&D is always aimed at new findings, based on original concepts (and their interpretation) or hypotheses. It is largely uncertain about its final outcome (or at least about the quantity of time and resources needed to achieve it), it is planned for and budgeted (even when carried out by individuals), and it is aimed at producing results that could be either freely transferred or traded in a marketplace.

For an activity to be an R&D activity, it must satisfy five core criteria:

• To be aimed at new findings (novel);
• To be based on original, not obvious, concepts and hypothesis (creative);
• To be uncertain about the final outcome (uncertainty);
• To be planned and budgeted (systematic);
• To lead to results that could be possibly reproduced (transferable/or reproducible).

Examples of R&D:

• A special investigation of a particular mortality in order to establish the side effects of certain cancer treatment is R&D.
• The investigation of new methods of measuring temperature is R&D, as is the study and development of new models for weather prediction.
• Investigation on the genetics of the species of plants in a forest in an attempt to understand natural controls for disease or pest resistance.
• The development of new application software and substantial improvements to operating systems and application programs.

R&D is generally carried out by specialized R&D units. However, an R&D project may also involve the use of non R&D facilities (e.g., testing grounds), the purchase or construction of specialized equipment and materials, and the assistance of other units. Costs of such items, attributable to the project, are to be considered R&D costs.

R&D may also be carried out by units normally engaged in other functions (e.g. a marine survey ship used for hydrological research, a geological survey team may be directed to work in a certain area in order to provide data for a geophysical research project). Such effort is part of an R&D project and, again, so far as is practical, the costs should be assigned to R&D expenditures.

On the other hand, R&D units may also be engaged in non R&D activities such as technical advisory services, testing, and construction of special equipment for other units. So far as is practical, the effort devoted to such operations should be included in the related scientific activities (RSA).

1. In-house R&D – R&D performed by personnel of the reporting program. It may include R&D carried out on behalf of another program or federal government department.

2. R&D contracts – contracts to an outside institution or individual to fund R&D performed by the institution or individual. The criterion is: would the performer report the R&D contract as in-house (intramural) R&D that is government-funded? If the answer is yes the activity would be an R&D contract. If no, and the funding is for the purchase of goods and services to support the in-house R&D of the federal government department, it should be reported as In-house R&D (Item 7).

3. R&D grants and contributions – awards to organizations or individuals for the conduct of R&D and intended to benefit the recipients rather than provide the program with goods, services or information. These funds are normally identical to that portion of the budgetary "grants and contributions" line object of expenditure which is devoted to R&D activities.

4. Research fellowships – awards to individuals for advanced research training and experience. Awards intended primarily to support the education of the recipients should be reported as "education support".

5. Administration of extramural programs – the costs of identifiable units engaged in the administration of contracts and grants and contributions for scientific activities that are to be performed outside the federal government. These expenditures should be broken down by the type of scientific activity supported, i.e. R&D or RSA.

6. Capital expenditures – the annual gross amount paid for the acquisition of fixed assets that are used repeatedly or continuously in the performance of scientific activities for more than one year. They should be reported in full for the period when they took place, whether acquired or developed in house, and should not be registered as an element of depreciation.

The most relevant types of assets used for capital expenditures are:

• Land and buildings
• Machinery and equipment
• Capitalized computer software
• Other intellectual property products

III. Related scientific activities (RSA)

Related scientific activities (RSA) are all systematic activities which are closely concerned with the generation, advancement, dissemination and application of scientific and technological knowledge. The types of related scientific activities for the natural sciences and engineering are described below.

7. In-house RSA – RSA performed by personnel of the reporting program. It may include RSA carried out on behalf of another program or federal government department.

In-house RSA activities include all current expenditures incurred for scientific activities carried out by in-house personnel of units assigned to the program; the purchase of goods and services to support in-house scientific activities (include royalties or licences for the use of patents and other intellectual property rights, and the rental of buildings to support scientific activities performed by the statistical unit in the reference year). Also include expenses of persons who provide ancillary services such as security, cleaning and maintenance work, finance and administration that are proportional to the RSA being conducted. However, the personnel providing these services are not to be included in the in-house personnel counts (see Section 2. Personnel).

