#srsr #srsr #srsr | Maydianne Andrade

Mobilization of the Scientific Community across Canada has been successful! As of yesterday, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Research #SRSR has essentially rescinded an ethically problematic motion that would have compelled the three main federal granting agencies in Canada to provide disaggregated data, including the personal identity of researchers, to the committee. The new motion asks for *aggregated* and *anonymized* data instead. The research community welcomes a good-faith analysis of research funding processes. We point community members and the #SRSR to the websites of the granting agencies, which provide extensive data on funding programs, including titles and summaries of grant content and aggregated information on where, and to whom, funding goes- a model of transparency and accountability. Let's be clear--anyone can already go to these websites, download multi-year data, then analyze it themselves. This includes the #SRSR. Any claim that the research community or the tri-agencies are wary about transparency is incorrect and contrary to the reality of what is already available. We are wary about being individually targeted as a function of our identity. We are also wary of any process that allows use of our personal data in ways that were not clear when we agreed to provide it. It was the overwhelming response of researchers and allies (including over 5000 signatures on a petition, and hundreds of messages to MPs and members of the SRSR) that led the Chair to open yesterday's meeting with: "this is an urgent issue...it is about the reputation of this committee..." and the unanimous vote in favour of the new motion. View the session here: https://lnkd.in/gJSsfm6C