UNB News
News and stories from one of Canada’s top universities
Tracking change: How migration is shaping New Brunswick’s future
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: November 27, 2024 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: DataNB
How do migration patterns shape a province’s future? In New Brunswick, tracking who comes, who leaves and why reveals the social and economic forces driving change. Understanding these trends is key to planning housing, education and healthcare for tomorrow. The New Brunswick Institute for Research, Data and Training (NB-IRDT) has released the fifth update in an ongoing series about Population and Demographics, detailing changes in New Brunswick from January 2020 to December 2023....
VitalSignsNB midwifery student spotlight: Meet the students characterizing midwifery services in New Brunswick
Shirley Andow and Behdad Beykzadeh
Posted: May 28, 2024 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
What is VitalSignsNB? VitalSignsNB is a student research stream in NB-IRDT’s Pathways to Professions experiential learning program. Led by Dr. Chris Folkins, this stream uses administrative data to explore topics related to health and the healthcare system in New Brunswick with the goal of supporting evidence-informed decision making to promote a healthier future for the province. In 2023, VitalSignsNB expanded to host two new projects at once – one that examined diabetes...
VitalSignsNB diabetes student spotlight: Meet the students exploring chronic disease diagnoses in administrative data
Bailey Howland and Gavin Woodward
Posted: May 9, 2024 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
The VitalSignsNB research stream in NB-IRDT’s Pathways to Professions experiential learning program has focused on a different health-related project each summer since 2021. In 2023, VitalSignsNB expanded to host two new projects at once – one that focused on midwifery services in New Brunswick (featured in an upcoming Student Spotlight) while the other examined diabetes cases in administrative data, highlighting the benefits and potential limitations associated with using...
ActionNB student spotlight: Meet the students developing IDEA action plans for the public sector
Olivia Hamilton, Diego Molina, Bea Rivera and Alex Tran
Posted: March 11, 2024 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
In summer 2023, NB-IRDT welcomed ActionNB – a student research stream led by Future GNB – to its Pathways to Professions experiential learning program. Under the supervision of the Government of New Brunswick’s (GNB) Finance and Treasury Board, the ActionNB team focused on identifying Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA) best practices and developing them into action plans for people leaders within GNB. To gain a better understanding of the current IDEA...
IDEA NB student spotlight: Meet the students promoting more inclusive workplaces in NB
Rikkie Guillemette, Jessica Copeland, Kiruthika Krishnasamy and Ruthie Stanley-Blackwell
Posted: February 2, 2024 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: DataNB
IDEA.NB is an innovative Future GNB research stream within Pathways to Professions that is focused on fostering Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) within the Government of New Brunswick (GNB). In summer 2023, the IDEA.NB team’s goal was to help address the unique challenges faced by DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity) groups in GNB and provide a roadmap for cultivating a more inclusive and thriving workplace environment. By analyzing data from the 2022 GNB...
Exploring health and environment interconnections with the Canadian census health and environment cohort (CanCHEC)
NB-RDC Staff
Posted: January 18, 2024 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: DataNB
Imagine a puzzle with pieces that show how our health is impacted by the world around us. That's what the Canadian Census Health and Environment Cohort (CanCHEC) is like—it's a big collection of information that helps us understand how we are connected to the environment. CanCHEC combines the long-form census respondents with administrative health data (e.g., mortality, cancer, hospitalizations, ambulatory care) and annual mailing address postal codes. As a result, CanCHEC offers a...
BoostNB student spotlight: Meet the students measuring New Brunswick’s economic progress
Leen, Minh Dao and Kiet Phan
Posted: January 15, 2024 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: DataNB
BoostNB has been a research stream in the Pathways to Professions experiential learning program since 2020, and in 2023 we welcomed three new students to continue the work of analyzing and sharing New Brunswick’s economic progress. The mission of BoostNB is to help boost knowledge of the NB economy and measure its progress towards specific goals and targets inspired by Nova Scotia’s Now or Never Action Plan. Student researchers crafted economic indicators for NB using open-source...
Value for MoneyNB student spotlight: Meet the students supporting tourism through website analysis
Martina Berko, Shayna Cloutier and Chloe York
Posted: December 4, 2023 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: DataNB
In 2023, NB-IRDT welcomed Value-For-MoneyNB to its Pathways to Professions experiential learning program for the first time as a Future GNB research stream. It is also part of a larger initiative undertaken by the Department of Tourism, Heritage and Culture to understand how well it is promoting New Brunswick businesses and if it could be better allocating its resources. For 13 weeks this past summer, the Value-For-MoneyNB students worked towards two goals: Collect data...
Ignite student spotlight: Meet the students conducting an economic analysis of the Fredericton capital region
Yara Bayoumi, Ivy Bialowas and Estefania Martinez
Posted: November 13, 2023 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: DataNB
Economic development is a key focus for researchers in New Brunswick, and this led NB-IRDT to partner with Ignite in 2023 to provide our Pathways to Professions (P2P) students with a key new experiential learning opportunity. For 13 weeks this summer, the 2023 Ignite student team worked under the mentorship of Andrew Lockhart (Director of Economic & Entrepreneurial Growth at Ignite) to develop an economic analysis of the Fredericton Capital Region. Since its regionalization in early 2023,...
NB-IRDT and Under One Sky to research impact of Aboriginal Head Start program
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: September 27, 2023 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
One of over 100 non-profit Friendship Centres in Canada, Under One Sky Friendship Centre supports Indigenous children aged 2-5 years (and their families) in the Fredericton area. Through their Aboriginal Head Start in Urban and Northern Communities (AHSUNC) program, the children complete activities that encourage social, emotional, physical and spiritual growth to better prepare them to enter public school systems, and for the broader benefit of their siblings and families. Under One...
World Alzheimer’s Day: Healthy seniors pilot projects researching dementia in NB and beyond
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: September 20, 2023 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
September 21st is World Alzheimer's Day. It is dedicated to raising awareness and breaking the stigma surrounding Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, as well as educating people about the condition and encouraging support for families and individuals living with dementia. To commemorate this day, we highlight a few of our Healthy Seniors Pilot Projects that focus on Alzheimer’s and dementia. These projects are instrumental in understanding and addressing the...
HousingNB student spotlight: Meet the students making NB housing research more accessible
Evan Smith, Tara Scott, Karlene Dalzell and Benz Trani
Posted: September 14, 2023 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
What is HousingNB? New to P2P in 2023, HousingNB is a student research project led by NB-IRDT that aims to evaluate New Brunswick’s progress towards achieving its share of Canada’s National Housing Strategy (NHS) goals. Released in 2017, the NHS is a 10-year, $82 billion federal plan that aims to help Canadians access housing that meets their needs while reducing homelessness and core housing need through the creation of affordable housing. It is important to measure New...
The fourth year of pathways of professions comes to a successful close
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: August 24, 2023 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
Each summer since 2020, NB-IRDT has hosted Pathways to Professions – a 13-week experiential learning program that provides post-secondary students in New Brunswick with the opportunity to participate in hands-on, NB-relevant research while attending a full curriculum of networking sessions and skills-boosting workshops. Pathways to Professions (P2P) is an annual highlight for NB-IRDT, and as our fourth year of P2P comes to a close, we want to reflect on the rewarding summer we’ve...
Canadian pharmacists journal publishes NB-IRDT research on pharmacist-administered vaccines
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: August 8, 2023 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
An NB-IRDT research study recently published in the Canadian Pharmacists Journal projects the health and economic outcomes of using public funding to cover the cost of pharmacists administering pneumonia vaccines (Pneu23) and tetanus boosters (Td/Tdap) to New Brunswick adults (19 years and up). While NB pharmacists are able to provide a wide range of immunizations, many of these are not covered by public funding. NB Medicare, for instance, only covers the costs of pharmacists administering...
Lunch and learn - data privacy and AI: What’s the issue?
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: August 2, 2023 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
The prevalence of Artificial Intelligence brings with it a wealth of opportunity for many fields, especially data research. However, it also presents several challenges when it comes to privacy and ethics that have the potential to impact the future of data privacy negatively. These challenges must be addressed sooner rather than later. On November 22, 2023, join Dr. Donna Curtis Maillet, Privacy Officer and Research Associate of NB-IRDT, for an overview of the most harmful issues...
Call for first-time families to inform NB-IRDT’s expanding research on healthy families, healthy babies
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: July 31, 2023 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
Are you a first-time parent whose baby was born in New Brunswick within the last 18 months? If so, our researchers want to learn from your experiences. We are looking for 2-4 New Brunswick parents to join us for 2 virtual meetings (1 hour each, with compensation provided), during which you will have the opportunity to share your valuable insights and lived experience to help our research inform the delivery of support services for young families in the province. This opportunity is made...