The intramural expenditures reported to RSA are those direct costs, including salaries, associated with scientific programs. The cost should include that portion of a program's contribution to employee benefit plans (e.g., superannuation and compensation) which is applicable to the scientific personnel within the program. Also include the costs of self-employed individuals, consultants and researchers who are working on-site on the departments' RSA projects.

8. RSA contracts – contracts to an outside institution or individual to fund RSA performed by the institution or individual. The criterion is: would the performer report the RSA contract as in-house (intramural) RSA that is government-funded? If the answer is yes the activity would be an RSA contract. If no, and the funding is for the purchase of goods and services to support the in-house RSA of the federal government department, it should be reported as In-house RSA (Item 7).

Contracts to other federal government departments should be reported as a transfer of funds in question 3A (i) and 3A (ii) of the questionnaire.

9. RSA grants and contributions – awards to organizations or individuals for the conduct of RSA and intended to benefit the recipients rather than provide the program with goods, services or information. These funds are normally identical to that portion of the budgetary "grants and contributions" line object of expenditure which is devoted to RSA.

In-house RSA, RSA Contracts and RSA grants and contributions can include the following items:

• Scientific data collection – the gathering, processing, collating and analyzing of data on natural phenomena. These data are normally the results of surveys, routine laboratory analyses or compilations of operating records.
  Data collected as part of an existing or proposed research project are charged to research. Similarly, the costs of analyzing existing data as part of a research project are R&D costs, even when the data were originally collected for some other purpose. The development of new techniques for data collection is also to be considered a research activity. Examples of RSA scientific data collection are: routine geological, hydrographic, oceanographic and topographic surveys; routine astronomical observations; maintenance of meteorological records; and wildlife and fisheries surveys.
• Information services – all work directed to collecting, coding, analyzing, evaluating, recording, classifying, translating and disseminating scientific and technological information as well as museum services. Included are the operations of scientific and technical libraries, S&T consulting and advisory services, the Patent Office, the publication of scientific journals and monographs, and the organizing of scientific conferences. Grants for the publication of scholarly works are also included.
  General purpose information services or information services directed primarily towards the general public are excluded, as are general departmental and public libraries. When individual budgets exist, the costs of libraries which belong to institutions otherwise entirely classified to another activity, such as R&D, should be assigned to information services. The costs of printing and distributing reports from another activity, such as R&D, are normally attributed to that activity.
• Sub category under Information services:
  • Museum services – the collecting, cataloguing and displaying of specimens of the natural world or of representations of natural phenomena. The activity involves a systematic attempt to preserve and display items from the natural world; in some ways it could be considered an extension of information services. The scientific activities of natural history museums, zoological and botanical gardens, aquaria, planetaria and nature reserves are included. Parks which are not primarily restricted reserves for certain fauna or flora are excluded. In all cases the costs of providing entertainment and recreation to visitors should be excluded (e.g. restaurants, children's gardens and museums).
    When a museum also covers not only natural history but also aspects of human cultural activities, the museum's resources should be appropriated between the natural and social sciences. However, museums of science and technology, war, etc., which display synthetic or artificial objects and may also illustrate the operations of certain technologies, should be considered as engaged in museum services in social sciences.
  • Special services and studies – work directed towards the establishment of national and provincial standards for materials, devices, products and processes; the calibration of secondary standards; non-routine quality testing; feasibility studies and demonstration projects.
• Sub categories under Special services and studies include:
  • Testing and standardization – concerns the maintenance of national standards, the calibration of secondary standards and the non-routine testing and analysis of materials, components, products, processes, soils, atmosphere, etc. These activities are related scientific activities (RSA). The development of new measures for standards, or of new methods of measuring or testing, is R&D. Exclude routine testing such as monitoring radioactivity levels or soil tests before construction.
  • Feasibility studies – technical investigations of proposed engineering projects to provide additional information required to reach decisions on implementation. Besides feasibility studies, the related activity of demonstration projects are to be included. Demonstration projects involve the operation of scaled-up versions of a facility or process, or data on factors such as costs, operational characteristics, market demand and public acceptance. Projects called "demonstration projects" but which conform to the definition of R&D should be considered R&D. Once a facility or process is operated primarily to provide a service or to gain revenue, rather than as a demonstration, it should no longer be included with feasibility studies. In all demonstration projects, only the net costs should be considered.
  • Education support – grants to individuals or institutions on behalf of individuals which are intended to support the post-secondary education of students in technology and the natural sciences. General operating or capital grants are excluded. The activity includes the support of foreign students in their studies of the natural sciences at Canadian or foreign institutions. Grants intended primarily to support the research of individuals at universities are either R&D grants or research fellowships.
    Awards intended primarily to support the education of the recipients should be reported as "education support".

