vRDC migration

Statistics Canada, in partnership with the Canadian Research Data Centre Network (CRDCN), is modernizing the IT infrastructure of the RDC program through the new virtual Research Data Centre (vRDC) IT platform.

The ORDC is scheduled to be closed from August 10, 2026 until September 6, 2026. Researchers will not have access to their projects during the closure. The Centre will reopen on Monday, September 7, 2026. These dates are subject to change and any changes will be communicated to active researchers via email.  

All current researchers will have received communications regarding vRDC mandatory training sessions. This training must be completed to be able to access your projects in the ORDC following the vRDC migration.  

For more information about this initiative, visit the CRDCN's about the vRDC webpage.

For any questions, please contact the team at: [email protected] Booking a workstation

Researchers are required to book a workstation to access the ORDC.

Book a workstation. For booking support, please email [email protected] or call 613-562-5800 ext. 2887 during business hours.

Electronic devices

Using or holding an electronic device while in the laboratory is strictly prohibited. Failure to abide by this rule exposes users to an immediate and permanent suspension of access to all RDCs in Canada. Electronic devices can only be used in the conference room.

Research Data Centres offer secure access to detailed microdata from Statistics Canada's surveys, to Canadian census data, as well as to an increasing number of administrative data sets.

The Canadian Research Data Centre Network (CRDCN) has a listing of the data available in the RDCs. The search engine help you to find which dataset among all the surveys available in the RDCs best suits your research needs.

Application process

Researchers wishing to access the RDC should create an account on the Statistics Canada Microdata Access Platform (MAP) and follow the steps to create a new proposal. The proposal is evaluated by Statistics Canada for feasibility before access can be granted. In addition, if you are a student, your thesis supervisor must write a letter in support of your RDC application and join the application as a co-investigator. Fees can apply to certain research projects conducted in the RDCs. Consult the University access fees page to learn more.

Ethics approval from the uOttawa Research Ethics Board is not required to conduct research using standard RDC data products, as per Article 2.2 of the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans (TCPS2). Please also see Statistics Canada’s RDC FAQ page for information about ethics requirements. Ethics approval may be required for other RDC data products (e.g., customized microdata record linkages). For more information, please contact the Office of Research Ethics and Integrity by email at [email protected] or by phone at 613-562-5800 x 5387.

For more information, please visit the Microdata Access Portal application process page. Also refer to the Frequently asked questions page on the Microdata Access Portal.

Protecting confidentially

Note that researchers whose projects are approved will be subject to a security check before being sworn in under the Statistics Act as a 'deemed employees' of Statistics Canada. Deemed employees are subject to all the conditions and penalties of regular Statistics Canada employees, including fines and/or imprisonment for breach of confidentiality.  For more information on deemed employees, see the Frequently asked questions.

The RCMP requires fingerprinting as part of the security clearance. Additionally, Treasury Board of Canada requires a credit check.

All results to be physically removed from secure areas will be carefully screened for confidential data, whether as direct listings or as possible residual disclosures.