NB pharmacist care clinic program promises increased access to healthcare
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: July 26, 2023 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
Hoping to address the long-standing struggle of reliable healthcare access in the province, a 12-month pilot project seeks to revolutionize healthcare services in New Brunswick. Starting on August 1st, 2023, pharmacists will have increased authority to assess chronic conditions and prescribe treatments at two NB pharmacies, with four more locations beginning operations by September 18th. Pharmacists' expanded authority will enable them to test and prescribe for strep, and assess and...
Looking forward: Five more years of research on post-secondary education, training and labour in NB
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: July 20, 2023 12:00:00 PM ADT
Category: DataNB
NB-IRDT is not a government organization, but we are proud to support our provincial government by providing data-informed evidence that can help guide policy discussions and decisions. A new 5-year research contract with the NB Department of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour (PETL) is allowing us to keep doing just that. Since NB-IRDT’s official launch back in 2015, the Government of New Brunswick has supported our research endeavours, transferring de-identified data and...
From classroom to career: Analyzing the earnings of NBCC graduates
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: June 14, 2023 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
Researchers at NB-IRDT are busy producing a new report series with the aim of building a comprehensive body of work on New Brunswick Community College (NBCC) students and graduates. The first report (released May 2023) looked at the mobility and retention of NBCC graduates. It found that most New Brunswickers who attended NBCC study at campuses near their hometowns – but whether they studied locally or moved across the province to attend NBCC, the majority of graduates are likely to...
Call for public partners
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: June 12, 2023 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
The New Brunswick Institute for Research, Data and Training (NB-IRDT) is seeking New Brunswick residents to join their Data and Research Committee (DRC) Working Group as Public Partners. NB-IRDT is a research and data institute that collects and uses data to carry out research that informs policymaking in New Brunswick. About the NB-IRDT Data Research Committee The NB-IRDT DRC serves an important role within the institute including:• reviewing data access requests from researchers...
NB-IRDT director contributes to establishment of real world evidence guidelines for decision making
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: June 5, 2023 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
Clinical trials are a critical element of pharmaceutical safety and effectiveness, providing essential information about their effects, and side effects, in a variety of circumstances. The positive impact of clinical trials can often come with limitations, however. Are there long-term effects beyond the duration of the trial? Does the drug in question function differently in the real world, outside of a controlled environment? What are the potential impacts on individuals with multiple...
Province invests in successful seniors care pilot
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: June 1, 2023 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
Health care is expensive. As New Brunswickers we are fortunate to have the majority of our health care expenses covered by the province, rather than the onus falling on individuals. However, we are still affected by burdens placed on the health care system. Predicted changes, such as an aging population, as well as unexpected situations, like the COVID-19 pandemic, all increase the demands placed on our health care system. With a finite budget, the importance of relieving some of the burden...
Graduate retention in NB: Supplementary report on graduates in social work
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: May 26, 2023 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
Social workers and community service workers provide access to social services, address broad social issues and help individuals in their pursuit for well-being. They help with life’s most difficult moments – when help is needed most. Between an aging population, economic hardship and the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, New Brunswickers have faced some incredible challenges. Without a doubt, social workers have played an integral role in supporting us through these trying...
NB-IRDT Director awarded the Donald G Dennison Award for public administration
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: May 20, 2023 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
As New Brunswickers, we value what makes our home unique – tight-knit communities, natural resources, bilingualism and Maritime culture. However, being different from other provinces means that New Brunswick cannot expect the programs and policies that have boosted prosperity and growth elsewhere will do the same for us. New Brunswick is often overshadowed in federal legislation by Canada’s larger, wealthier provinces, and Canadian policies don’t always reflect the...
International awareness day for chronic immunological and neurological diseases
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: May 12, 2023 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
May 12 is International Awareness Day for Chronic Immunological and Neurological Diseases. What better opportunity to catch up on publications you may have missed that explore a prominent autoimmune condition in New Brunswick? Health researchers at NB-IRDT have been focusing on multiple sclerosis over the years, and their peer-reviewed findings are publicly available: Neighbourhood environments and the risk of hospital admission for cardiometabolic and mental health comorbidities in...
Pathways to professions 2023 is here
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: May 3, 2023 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
When NB-IRDT decided to launch Pathways to Professions (P2P) back in 2020, we were faced with so much uncertainty. COVID-19 restrictions were in place, our employees were working from home, and we did not know if we could successfully run a brand new experiential program online, especially since we had only planned to host our program in-person. Three years later, we are so glad we never gave up. Our online pilot program was a huge success and prompted us to make P2P a permanent part of our...
Where are NBCC graduates going?
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: April 28, 2023 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
Here in New Brunswick, we often hear about young workers eager to move away to other provinces for economic benefit. However, we don’t often hear about where young people who choose to stay in NB end up after graduation and what factors influence their decision. A recent report by NB-IRDT researchers, Retention and Mobility of NBCC Graduates, takes an in-depth look at New Brunswick Community College (NBCC) graduates and where they end up. Recent reports by NB-IRDT show that the...
Supporting new parents: Analyzing the effectiveness of the healthy families, healthy babies home visiting program
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: April 24, 2023 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
Life can be stressful; this is something most New Brunswickers have experienced at one point or another. The rising cost of living, the COVID-19 pandemic and uncertainty about the future are just a few of the factors making life more challenging than it needs to be. Now imagine the added pressure of starting a new family, including being pregnant for the first time, learning to breastfeed, and supporting an infant’s health and nutrition; these are some of the added stressors that new...
YouthSucceedNB: Meet the students researching support services for emerging young adults in NB
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: April 20, 2023 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
What is YouthSucceedNB? YouthSucceedNB is a Future GNB research stream focused on how youth in New Brunswick can best be supported as they emerge into adulthood. Led by the Department of Social Development, the student team spent Summer 2022 examining the newly implemented Child and Youth Well-Being Act, which involved them looking at different avenues of Child and Youth Services in the province and painting a picture of youth who can and need to be supported. YouthSucceedNB was given four...
Diving into the data: COPD diagnoses in NB
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: April 19, 2023 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
Working with population data lets researchers do some amazing things, like measure the prevalence of chronic diseases in New Brunswick to help with provincial healthcare planning. When decision makers know what proportion of the population is impacted by a disease, they can better allocate resources to meet New Brunswickers’ health needs. However, working with data isn’t always straightforward, and accurately measuring chronic disease in a population requires understanding how...
Exploring the dynamics of population movement in NB
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: April 13, 2023 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
New Brunswick is a province that has been experiencing a remarkable transformation over the past few years, with many changes taking place that are reshaping the landscape of this vibrant region. One of the most notable developments is the surge in population that has taken place here, with more and more people flocking to the province to make it their home. NB-IRDT has been closely tracking this trend, and their latest report is nothing short of fascinating. According to updated findings,...
EqualityNB student spotlight: Meet the students supporting the work for equality in NB
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: April 6, 2023 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
What is EqualityNB? EqualityNB is a Future GNB research stream focused on advocating for equality for frequently marginalized populations in New Brunswick. Led by the Women’s Equality Branch of GNB, the student team spent Summer 2022 coming up with ways to revitalize the province’s Equality Profile, a tool used to track information on equity in New Brunswick in relation to nine categories: Population, education and training, health, income and poverty, family responsibilities,...
RecruitNB student spotlight: Meet the students investigating labour gaps in NB's public service
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: March 23, 2023 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
What is RecruitNB? RecruitNB is a Future GNB research stream focused on identifying current and future labour gaps within one of New Brunswick’s largest employers: the Government of New Brunswick. Led by the Department of Finance and Treasury Board, the student team spent Summer 2022 collecting and analyzing data to help inform future employment policies and hiring practices. RecruitNB was tasked with surveying GNB departments to find out where there are job vacancies and possible...
Filling in the gaps for Canada’s aging veterans
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: February 27, 2023 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: DataNB
When it comes to sources of Veteran data in Canada, the primary resource has been Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC). However, this data may be limited; it is estimated that Veterans using VAC services only account for 19% of Canada’s Veteran population. Furthermore, most of the data from VAC comes from Veterans released from service after 1998, leaving a gap in the data for older veterans. NB-IRDT Research Associate Dr. Sandra Magalhaes is part of a team of researchers working on creating...
InvitationNB student spotlight: Meet the students measuring New Brunswickers’ pride in their province
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: February 27, 2023 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: DataNB
What is InvitationNB? InvitationNB is a Future GNB research stream focused on revitalizing tourism in New Brunswick. Led by the Department of Tourism, Heritage and Culture, the student team spent Summer 2022 contributing to GNB’s vision to showcase New Brunswick as the best place to visit, the best place to live, and ultimately the top vacation destination within Atlantic Canada. The team began their summer by determining that New Brunswick’s tourism industry makes up only 1.8%...