10. Administration of extramural programs – the costs of identifiable units engaged in the administration of contracts and grants and contributions for scientific activities that are to be performed outside the federal government. These expenditures should be broken down by the type of scientific activity supported, i.e. R&D or RSA.

11. Capital expenditures – the annual gross amount paid for the acquisition of fixed assets that are used repeatedly or continuously in the performance of scientific activities for more than one year. They should be reported in full for the period when they took place, whether acquired or developed in house, and should not be registered as an element of depreciation.

The most relevant types of assets used for capital expenditures are:

• Land and buildings
• Machinery and equipment
• Capitalized computer software
• Other intellectual property products

Question 2: Personnel

Full-time equivalent (FTE) – the ratio of working hours actually spent on scientific activities during a specific reference period divided by the total number of hours conventionally worked in the same period by an individual or a group. For example, an employee who is engaged in scientific activities for half a year has a full-time equivalence of 0.5. Personnel data reported should be consistent with expenditures data.

Scientific and professional – researchers and professionals engaged in the conception or creation of new knowledge. They conduct research and improve or develop concepts, theories, models, techniques instrumentation, software or operational methods. They require at least one academic degree or a nationally recognized professional qualification, as well as those with equivalent experience.

Technical – technicians and equivalent staff are persons whose main tasks require technical knowledge and experience in one or more fields of engineering, the physical and life sciences, or the social sciences, humanities and the arts. They perform scientific and technical tasks involving the application of concepts and operational methods and the use of research equipment, normally under the supervision of researchers.

Other – other supporting staff includes skilled and unskilled craftsmen, and administrative, secretarial and clerical staff participating in science and technology projects or directly associated with such projects.

Question 2: Personnel by gender

Gender – refers to current gender which may be different from sex assigned at birth and may be different from what is indicated on legal documents. Categories include: man, woman, and non-binary person.

Man – this category includes persons whose reported gender is male. It includes cisgender (cis) and transgender (trans) men. 

Woman – this category includes persons whose reported gender is female. It includes cisgender (cis) and transgender (trans) women. 

Non-binary person – this category includes persons whose reported gender is not exclusively male or female.

Question 3: Sources of funds

Question 3A (i). Transfers for natural sciences and engineering activities

Include payments and recipients for contracts, transfers and joint programs from/to other federal government departments. Please identify the amount and names of the origination and recipient programs.

Question 3A (ii). Sources of funds for total scientific and technological activities

This question identifies the sources of funds for expenditures on scientific activities reported for all three years. It will help to ensure that work funded from outside the department is not overlooked.

• Departmental S&T budget – that portion of the total departmental budget which was spent on natural science and engineering activities.
• Revenues to / from other federal departments – money transferred from this program to another federal department or money transferred into this program from another federal department for activities in the natural sciences and engineering.
• Provincial government departments – all funds from the provincial government used for natural science and engineering activities. The funds are referred to as payments, contributions, transfers, etc. Also include provincial portions of federal-provincial cost sharing programs performed by the department program.
• Business enterprises – all funds from business enterprises used for natural science and engineering activities performed by the department.
• Other – all funds for natural sciences and engineering activities from other sources not specified above.

Question 4: Socio-economic objectives

Intramural and extramural scientific and technological expenditures by socio-economic objective for the reporting year by activity (research and experimental development, related scientific activities, and total).

• 1. Exploration and exploitation of the Earth
• 2. Environment 
• 3. Exploration and exploitation of space
• 4. Transport, telecommunication and other infrastructures
• 5. Energy
• 6. Industrial production and technology
• 7. Health
• 8. Agriculture (include forestry and fisheries)
  • 8.1: Agriculture
  • 8.2: Fishing
  • 8.3: Forestry
• 9. Education 
• 10. Culture, recreation, religion and mass media
• 11. Political and social systems, structures and processes
• 12. Defence

1. Exploration and exploitation of the Earth – scientific activities with objectives related to the exploration of the Earth's crust and mantle, seas, oceans and atmosphere, as well as on their exploitation. It also includes climatic and meteorological research, polar exploration (under various headings, as appropriate) and hydrology. It does not include scientific activities related to soil improvement (objective 4), land use or fishing (objective 8), or pollution (objective 2).

