The New Brunswick Institute for Research, Data and Training (NB-IRDT) have opened two new satellite locations in a bid to improve secure access to data for researchers across New Brunswick.
Earlier this month, NB-IRDT launched a satellite location on the Moncton campus of the Université de Moncton (MCUM) in a shared facility with Statistics Canada Research Data Centre (RDC). This is the first data facility of its kind in Canada to house both federal and provincial administrative data securely. On the same day, the University of New Brunswick in Saint John launched a NB-IRDT satellite location and expects the new Statistics Canada RDC to open in their shared facility in the Spring of 2019. UNB Fredericton hosts the main sites of these data centres in the province.
“We are very happy to see NB-IRDT expand its operations to Saint John and Moncton because it offers more opportunities for researchers and scientists to access this data,” said Judy Wagner, Clerk of the Executive Council Office with the Province of New Brunswick. “This work, and the projects that result from it, will allow government decision makers to adapt and improve our programs to provide the greatest benefit to the greatest number of people.”
Serving as a research data centre for the province, NB-IRDT provides researchers with secure access to, provincial administrative data allowing researchers to examine questions that will empower government to implement evidence-based policy, stretch public dollars, anticipate the needs of a changing population, and encourage growth.
The addition of the NB-IRDT satellite locations allow researchers to access the data they need for their research without needing to drive to the UNB Fredericton campus, taking away valuable time from their research project.
“This is a major milestone for NB-IRDT,” says Ted McDonald, NB-IRDT director. “From its inception, we and our government partners conceived of NB-IRDT as a resource for all of NB even though data access was only available through our Fredericton facility. The opening of our satellite sites in Saint John and Moncton is tangible evidence of our commitment to that objective. NB-IRDT’s data facilities in New Brunswick’s three main cities means that access to data for policy and research is now possible for researchers located at our medical schools, regional health authorities and larger universities.”
Learn more:
- Nouvelle antenne de l’IRDF-NB à l’Université de Moncton
- UNB Saint John to host new NB-IRDT satellite location
Photo 1: (L-R): Anne Dezetter, Researcher and NB-IRDT user; Francis LeBlanc, Associate Vice-President, Research, and Dean, Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research; Mathieu Bélanger, Director of Research, Centre de formation médicale du Nouveau-Brunswick (CFMNB); Brigitte Sonier-Ferguson, Director, Research Support Office of the Vitalité Health Network; Ted McDonald, Director, NB-IRDT; Daniel Saucier, student and future user of NB-IRDT, Moncton; and Caroline Jose, Research Analyst, CFMNB.
Photo 2: (L-R) Donna Gates, Living SJ; Diane Burt, NBCC; Robert MacKinnon, UNB; Ted McDonald, NB-IRDT; Barry Strack, Regional Director, Horizon Health Network; Sarah Campbell, NB-IRDT; Ian Watson, NB Trauma Program; Laurelle LeVert, UNB.