What impact do exercise and environment have on mental wellness for Canadians living with cardiometabolic disease?
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: February 17, 2023 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: DataNB
For people living with a cardiometabolic condition such as diabetes, hypertension or heart disease, managing this illness can be a stressful experience on its own. Unfortunately, some may also find themselves experiencing increased mental health concerns such as depression or an anxiety disorder, which can lead to need for additional healthcare services and even hospitalization. Many aspects of our daily lives can be physically and mentally beneficial in managing our cardiometabolic health,...
Profiling the Francophone population in greater Saint John
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: February 9, 2023 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: DataNB
Every New Brunswickers has the right to receive healthcare in the official language of their choice. However, for Francophones living in majority Anglophone areas, practical challenges can make it difficult to access services in French. Communication barriers in healthcare are a serious issue that can negatively impact access to care, patients’ health outcomes, and overall patient satisfaction. Just how many Francophones in NB are impacted by these barriers? Researchers at NB-IRDT...
A look at New Brunswick’s returning graduates
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: February 8, 2023 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: DataNB
New Brunswickers love their province’s universities and colleges – so much so that, in a given year, approximately 80% of New Brunswick residents in pursuit of a post-secondary education choose to stay and study in New Brunswick. But, what about the other 20%? Where do they go? And do they come back after they graduate? NB-IRDT researchers explore these questions in our most recent report: Post-secondary graduates’ province of study, post-graduation residence in New...
P2P+ student spotlight: Meet the students measuring the impact of COVID-19 on New Brunswickers’ mental health
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: January 31, 2023 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: DataNB
What is P2P+? P2P+ is a new health-based research stream examining New Brunswick’s healthcare system. In 2022, NB-IRDT was the proud recipient of a 2022 Mitacs Accelerate grant, which provided funding from both Mitacs and the New Brunswick Health Research Foundation to support the students completing this year’s P2P+ project: Sociodemographic and environmental predictors of mental health outcomes, substance use, and self-care behaviours during the COVID-19 pandemic in New...
How many New Brunswickers are leaving after graduation? NB-IRDT's 2019-2020 update on graduate retention
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: January 30, 2023 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: DataNB
When you hear about recent graduates here in New Brunswick (NB), the dominant narrative always seems to be that students are eager to get out of NB to find better jobs and make more money elsewhere. But is this actually the case? As a part of an ongoing five-year agreement with the Department of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour (PETL), researchers at NB-IRDT have taken a deeper look to see if students really are leaving NB after they graduate. By combining linked data from the...
Where are they now? Students from years past: Peter Ogunmodede
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: January 25, 2023 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: DataNB
NB-IRDT is proud to have had the opportunity to work with students on many projects and initiatives. Our student spotlight series will highlight some of the students we’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with. Meet Peter Ogunmodede, a Research Assistant at NB-IRDT. Peter started with NB-IRDT in May of 2022 as a summer co-op student and was hired as a Research Assistant in September. Peter's anticipated graduation is in June 2023, so we caught up with him to see what his plans...
Canadian Press interviews NB-IRDT Director for his thoughts on immigration
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: January 17, 2023 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: DataNB
Immigration has been a hot topic of political discourse for years now in Canada. And following recently announced immigration targets, the conversation concerning immigration has been reignited. 2022 marked a record year for Canada, welcoming 431, 645 new permanent residents. New targets seek to raise this number to 500,000 new immigrants by 2025. As questions surrounding immigration persist, experts and political leaders will continue to rely on work done by researchers to inform their...
Where are they now? Students from years past: Emily Thomson
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: December 1, 2022 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: DataNB
Meet Emily Thomson, who was a part of our 2021 and 2022 Pathways to Professions experiential learning program. NB-IRDT is proud to have had the opportunity to work with students on many projects and initiatives, and our student spotlight series will highlight some of the students we’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with. Emily Thomson is a fourth year student at the University of New Brunswick pursuing a bachelor of science with a double major in biology and psychology (with...
Where are they now? Students from years past: Tianjiao Yang
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: November 28, 2022 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: DataNB
Meet Tianjao Yang, who was a part of our 2022 Pathways to Professions experiential learning program. Recently, we reached out to Tianjiao to ask about her experience working with NB-IRDT and what she hopes to do next. Tianjiao is a fifth year student at the University of New Brunswick with plans to graduate in winter 2023 with a major in economics and a minor in math. How did you get involved with NB-IRDT? I read about (and applied for) the summer experiential learning program P2P from the...
Immigrant retention in New Brunswick: 2022 update
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: November 21, 2022 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: DataNB
The population of New Brunswick is always changing. Children are born, students graduate, and families move around looking for new opportunities. In recent years, change has been even more rampant, with the COVID-19 pandemic impacting factors like immigration, population mobility, and remote work opportunities. Because New Brunswickers and the world around them keep changing, so does our research. As more recent data become available with the passing years, we revisit some projects and...
Pathways to Professions is back
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: November 21, 2022 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: DataNB
NB-IRDT is excited to announce the launch of our fourth annual Pathways to Professions experiential learning program, taking place from May 15 until August 11, 2023. Apply now to participate as a student this coming summer or keep reading to learn more about the program and our partnership with Future GNB. What is Pathways to Professions? Pathways to Professions (also known as P2P) is a 13-week paid experiential learning program for post-secondary students in New Brunswick, developed and...
VitalSignsNB student spotlight: Meet the students examining access to healthcare in New Brunswick
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: November 8, 2022 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: DataNB
What is VitalSignsNB? VitalSignsNB is a Pathways to Professions (P2P) research stream that aims to examine the New Brunswick healthcare system. More specifically, it examines and identifies areas of the provincial healthcare system that require data to help inform decisions to accommodate New Brunswickers’ needs and promote a healthier future for all. VitalSignsNB has been a P2P research stream since 2021. This summer, the VitalSignsNB team looked into the topic of access to healthcare...
PopNB student spotlight: Meet the students examining New Brunswick’s urban and rural populations
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: October 28, 2022 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
What is PopNB? Short for Population New Brunswick, PopNB is a P2P research stream that aims to characterize New Brunswick's demographics through open-source data. This includes looking closely at trends in post-secondary education, immigration and population mobility, and family and household attributes. The purpose of PopNB is to describe various population demographics to provide data-driven policy implications for government and community stakeholders. PopNB has been a P2P research stream...
Lunch and learn: Data services at NB-IRDT
Lindsey Gilbert
Posted: October 19, 2022 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
The New Brunswick Institute for Research, Data and Training (NB-IRDT) provides secure access to a variety of New Brunswick administrative data. Our data users include graduate students, researchers, clinicians, and representatives from government and industry and more. But where would someone start if they want to access NB-IRDT? How can data be shared with NB-IRDT? And how does one go about accessing these data? The NB-IRDT Data Services Team will present this session to answer these...
BoostNB student spotlight: Meet the students measuring New Brunswick’s economic progress
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: October 4, 2022 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
What is BoostNB? BoostNB is an online dashboard of economic indicators first created by student researchers back in 2018 and updated every year using open-source data to determine whether the NB economy is progressing towards specific goals and targets. BoostNB has been a P2P research stream since the program launched in 2020. It provides post-secondary students in NB the opportunity to pursue their passion for economics and create positive change in their communities by making pertinent...
NB-IRDT launches Pathways to Policies undergraduate course
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: September 29, 2022 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
We are happy to announce that the New Brunswick Institute for Research, Data and Training has partnered with the Department of Political Science at the University of New Brunswick to launch a new undergraduate course starting in January 2023: Pathways to Policies. POLS 3216: Pathways to Policies is a third-year undergraduate course at UNB that explores the process of using data to inform policy making. Students who enroll will explore data-informed decision making while working in teams to...
Introduction to statistics 102: Drawing conclusions
Sandra Magalhaes
Posted: September 21, 2022 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
Statistics provides a set of tools that can be used to develop insights and answer practical questions using data. How we draw conclusions from data was the focus of the second workshop in our Intro to Statistics series led by Dr. Sandra Magalhaes. This two-day course focused on developing an understanding of the statistical tools used to answer practical questions and provides an overview of methods to draw conclusions using statistics. It included a comprehensive introduction to topics...
NB-IRDT completes evaluation of cost-effectiveness of breath-based lung cancer screenings
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: September 15, 2022 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
Lung cancer is a dangerous, costly disease to treat. In Canada alone, nearly 30,000 people are diagnosed with lung cancer each year, and around 21,000 people die from the disease annually. The cost of treating lung cancer in Canada reaches approximately $2 billion a year, with each case costing around $70,000. Needless to say, this disease is taking a heavy toll on the Canadians who are diagnosed, their families and caregivers, and the health system itself. Of course, many initiatives are...