Examples:

• General scientific activities
• Mineral, oil and natural gas prospecting
• Exploration and exploitation of the sea-bed
• Earth's crust and mantle excluding sea-bed and studies of soil for agriculture (objective 8)
• Hydrology - excludes scientific activities on: water supplied and disposal (objective 4) and water pollution (objective 2)
• Sea and oceans
• Atmosphere
• Other scientific activities on the exploration and exploitation of the earth

Excludes: scientific activities on pollution (objective 2), soil improvement (objective 4), land-use and fishing (objective 8).

2. Environment - covers scientific activities aimed at improving the control of pollution, including the identification and analysis of the sources of pollution and their causes, and all pollutants, including their dispersal in the environment and the effects on humans, species (fauna, flora, micro-organisms) and the biosphere.

The development of monitoring facilities for the measurement of all kinds of pollution is included, as is scientific activities for the elimination and prevention of all forms of pollution in all types of environment.

3. Exploration and exploitation of space – covers all civil space scientific activities relating to the scientific exploration of space, space laboratories, space travel and launch systems. Although civil space scientific activities is not in general concerned with particular objectives, it frequently has a specific goal, such as the advancement of knowledge (e.g. astronomy) or relates to particular applications (e.g. telecommunications satellites or earth observation). This chapter does not include corresponding scientific activities for defence purposes.

4. Transport, telecommunication and other infrastructures – Transport, telecommunication and other infrastructures - covers scientific activities aimed at infrastructure and land development, including the construction of buildings. More generally, this objective covers all scientific activities relating to the general planning of land use. This includes scientific activities into protection against harmful effects in town and country planning but not research into other types of pollution (objective 2). This objective also includes scientific activities related to transport systems; telecommunication systems; general planning of land use; the construction and planning of buildings; civil engineering; and water supply.

5. Energy – covers scientific activities aimed at improving the production, storage, transportation, distribution and rational use of all forms of energy. It also includes scientific activities on processes designed to increase the efficiency of energy production and distribution, and the study of energy conservation. It does not include scientific activities related to prospecting (objective 1) or scientific activities into vehicle and engine propulsion (objective 6).

Examples:

• Fossil fuels and their derivatives
• Nuclear fission
• Radioactive waste management including decommissioning with regard to fuel/energy
• Nuclear fusion
• Renewable energy sources
• Rational utilization of energy

6. Industrial production and technology – covers scientific activities on the improvement of industrial production and technology. It includes scientific activities on industrial products and their manufacturing processes except where they form an integral part of the pursuit of other objectives (e.g. defence, space, energy, agriculture).

Examples:

• Increasing economic efficiency and competitiveness
• Manufacturing and processing techniques
• Petrochemical and coal by-products
• Pharmaceutical products
• Manufacture of motor vehicles and other means of transport
• Aerospace equipment manufacturing and repairing
• Electronic and related industries
• Manufacture of electrical machinery and apparatus
• Manufacture of non-electronic and non-electronical machinery
• Manufacture of medical and surgical equipment and orthopaedic appliances
• Manufacture of food products and beverages
• Manufacture of clothing and textiles and leather goods
• Recycling

7. Health - covers scientific activities aimed at protecting, promoting and restoring human health broadly interpreted to include health aspects of nutrition and food hygiene. It ranges from preventive medicine, including all aspects of medical and surgical treatment, both for individuals and groups, and the provision of hospital and home care, to social medicine and paediatric and geriatric research.

Examples:

• General scientific activities
• Medical scientific activities, hospital treatment, surgery
• Preventive medicine
• Biomedical engineering and medicines
• Occupational medicine
• Nutrition and food hygiene
• Drug abuse and addition
• Social medicine
• Hospital structure and organization of medical care
• Other medical scientific activities

8. Agriculture (include forestry and fisheries) – covers all scientific activities on the promotion of agriculture, forestry, fisheries and foodstuff production, or further knowledge on chemical fertilizers, biocides, biological pest control and the mechanization of agriculture, as well as concerning the impact of agricultural and forestry activities on the environment. Also covers scientific activities on improving food productivity and technology.

