Instructions and Guidelines for the Preparation of a Research Application

Preparation and Presentation of a Research Request Application

All applications to the Parole Board of Canada to conduct research must be prepared in accordance with the Research Request Application Form.

Once completed, research proposals will be forwarded to the research officer assigned to your request. The research officer will be your main point of contact throughout the application process.

Definition(s)

Research

is the systematic examination of a question using social science methodologies (quantitative or qualitative) in order to further knowledge on a particular issue.

External research proposal

any research proposal/request by an individual or organization that is outside the Parole Board of Canada or one of its federal criminal justice partners.

Further Considerations

In the event that the proposed research involves other federal government agencies, provincial, territorial or municipal governments, or other stakeholders and organizations, it is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain approval from the relevant agencies, governments and/or organizations to undertake these components of the research.

For research affiliated with a university or independent organization, approval must be obtained for the proposed research project from the researcher's respective ethics committee prior to submitting the Research Request Application to the Board.

Research Application Review Process and Approval Criteria

Research must support:

• the Parole Board of Canada's strategic outcome, conditional release and record suspension decisions as well as clemency recommendations and decision processes that safeguard Canadian communities; and
• its primary mandate to contribute to the maintenance of a just, peaceful and safe society by means of decisions on the timing and conditions of release that will best facilitate the rehabilitation of offenders and their reintegration into the community as law-abiding citizens (section 100 of the CCRA) as well as suspension decisions where the Board is satisfied that its decision would bring measurable benefit to the former offender and sustain his or her rehabilitation in society as a law-abiding citizen (paragraph 4.1(2) of the CRA)

The proposed research will be assessed on:

• Potential value of the project to the Parole Board of Canada;
• Quality of the proposal in terms of the research design and methodology;
• Qualifications of the researcher(s);
• Costs to the Parole Board of Canada in terms of financial and human resources;
• Imposition on regional and national sites; and
• Potential contribution to knowledge relevant to the criminal justice system and in particular, the Parole Board of Canada

Possible outcomes include:

• Accept as submitted;
• Accept with minor changes;
• Request substantial changes and recommend a resubmission; or
• Reject

Applicants will be notified by mail of the decision regarding their research application by the Parole Board of Canada within 40 working days of the receipt of the research application by the research officer. If there are exceptional circumstances in which the Board requires additional time for review, the applicant will be notified immediately.

If approved, research applicants will be asked to sign a research agreement with the Parole Board of Canada. At that time, they will also be informed of any procedural or operational requirements that must be met in order for the research to proceed (i.e. security clearance).