Pathways to professions program in review
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: August 29, 2022 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
It seems like just yesterday that NB-IRDT was hosting its very first Pathways to Professions experiential learning program – or P2P, as we like to call it. Now, three years later, we are saying goodbye to yet another cohort of students after a wonderful summer of research and training. The newly released 2022 program in review offers an in-depth look into this summer’s professionalism workshops, our students’ experiences, and the New Brunswick-relevant research projects...
CCA appoints expert panel on health data sharing in Canada
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: June 30, 2022 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
“Sharing knowledge is not about giving people something or getting something from them. That is only valid for information sharing. Sharing knowledge occurs when people are genuinely interested in helping one another develop new capacities for action; it is about creating learning processes.” - Peter Senge The sharing of health data has positively impacted the Canadian health care system and saved countless lives. Recently, responding to a request from the Public Health Agency of...
If we build it, will they come?
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: June 9, 2022 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
In popular culture, one phrase is often used to manifest success: “If you build it, they will come.” While this idea exudes positivity and the power of hard work, we have to question its accuracy in terms of population research. In a province like New Brunswick, which is heavily invested in population growth and recruitment, does building new public facilities and increasing public services actually prompt people to come and stay? And, adversely, does closing public facilities or...
What do New Brunswickers do after they leave high school?
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: June 3, 2022 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
An education is said to be one of the most valuable assets a person can achieve, and pursuing post-secondary education is one of many ways young students can invest in their futures. However, we ask, are some young people more likely to transition to higher education than others? Are certain New Brunswickers more likely to enrol in post-secondary education after graduating from high school? And could differences in post-secondary enrolment reflect educational barriers that need to be...
Pathways to Professions launches its third season
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: June 1, 2022 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
The New Brunswick Institute for Research, Data and Training has officially launched its third Pathways to Professions experiential learning program, and we are so excited to introduce this year’s new research streams and to announce our partnership with the Government of New Brunswick for this summer’s offerings. What is Pathways to Professions? Pathways to Professions – or P2P, as we like to call it – is a 13-week week experiential learning program that provides...
Mental health impact of COVID 19 (update) | Effets de la COVID-19 sur la santé mentale (mise à jour)
Sandra Magalhaes
Posted: April 27, 2022 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
Pollara Strategic Insights and Mental Health Research Canada are conducting a series of 13 nationwide surveys to assess the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of Canadians. At NB-IRDT, we are focusing on how New Brunswickers responded. Previously, we reported on the results of Survey 2 (conducted in August 2020). This presentation focuses on the results of two additional surveys conducted in April 2021 and October 2021. In addition to investigating the social, economic, and behavioural...
Introduction to statistics: Describing data 101
Sandra Magalhaes
Posted: April 13, 2022 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
Statistics provides a set of tools that can be used to gain insight and answer practical questions using data, which always begins with describing data. This two-part course prestented by Dr. Sandra Magalhaes, (i) focuses on developing an understanding of the basic tools used to explore and describe data, and (ii) provides an overview of methods to generate and present summary statistics. The course includes a comprehensive introduction to statistical topics ranging from identifying...
NB-IRDT wins grant to undertake new study on workplace mental health
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: April 7, 2022 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
It is our great pleasure to announce that NB-IRDT has been awarded one of two New Brunswick Mental Health Impact grants for the 2021-2022 year. Awarded by Mental Health Research Canada in partnership with the New Brunswick Health Research Foundation, these grants are intended to support research addressing the mental health needs of New Brunswick communities. To meet this mandate, NB-IRDT is undertaking a new project that focuses on the impact of psychological health problems in the...
New NB-IRDT student research stream receives support from Mitacs and NBHRF
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: April 6, 2022 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
Student training initiatives like Pathways to Professions (P2P) provide valuable inroads for students looking to stay and work in New Brunswick, and these programs couldn’t exist without the generous support of our partners and funding agencies across Canada. NB-IRDT is proud to be the recipient of a 2022 Mitacs Accelerate grant, which is providing funding from both Mitacs and the New Brunswick Health Research Foundation to support four UNB students as they undertake a new P2P research...
Eimeg Tan Tleiaoltieg (We are home where we belong)
Dr. Jennifer Dobbelsteyn and Donna Augustine
Posted: March 30, 2022 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
The aim of this research study was to explore the needs of Elders living at Elsipogtog First Nation (largest First Nation Community in New Brunswick) and understand the services and support they need to continue to live in their own homes as long as possible. The population of Elders in First Nations in Canada is estimated to skyrocket in the coming decade, so this research is timely and crucial. A unique approach to the research was developed, using a community-based research team. This...
You’re never too young to get involved in policy development
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: March 28, 2022 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
You’re never too young to get involved in policy development! The high schoolers who took part in ExperienceGNB this past March Break proved just that. From March 7-11, the Government of New Brunswick joined forces with NB-IRDT to offer Pathways to Professions: ExperienceGNB, a policy boot camp for high school students in the Fredericton area. Over the course of the week, a group of keen and brilliant NB students from École Sainte-Anne, Fredericton High, and Leo Hayes gave up their...
How vulnerable are New Brunswickers and their health to climate change?
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: March 2, 2022 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: DataNB
Climate change impacts our weather systems, our food supply, our natural resources, and more – but how could it impact the health of our communities? And how can plans to adapt to climate change modify these impacts? In partnership with the Climate Change Innovation Bureau of Health Canada and the Government of New Brunswick, researchers at NB-IRDT are contributing to the province’s HealthADAPT project by tracking changes in health-related vulnerabilities to help New...
Introduction to cost benefit analysis
Herb Emery
Posted: March 2, 2022 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: DataNB
Cost benefit analysis, or CBA for short, refers to a consideration of the costs and benefits of taking one course of action relative to another - including taking no action at all. Increasingly, decision makers are taking interest in cost-effective, value-for-money solutions and other ideas related to economic efficiency. However, CBA is not always straightforward to apply. There are several different ways to value interventions and spending decisions that depend on context and who the...
Labour Market Training Programs in NB: Do Participants Stay?
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: February 28, 2022 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: DataNB
The Government of New Brunswick invests heavily in educating and retaining its population, especially skilled members of the labour force. To accomplish this, training programs have been designed and implemented to help individuals prepare for, obtain, and maintain employment in NB. These include programs such as Career Decision Making Strategies Skills Enhancement Strategies Workplace Essential Skills Student Employment Experience Development (SEED) and Co-op And more In a released...
Technology-enabled platform for proactive regular senior-centric health assessments | Plateforme technologique pour des évaluations régulières et proactives de la santé des personnes âgées
Erik Scheme
Posted: February 23, 2022 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: DataNB
Hospitalizations and other negative health events are detrimental to seniors’ health and costly to the healthcare system. Proactive health monitoring may help seniors avoid negative health events and remain safely in their homes for longer. Many seniors do not have the skills, knowledge, or technology to regularly monitor their health at their own at home. Without regular, proactive health monitoring, we cannot identify seniors at risk of negative health outcomes (like...
Technology-enabled platform for proactive regular senior-centric health assessments | Plateforme technologique pour des évaluations régulières et proactives de la santé des personnes âgées
Erik Scheme
Posted: February 23, 2022 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: DataNB
Hospitalizations and other negative health events are detrimental to seniors’ health and costly to the healthcare system. Proactive health monitoring may help seniors avoid negative health events and remain safely in their homes for longer. Many seniors do not have the skills, knowledge, or technology to regularly monitor their health at their own at home. Without regular, proactive health monitoring, we cannot identify seniors at risk of negative health outcomes (like hospitalizations)...
Student spotlight: Meet the ExperienceNB Team
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: February 17, 2022 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: DataNB
In the 2010 film Inception, audiences were introduced to the concept of a dream within a dream. In 2021, NB-IRDT’s Pathways to Professions (P2P) program introduced something similar: the concept of experiential learning evaluation within an experiential learning program. The result was ExperienceNB: one of five P2P research streams in 2021. Experiential learning – a theory of education combining work experience, reflection, and analysis – is a key component of UNB’s...
Introduction to Knowledge Transfer
April English
Posted: February 16, 2022 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: DataNB
Knowledge Transfer (KT) is a process that helps facilitate moving research (what we know) into action (what we do). It involves processes and strategies that ensure knowledge is understandable, accessible, and can benefit a range of audiences. This involves dissemination (sharing research evidence) and can sometimes involve implementation (application of research evidence). One important skill that can assist effective KT is plain language: a type of communication your audience can...