8.1 Agriculture – covers scientific activities on animal products, veterinary medicine, crops, food technology and other scientific activities on agricultural production and technology.

8.2 Fishing – covers scientific activities on fishing, salting, drying, and initial freezing of products (but not on preparation and canning (objective 6)), scientific activities on fish-farming, exploration of new fishing grounds, exploration and development of new and unconventional sources of seafood.

8.3 Forestry – covers scientific activities into the ecological and economic aspects of forestry and timber production.

9. Education – covers scientific activities aimed at supporting general or special education, including training, pedagogy, didactics, and targeted methods for specially gifted persons or those with learning disabilities. Applied to all levels of education as well as to subsidiary services to education.

10. Culture, recreation, religion and mass media – covers scientific activities aimed at improving the understanding of social phenomena related to culture activities, religion and leisure activities so as to define their impact on life in society, as well as to racial and cultural integration and on socio-cultural changes in these areas. The concept of "culture" covers sociology of science, religion, art, sport and leisure, and also comprises inter alia R&D on the media, the mastery of language and social integration, libraries, archives and external cultural policy.

11. Political and social system, structures and processes – covers scientific activities aimed at improving the understanding and supporting the political structure of society, public administration issues and economic policy, regional studies and multi-level governance, social change, social processes and social conflicts, the development of social security and social assistance systems, and the social aspects of the organization of work.

12. Defence – covers scientific activities for military purposes. It also includes basic research and nuclear and space research financed by the Department of National defence. Civil scientific activities financed by ministries of defence, for example, in the fields of meteorology, telecommunications and health, should be classified in the relevant objectives.

Question 5: Expenditures and personnel by region

Scientific and technological expenditures and personnel of federal organizations for the reference year, including current and capital expenditures for intramural R&D and RSA and by scientific and professional and total personnel for R&D and RSA.

Regions include:

• Newfoundland and Labrador
• Prince Edward Island
• Nova Scotia
• New Brunswick
• Quebec (excluding NCR - Quebec)
• National Capital Region (NCR) - Quebec
• Ontario (excluding NCR - Ontario)
• National Capital Region (NCR) - Ontario
• Manitoba
• Saskatchewan
• Alberta
• British Columbia
• Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut
• Canada Total

Presentations

Presenters in invited sessions are allowed approximately twenty-five minutes for their presentations and a period of 5 minutes is allowed for questions and discussion at the end of their presentation.

Presenters in contributed sessions are allowed fifteen minutes for their presentations and a period of fifteen minutes is allowed for questions and discussion at the end of the session.

Presenters in special sessions, please refer to information provided by your session's chair.

We strongly recommend that you submit a Microsoft PowerPoint version of your presentation. Please verify with us in advance if you would like to use any other software. PowerPoint is preferred in order to produce a translated version with the same appearance as the original, especially when the presentation includes tables, graphics or equations. We also ask that you avoid any PowerPoint animation. During translation, the hidden animation control code can sometimes be accidentally deleted, resulting in translated presentations that are out of synch. Please use at least a 24-point font that can easily be read from a distance and that is part of the standard Microsoft suite of fonts. The bilingual presentations will be loaded onto Statistics Canada's laptops. If we do not have the font that you use, we will not be able to show your presentation.

Registration

Please remember that you must register for the conference by September 30, 2024.

Proceedings manuscripts

Proceedings of the conference will be eventually published on our website. Please note that the final version of your manuscript is due by January 10, 2025, in order to be translated and included in the Symposium's Proceedings. Including references and appendices, the manuscript must not exceed:

• eight pages in length for invited sessions (sessions A and special sessions)
• six pages in length for contributed sessions (sessions B)

We strongly encourage you to use Microsoft Word for your manuscript. If planning to use any other software, please check with us first. A Style Guide for Manuscripts is available in the Manuscript Style Guide section of the website.

Please send the final version of your manuscript to statcan.symposium2024-symposium2024.statcan@statcan.gc.ca no later than January 10, 2025.