Ask Me Anything: A New Brunswick sexual health education survey
Author: Nancy Gesner and Samantha Fowler
Posted: February 9, 2022 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: DataNB
New Brunswick youth have high incidence of sexually transmitted infections, unplanned pregnancy, sexual violations, and dating violence suggestive of high-risk sexual behaviors and a lack of knowledge regarding sexual consent, personal safety and understanding of healthy relationship characteristics. Positive sexual health communication between parents and their children is an important determinate of the development of healthy sexuality and sexual behaviors; however, parental communication...
Lumbar spine imaging in New Brunswick: The ‘back story’
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: February 9, 2022 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: DataNB
Back pain can be a fairly prevalent, debilitating, and painful problem – especially as we get older! But how often does it warrant an x-ray, or other type of imaging? In 2014, Choosing Wisely Canada was launched to help reduce unnecessary tests and treatments in many areas of healthcare. When it comes to lower back pain, Choosing Wisely only recommends imaging if “red flags” are present. These conditions that warrant diagnostic imaging can include metastatic cancer, nerve...
Manufacturing Employment in New Brunswick
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: February 2, 2022 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: DataNB
There is a narrative in New Brunswick that our province is falling further and further behind the rest of Canada in terms of economic and population growth and “catching up” is a nearly impossible task to accomplish. Fortunately, this narrative is not entirely true. To promote progress and prosperity in the province, it is important to not only examine our weaknesses but also to better understand our strengths. The more we know about NB’s successes, the more likely we are...
Air Pollution and Multiple Sclerosis: An Ecological Study | La pollution atmosphérique et la sclérose en plaques : une étude écologique
Sandra Magalhaes
Posted: January 26, 2022 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: DataNB
The objective of this research is to explore the link between air pollution and multiple sclerosis (MS). MS is a chronic progressive neurological disease of young adulthood that results in significant physical and cognitive disability. Rates of MS in NB are among the highest in the world. Greater exposure to air pollution has been previously implicated as risk factor and basic science studies demonstrate that pollutants can cross the blood brain barrier. We previously conducted a prevalence...
NB-IRDT Partners with Under One Sky to study the impact of the Aboriginal Head Start Program
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: January 26, 2022 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: DataNB
Under One Sky is a registered non-profit organization and one of over 100 Friendship Centres in Canada. Located in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Under One Sky is a vibrant and caring community hub that aims to empower a healthy and proud Indigenous community through the programs and services it offers. The Under One Sky Aboriginal Head Start (AHS) program is the focus of the centre’s new partnership with NB-IRDT. This partnership is being facilitated by Dr. Jason Hickey in UNB’s...
NB-IRDT’s 2021 training report
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: January 10, 2022 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: DataNB
2021 was a busy year at NB-IRDT, especially for our training team. See our 2021 Training Report for a highlight of last year’s initiatives – including our data literacy training for public servants, experiential learning for students and continuing education for professionals. We look forward to spearheading even bigger and better things in 2022 and can’t wait to see what this year has in store. Contact us for questions about past, current, or upcoming training...
Student spotlight: Meet the ConnectNB Team
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: January 7, 2022 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: DataNB
ConnectNB is a student research stream in the Pathways to Professions experiential learning program at NB-IRDT – and a part of NB-IRDT’s Data Connect project. Through Data Connect (funded by a 3-year SSHRC Partnership Development Grant with the Government of New Brunswick), NB-IRDT is working towards creating an inventory of policy-relevant project ideas connecting students across NB with GNB to undertake research at NB-IRDT. This summer, ConnectNB involved three undergraduate...
NB-IRDT joins Saint John’s Early Childhood Hub Project
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: January 6, 2022 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: DataNB
Breaking the cycle of poverty is not an easy task. Ending generational poverty requires large-scale commitments to improve education, health, employment and more. Part of this commitment involves the installment of Early Childhood Hubs in two low-income neighborhoods, in Saint John, New Brunswick. The two Early Childhood Hubs serve families with children under age 5, collaborating with service providers to provide high-quality learning environments and prepare young children (and their...
NB-IRDT releases first report in new population snapshot series
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: December 13, 2021 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: DataNB
Since its establishment, the New Brunswick Institute for Research, Data and Training has been focusing on different aspects of the province’s changing population. From projects on immigration, graduation, employment, retention, and more, we have examined implications and potential solutions to a rapidly aging and migrating population. Now, in a new report series, our researchers are providing bi-annual population snapshots that capture changes and movements in the New Brunswick...
Regional health authorities dedicate resources for the coordination of data transfers to NB-IRDT
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: December 2, 2021 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: DataNB
Since its establishment, NB-IRDT has had a close relationship with both Regional Health Authorities in New Brunswick. Thanks to the Master Data Sharing Agreements in place, NB-IRDT holds various data sets from both the Horizon and Vitalité Health Networks on its secure platform, with more on the way. Recently, both Health Networks have partnered with NB-IRDT on the creation of a Data Coordinator position where dedicated RHA staff perform administrative data extractions and oversee data...
Lunch and learn: Knowledge transfer
April English
Posted: November 17, 2021 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: DataNB
It takes on average 17 years for research to be translated into action (i.e., policy or practice). In this session, April English will dive into how researchers can help bridge that 17-year gap through Knowledge Transfer (KT) - the process involved in moving research (what we know) into action (what we do). Traditionally, KT involved sharing results through research papers - but KT is so much more than that. By the end of this session, learners will be able to answer the following...
Student spotlight: Meet the PopNB Team
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: November 4, 2021 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
Population New Brunswick (PopNB) is a student research stream in the Pathways to Professions experiential learning program at NB-IRDT. Launched in 2020, PopNB describes various population demographics and identifies crucial trends that impact the economy and well-being of New Brunswickers. This summer, PopNB was comprised of four undergraduate students investigating the recent economic implications of aging in New Brunswick, under the leadership of NB-IRDT Director Dr. Ted...
Are there labour shortages in Canada’s transport sector?
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: November 2, 2021 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
If you have watched the news lately, you may have seen long lines of vehicles blocking roads around the UK as drivers waited for a chance to fuel up. The emerging gas shortage overseas is just one symptom resulting from a truck driver shortage in Great Britain, with food and medicine shortages following to a lesser extent. A labour shortage in the Transportation industry can clearly have serious, far-reaching consequences. So, how does employment in Canada’s Transport Sector measure...
UNB students take hands-on approach to research and policy in New Brunswick
Bethany Jones
Posted: October 28, 2021 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
The end of 2021 is in sight, and as countries around the world begin to emerge from COVID-19 lockdowns, there is a universal air of uncertainty about the future. In New Brunswick, however, this uncertainty predated the pandemic. For the past few years, the province of New Brunswick has been struggling to address the problems of an aging population, the out-migration of its youth, a shrinking labour force, and the impact these issues have on an already overly burdened health care system....
Initiatives for Elders of the Madawaska Maliseet First Nations
Micheline Plante and France Chassé
Posted: October 27, 2021 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
This study is part of a pan Canadian movement to find viable solutions for supporting aging in place. The Aboriginal population over the age of 65 has nearly doubled since 2006. Chronic diseases are more prevalent and recovery more difficult for Aboriginals compared to non-Aboriginals. Living in rural areas, limited access to family doctors and specialists, as well as social isolation are thought to be among the primary causes. Moreover, there are many barriers to aging in place, including a...
Student spotlight: Meet the VitalSignsNB Team
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: October 12, 2021 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
NB-IRDT’s recent VitalSignsNB project on vaccination delivery in New Brunswick has sparked a great deal of public interest – leading to radio interviews, newspaper articles, and conference proceedings on the results. VitalSignsNB is an important project at NB-IRDT, not only because of its timely and relevant focus but also because it allowed us to partner with the upcoming generation of NB researchers. As part of NB-IRDT’s 2021 Pathways to Professions experiential research...
VitalSignsNB: The results are in
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: October 8, 2021 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
Vaccines have been dominating news outlets this year, with COVID-19 vaccination rates a topic of great interest and even greater concern. In New Brunswick, COVID vaccines are provided free of charge at pharmacies, joining the yearly flu shot as the only other vaccine pharmacists can provide to New Brunswickers at no personal cost to the recipients. Pharmacist-administered COVID vaccines are being subsidized to promote and speed up vaccination among New Brunswickers – but what would...
New NB-IRDT project: Profiling the Francophone population in greater Saint John
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: October 6, 2021 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
Every New Brunswickers has the right to receive healthcare in the official language of their choice. However, for Francophones living in majority Anglophone areas, practical challenges can make it difficult to access services in French. Communication barriers in healthcare are a serious issue that can negatively impact access to care, patients’ health outcomes, and overall patient satisfaction. Just how many...
Disease pathway management in lung cancer care: Reducing wait time for diagnosis and treatment
Dr. Tony Reiman, Samantha Fowler
Posted: September 29, 2021 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
Under the supervision of Dr. Tony Reiman, there is a program of myeloma research underway at the Saint John Regional Hospital. Two noteworthy projects are the Multiple Myeloma Molecular Monitoring (M4) cohort study and the Canadian Myeloma Priority Setting Partnership (PSP). Although the focus of these two projects is vastly different; there share the goal of improving the lives of those affected by myeloma. The M4 study, an investigator-initiated prospective cohort...
Data services at NB-IRDT: How can we help you?
Donna Curtis-Maillet
Posted: September 22, 2021 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
NB-IRDT provides secure access to a variety of New Brunswick administrative data, which is available for world-class research to help inform policy decisions. But where does a researcher start if they want to access NB-IRDT? How can data be shared with NB-IRDT? And how does one go about accessing these data? The NB-IRDT Data Services Team is here to answer these questions and to bridge the gap between a research question and the data necessary to answer that question. The Data Services Team...
Retention and labour market outcomes of registered apprentices in New Brunswick
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: September 13, 2021 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
As the second phase of a two-part analysis looking at retention rates and labour market outcomes of post-secondary graduates in New Brunswick (NB), this report examines the trends, retention, and incomes of those who receive apprenticeship certificates in the province. Using the Canada Research Data Centre Network’s Education and Labour Market Longitudinal Platform (ELMLP), it analyzes cohorts of trade certificate holders from 2009 to 2017.
Digging deeper into graduate retention: International and domestic students
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: September 8, 2021 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
The retention of post-secondary graduates is of great importance to New Brunswick, as keeping qualified graduates in the province has the potential to boost the labour market, produce higher returns on investment in post-secondary education, and combat the shrinking and aging of the NB population. The New Brunswick Institute for Research, Data and Training has been exploring graduate retention for the past three years, producing reports on retention rates and labour market outcomes. In a...
Opportunity for citizen partners to join NB-IRDT’s data and research committee
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: September 8, 2021 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
The New Brunswick Institute for Research, Data and Training (NB-IRDT) is committed to research that benefits New Brunswickers. To accomplish this, we are always looking for ways to incorporate NB citizens in our research process. At the moment, we are seeking two NB residents to join our Data and Research Committee (DRC) Working Group as Citizen Partners. What is the NB-IRDT data and research committee? NB-IRDT is a research and data institute that collects and uses data to carry out...
Pathways to professions program in review
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: September 8, 2021 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
As Summer 2021 comes to a close, so too does the 2021 Pathways to Professions. This year, NB-IRDT is proud to have hosted 20 students from the University of New Brunswick and St. Thomas University – all of whom completed NB-relevant research projects and participated in our full curriculum of research and professionalism workshops. 2021 students, we wish you all the best as you return to school or embark on new careers. What is Pathways to Professions (P2P)? Pathways to Professions...
Who are New Brunswick’s low-skilled workers?
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: September 1, 2021 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
What does it mean to be low-skilled in New Brunswick? And which New Brunswickers are most likely to have low levels of skills in the workplace? NB-IRDT researchers explore these questions in a recent report, in which they construct profiles of low-skilled workers in the province. By focusing on groups with low levels of education, jobs with low skills requirements, and low income, they examine the proportion of low-skilled workers and the size of...
A better shot for health care in New Brunswick
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: August 23, 2021 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
Over the past few years, New Brunswick’s health care system has been struggling to improve service delivery, given the shortage of primary care providers and increasing need for health care services among the province’s aging population. With the additional strain COVID-19 has placed on the system, the need to free up resources is more urgent than ever. In 2009, changes in legislation allowed New Brunswick pharmacists to deliver an expanded range of vaccines – a change in...
Update: Survey results on mental health impacts of COVID-19
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: August 11, 2021 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
Pollara Strategic Insights and Mental Health Research Canada are conducting a series of 13 nationwide surveys to assess the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of Canadians. At NB-IRDT, we are focusing on how New Brunswickers responded. Previously, NB-IRDT reported on the results of Survey 2 (conducted in August 2020). We present here the results from Survey 6 (conducted in April 2021), with the goal of updating key findings and describing new responses. In this poll, for instance,...
Immigrant retention, income and labour market outcomes in New Brunswick
Dr. Ted McDonald
Posted: July 14, 2021 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
One of the central goals for the province of New Brunswick is to boost economic development by increasing labour market participation, and immigration is key to this plan. However, while NB has welcomed a growing number of immigrants over time, a substantial number still choose to leave the province years after landing. This raises questions, such as, “Who decides to stay? Who decides to leave? And what factors influence these decisions?” Understanding the backgrounds and...
Pathways to Professions: Then and now
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: June 4, 2021 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
April showers bring May flowers, and the launch of Pathways to Professions – 2021 is our second annual experiential learning program providing UNB students with hands-on workplace experience and training in research methods and job readiness. From May 17 until August 13, we will be virtually hosting a new cohort of undergraduate and graduate students as they complete our curriculum of research and professionalism workshops, presentations, and networking opportunities, while working on...
Lunch and learn: Data privacy: Linking to administrative data, is consent necessary
Donna Curtis-Maillet
Posted: May 12, 2021 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
Many of us are becoming increasingly familiar with provincial legislation allowances for the disclosure, access and use of pseudonymous (i.e., unique identifiers removed) personal information for research purposes. We are not however, always as familiar about consent requirements. While the privilege exists for receiving a consent waiver when accessing and using administrative data, this privilege does not always apply. Consent requirements must be compliant to ensure timely access and...
Impacts of COVID-19 on mental health
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: May 10, 2021 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
What impact is COVID-19 having on your mental health? New Brunswickers were asked this very question in a 2020 survey carried out by Mental Health Research Canada and Pollara Strategic Insights. At NB-IRDT, epidemiologist Dr. Sandra Magalhaes and her research team analyzed New Brunswickers’ survey responses. In a recently released report, they identify the impacts of social, economic, and recreational factors on mental health and the impacts of the ongoing pandemic on New Brunswickers'...
Student spotlight: Income evolution in New Brunswick
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: May 3, 2021 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
Some New Brunswickers are more vulnerable to social, educational, and health issues than others – and low income is a significant factor contributing to their vulnerability. Policies and programs targeting low-income groups could help reduce vulnerability going forward, but how do we know which NB populations to target? This summer, Pathways to Professions student Madeleine Gorman-Asal examined income evolution across population segments in NB. As part of the PopNB initiative to...
Giving New Brunswick our best shot
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: April 12, 2021 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
At one time, only physicians were allowed to administer vaccinations. In 2009, however, the province of New Brunswick passed legislation allowing pharmacists to do the same. As COVID-19 vaccines are now available, the ability to receive a vaccination from a local pharmacist is becoming more and more important to New Brunswickers. Could pharmacist-administered vaccines boost healthcare in NB? This summer, NB-IRDT researchers Dr. Sandra Magalhaes and Dr. Chris Folkins are leading a team of UNB...
Concepts in epidemiology
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: April 8, 2021 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
When diseases like SARS-CoV-2 emerge, epidemiology is key to understanding and controlling the spread of infection. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, “epidemiology” has become a common term in the public realm, appearing in news articles and interviews worldwide. But what exactly is epidemiology? And what does this field of study entail? Epidemiology is the study of how health is distributed in populations and what factors determine good and bad health. The goals of...
One year of data literacy
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: April 6, 2021 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
Data literacy training partnership with GNB: One year later At NB-IRDT, we believe data is the way of the future. One year ago, we put this belief into practice by partnering with the Government of New Brunswick to develop a data literacy training program for public servants. In April 2020, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council awarded NB-IRDT and GNB a four-year $200,000 Partnership Development Grant. Since then, we’ve been working hard on five initiatives to promote...
Labour force survey enhanced with COVID-19 questions
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: April 2, 2021 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
Wondering how the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent disease containment measures have affected the Canadian and New Brunswick labour market? So has Statistics Canada. In April 2020, a series of survey enhancements were included in the Labour Force Survey (LFS) to fully measure the shock to the Canadian labour market resulting from COVID-19 and subsequent economic shutdowns. Over the past year, these enhancements were continued, and further supplemented with a range of variables...
Data privacy: Linking to administrative data, is consent necessary?
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: March 30, 2021 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
Many of us are becoming increasingly familiar with provincial legislation allowances for the disclosure, access, and personal information for research purposes; but are we as familiar with the consent requirements? Consent requirements must be compliant to ensure timely access and appropriate use of administrative data to inform research. This session will provide an overview of why and when consent is required with respect to administrative data. In particular, the session will provide...
Student spotlight: Non-government employment in New Brunswick
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: March 25, 2021 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
Non-government employment has a direct impact on New Brunswick’s GDP through the manufacturing and service industries, as well as export and trade – making it extremely important to the province. While an increase in non-government employment would likely grow the economy, the numbers have been slowly decreasing since the 2008 economic recession. Is that likely to change in the coming years? This summer, Pathways to Professions student, Aya Benotmane, examined non-government...
Shared research space success in Saint John
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: March 19, 2021 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
In March 2020, the Saint John Research Data Centre officially opened its doors. While we had to close them again two weeks later in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, this anniversary can still provide an opportunity for some reflection. With the RDC’s opening, this marked an event virtually unique in Canada: a Statistics Canada facility operating in the same location as a provincial data centre. The Saint John RDC shares staff, space, and infrastructure with NB-IRDT—two days a week...
Are post-secondary graduates staying in NB?
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: March 9, 2021 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: DataNB
College and university graduates are among the most mobile Canadians, and when they relocate, they take their human capital (and potential earnings) with them. New Brunswick invests substantially in educating post-secondary students, but when qualified graduates leave the province, much of that investment is lost. Understanding what kinds of graduates are leaving or staying can help inform targeted policies that encourage graduates to stay and contribute to the local economy, and estimating...
Canadian perspective survey series data
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: March 5, 2021 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: DataNB
Launched in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Canadian Perspectives Survey Series (CPSS) is a new initiative using survey approaches never before deployed by Statistic Canada. It is comprised of a pool of individuals who complete several short online surveys over the course of a single year. The current focus of the CPSS is the COVID-19 pandemic, with 6 series completed to date, and the first two now accessible in the RDC: Measuring the impacts of COVID-19 Monitoring the...
Measuring COPD in New Brunswick
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: March 2, 2021 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: DataNB
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is among the most common chronic diseases in New Brunswick, impacting a person’s ability to breathe and, as a result, their participation in daily social, work, and school activities. COPD has been estimated to affect 24,800-57,000 New Brunswickers over age 35 – and while this large range of numbers indicates just how widespread the disease is, it also poses a problem for healthcare planners and policy makers. After all, strategies to...
HDRN - CLSA partnership making data available for research
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: February 17, 2021 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: DataNB
Through a partnership between the Health Data Research Network (HDRN) and the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) 20 years of data on more than 50,000 aging Canadians will soon be available for research at research data centres throughout Canada. The goal of CLSA is to find ways to help people live long and live well by gaining understanding in the different factors that impact health. This partnership is a tremendous win for research in healthy aging. “Linking the CLSA data to...
Student spotlight: Real GDP growth in New Brunswick
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: February 12, 2021 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: DataNB
The economic recession of 2008 severely impacted GDP growth in New Brunswick – not only at the time, but also for the years that followed. If the province’s GDP growth rates were on par with the Canadian average, NB would see higher tax revenue, more funding for public services, and greater interest from prospective businesses. So, how does our GDP growth measure up? This summer, Pathways to Professions student Thomas Campbell examined real GDP growth in NB. As part of the...
NB-IRDT expands service offering through MEKTU
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: January 25, 2021 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: DataNB
It’s one thing to implement a program – it’s a whole other matter to determine if the program works and how it can be improved. This is where MEKTU comes in. The Monitoring, Evaluation and Knowledge Transfer Unit (MEKTU) is the new program evaluation unit in NB-IRDT, currently supporting healthy aging in Canada through program evaluation of the Healthy Seniors Pilot Project. A $75 million agreement between the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Province of New Brunswick,...
Student spotlight: Postsecondary enrolments and graduate outcomes
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: January 14, 2021 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: DataNB
From 2018 to 2027, New Brunswick is projected to have 120,000 job openings across the province, leading to concerns over an impending labour market shortage alongside increasing youth outmigration. Education, however, may offer a solution. Education serves as a vehicle for social and economic progress. Practices such as targeting postsecondary enrolments could help address the impending labour market gap, and evaluating the changes in STEM and non-STEM enrolments could help inform policies...
Student spotlight: Tourism expansion in New Brunswick
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: January 11, 2021 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: DataNB
Tourism has a direct impact on the development of the New Brunswick economy, contributing toward employment and income creation. The Government of New Brunswick’s tourism growth strategy states that NB should aim to increase GDP generated through tourism by 57% -- reaching $2 billion by 2025. Are we on track to meet this goal? This summer, Pathways to Professions student Aya Benotmane examined tourism expansion in NB. As part of the BoostNB initiative to measure the province’s...
Student spotlight: Immigrant mobility in New Brunswick
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: November 27, 2020 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: DataNB
In New Brunswick, immigration has been identified as a key solution to the province’s slow growing and aging population. However, for the programs and resources spent on attracting individuals to NB to be effective, it is important that the immigrants who arrive in the province stay and contribute to the local economy. A recent NB-IRDT report suggests 50% of Provincial Nominee Program immigrants remain in NB five years after arriving – but how do we know which immigrants are most...
Changes in NB over the last 20 years: Population, industry and employment
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: November 26, 2020 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: DataNB
Over the past 20 years, New Brunswick’s industries have shifted. More and more New Brunswickers are finding employment in the services-producing sector and fewer working in the goods-producing sector. Change happens, but do these changes affect all regions equally? In a recently released report, researchers at the New Brunswick Institute for Research, Data and Training examine how employment profiles across industries in New Brunswick have evolved – and how population growth,...
Research data from across Canada
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: November 16, 2020 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: DataNB
NB-IRDT is a member of Health Data Research Network Canada (HDRN Canada), a pan-Canadian group of organizations that aims to improve health and well-being by making multi-jurisdictional data more accessible to researchers, institutions and government agencies across Canada for research. HDRN Canada connects individuals and organizations from across the country to share expertise, identify opportunities for collaboration, and foster innovation in ways that respect public expectations and...
Have you heard about QUEST-SJ?
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: November 3, 2020 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: DataNB
QUEST-SJ is a group of dedicated healthcare and research professionals, motivated by a shared passion for improving healthcare in our community through collaboration and discussion. Participants come from a wide variety of backgrounds and levels of experience. Join the conversation and collaborate with other QUEST-SJ members; to receive the meeting log-in information, contact quest-sj@unb.ca. Note: Due to COVID-19, monthly meetings are currently being held via Zoom. See the full schedule
New Brunswick labour force participation
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: November 2, 2020 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: DataNB
The size of a region’s labour force is typically affected by the makeup of the population. In New Brunswick, the general population is aging, while the youth population is shrinking. What could these factors mean for labour force participation in NB? This summer, Pathways to Professions student Thomas Campbell examined labour force participation rates in NB. As part of the BoostNB initiative to measure the province’s progress toward economic goals, he looked at whether NB labour...
What our Pathways to Professions staff and students were up to over the summer
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: October 30, 2020 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
Learn more about the 2020 program in review, the students, the research and ways you can get involved. Meet the Editor: The 2020 Program in Review was compiled and edited by this year’s Student Communications Coordinator, Noubahar Hasnain. Noubahar is a fourth-year Business Administration student at UNB, originally from Mount Pearl, Newfoundland. She has aspirations to use her Honours in Finance and Minors in Economics and International Business to pursue a career as a Consultant.
Self-employment trends in New Brunswick
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: October 7, 2020 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
A lot can change in 30 years. Different businesses open and close their doors, and advances in technology and shifts in the labour market change the way we work. At NB-IRDT, we examined self-employment trends in New Brunswick over the past 30 years (1982-2016) to see if/how self-employment has changed – and why. While the proportion of self-employed New Brunswickers has remained fairly consistent over the years, our researchers noted some interesting trends. For instance: The gender...
Immigrant retention in New Brunswick
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: October 1, 2020 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
It is no secret that New Brunswick has been facing the problem of an aging, shrinking population for some time now. However, this is a problem with a solution, and the Government of New Brunswick has identified immigration as a key strategy. Through investment in programs like the Provincial Nominee Program, New Brunswick has attracted a growing number of immigrants – but for immigration to effectively boost the population, focus must be placed on immigrant retention. In a 2019 report,...
Public engagement seats on research committees
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: September 28, 2020 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
NB-IRDT recognizes that public engagement has a tremendous role to play in research and can lead to significant benefits for everyone involved. Some benefits include: Fresh insights into research Better research questions Greater research impact Improved research quality Increased accountability and transparency of research Increased responsiveness of research to societal needs Opportunity to build trust between researchers and citizens Increased research visibility Developing new...
New Brunswick farm population
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: August 28, 2020 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
The topic of farming in New Brunswick has been growing in importance and for good reason. A large proportion of NB farmers are nearing retirement, and the number of operating farms in the province is shrinking. Most recently, the onset of COVID-19 highlighted NB’s reliance on temporary foreign workers and food imports, emphasizing the existing strain on agricultural production. These factors and more highlight the need for change to drive a flourishing agricultural sector. However, in...
Research at NB-IRDT among 27 funded NB COVID-19 projects
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: August 13, 2020 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers around the world have focused their efforts and expertise on detecting, treating, and responding to the virus and its aftermath. In New Brunswick, research is underway to address the challenges of COVID-19 – not only in relation to its global impact but also regarding specific issues affecting New Brunswick. Recently, 27 New Brunswick research projects were awarded funds of $846,707 through the joint efforts of The New Brunswick...
Pathways to Professions program comes to a close
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: August 10, 2020 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
At NB-IRDT, we research priority issues in New Brunswick, like outmigration. We also dedicate resources to being part of the solution. This summer marked the inaugural run of our experiential student research program – Pathways to Professions. Through this and other such programs we are investing in the future workforce and future research capacity in New Brunswick. In recent years, New Brunswick has seen many graduates and young workers move to other provinces for career...
SAS software licences available to UNB students, staff and faculty
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: July 17, 2020 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
Looking for software to help with data management and analysis? SAS software is a statistical software suite developed by SAS Institute Inc. for data management and advanced analytics, with applications for topics like multivariate analysis, business intelligence, criminal investigation and predictive analytics. The SAS software suite can retrieve, alter, manage, mine, and analyze data from a variety of sources and formats, from the humble CSV to “Big Data” and relational...
COVID-19 rapid response reports support government response in NB
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: July 15, 2020 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
The arrival and spread of COVID-19 led to rapid changes to all aspects of our society not the least of which our health care system and our economy. For provincial governments tasked with implementing many of these changes, dealing with the considerable uncertainty is challenging. The New Brunswick Institute for Research, Data and Training (NB-IRDT) and the Maritime SPOR SUPPORT Unit (MSSU) developed a series of Rapid Response Reports to provide provincial government decision makers with...
Are you a New Brunswick English-speaking male over 19 years experienced in or trying to lose weight?
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: July 14, 2020 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
The purpose of this study is to determine if text message support assists men who are seeking to lose weight. Previously conducted in the United Kingdom, a research team is now looking to conduct the same study in Canada. One component of the study is a survey. Before launching the survey, however, the research team would like to recruit English-speaking men with experience in trying to lose weight to review the proposed survey questions. As the survey questions were previously used in the...
End of life literature review for pandemic response
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: June 10, 2020 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
NB-IRDT research analyst Jeff Gaudet was one of several Moncton-based researchers who produced a rapid-response literature review examining issues, concerns, best practices, and recommendations for end of life care during the COVID-19 pandemic. The lead author was Marc-Andre Gaudet, an Maritime SPOR SUPPORT Unit (MSSU) researcher. The report was produced to support Vitalité Health Network's pandemic response team prepare for end of life needs of New Brunswick patients.
NB-IRDT gets experiential learning program off the ground and at a distance
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: June 10, 2020 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
NB-IRDT's experiential learning program, Pathways to Professions, has proceeded full speed ahead, despite the challenges of operating during a global pandemic. The program was developed - and then adapted to be delivered remotely - by staff at the New Brunswick Institute for Research, Data and Training (NB-IRDT) in partnership with the Atlantic Institute for Policy Research (AIPR), FutureReadyNB, Planet Hatch, and the Director of Experiential Education at UNB. Students are working remotely...
Funding announced for GNB employee data literacy training
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: June 2, 2020 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
The University of New Brunswick's NB-IRDT has been awarded $200,000 from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) to develop a training program for Government of New Brunswick policymakers on how to incorporate data into decision-making. NB-IRDT currently has research partnerships with four government departments. The new training program will expand on these existing partnerships to more broadly develop data literacy skills, knowledge and capacity across these and other...
NB-IRDT research featured in food security webinar
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: June 2, 2020 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
Food insecurity touches at least one in every six households in New Brunswick. It takes many forms: anxiety about running out of food, missing meals, and not being able to afford food. NB-IRDT platform research featured prominently in “What the Food?” a Food for All NB webinar on May 20. The first in a series on New Brunswick’s food sector, the talk was titled “Household Food Insecurity & New Brunswick” and featured research by Dr. Valerie Tarasuk of the...
COVID-19 projected outcomes to April 24
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: April 21, 2020 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
This rapid response report provides updated projections estimating the trajectory COVID-19 could follow in New Brunswick (NB) if the province has outcomes similar to those of countries and provinces that have to date contained infections relatively successfully. Studying the experiences of the different locations further along in the infection outbreak helps inform how the disease could continue to progress in NB. Variables considered include COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations, critical...
COVID-19 rapid response report on healthcare resources
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: April 21, 2020 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
Does having dedicated resources – spaces and services – for COVID-19 effectively control the spread, decrease the severity, and mitigate the cost of the disease in terms of costs to health care, societal disruption, health outcomes and lives lost? The NB-IRDT Team examined evidence for the separation of healthcare resources during pandemic medical management to prevent overlap and exposure between point sources of care and health personnel. The Team looked at current evidence for...
NB-IRDT COVID-19 projections show good news for NB
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: April 8, 2020 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
UNB’s New Brunswick Institute for Research, Data, and Training’s 10-day COVID-19 outcome model shows New Brunswick is currently tracking towards a best-case scenario outcome, according to data as of April 7. NB-IRDT researchers, led by Dr. Ted McDonald, developed their prediction models by looking at outcome data as of March 31, 2020 from other countries with a range of COVID-19 response strategies, from strict lockdowns and widespread testing to slow implementation of...
CANUE webinar highlights new environmental data
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: April 7, 2020 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
La version française suit On March 27, 2020, the Canadian Urban Environmental Health Research Consortium (CANUE) hosted a webinar about the connections between CANUE and three provincial data centres, including the New Brunswick Institute of Research, Data and Training (NB-IRDT). Dr. Ted McDonald, NB-IRDT Director, joined colleagues from the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy, and Population Data BC to present “A Tale of Three Provinces: Manitoba, New Brunswick and BC, Data Scope...
The cost of workplace cancers
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: March 9, 2020 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
Many jobs in New Brunswick involve regular exposure to carcinogens. While it is difficult—and in many cases impossible—to prove a case of cancer was caused by exposure to workplace carcinogens, some occupations are highly correlated with certain types of cancer. But until fairly recently, few occupational cancer cases qualified for Workers Compensation coverage. Firefighters have long waged a battle to prove that their jobs put them at an increased risk for certain types of...
Busier obstetricians means fewer patient complications
Mara Mallory
Posted: February 3, 2020 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: DataNB
Women undergoing C-sections with lower volume providers or specialists other than obstetricians are at much higher risk of complications. Caesarean sections (C-sections) account for approximately 4.9% of all inpatient surgeries in New Brunswick and rates have been rising throughout Canada. NB-IRDT researchers looked at all hospital admissions for C-sections in New Brunswick between April 2004 and March 2014 (20,914...
Projected New Brunswick population in 2036
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: November 5, 2019 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: DataNB
Note: The publications in this post are from 2017 and 2018, before the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic and the associated migration of residents to New Brunswick. For updated information on provincial numbers, refer to the most current information available from Statistics Canada. In 2017, we published one of the first in-depth examinations of how New Brunswick’s population is expected to change over the coming decades, both in terms of geographic distribution and numbers. Principal...
Where are they now? Students from summers past: Jessica Mann
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: July 5, 2019 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
When NB-IRDT launched its Pathways to Professions (P2P) experiential learning program back in 2020, Jessica Mann was among the first to sign up for a summer of research and training. At the time, she was an undergraduate at the University of New Brunswick looking to gain some hands-on experience and help pave the way for her future in the workplace. Now, two years later, we follow up with her to see how far she’s come and where she’s going next. Jessica Mann – From P2P...
NB poised to be research leader
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: June 7, 2019 12:00:00 AM ADT
Category: DataNB
With the passage of Bill 29 during the most recent sitting of the Legislature, New Brunswick is now positioned to be one of the leading jurisdictions for health and population research in the country, says one of Canada’s leading data researchers. Dr. Ted McDonald, the founder of the New Brunswick Institute for Data, Research and Training (NB-IRDT) and the Atlantic Canada StatsCan Research Data Centre, says Bill 29 expands the 2017 Act Respecting Research to include a wider range of...
Immigrants as permanent residents
Your Name
Posted: January 10, 2019 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: DataNB
It’s easy to track how many immigrants are accepted into a province as permanent residents through immigration programs. It is much harder to keep track of what happens after they arrive. Many New Brunswickers are counting on immigration to help alleviate the economic and social challenges we face as a result of NB’s demographic challenges. For New Brunswick to fully benefit from immigration, we need to dig deeper to understand the immigrant experience once they arrive in our...
Introduction to regression workshop
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: January 10, 2019 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: DataNB
Regression is a powerful statistical tool that is used to understand or to make predictions about the world around us. Understanding what regression is and when and how it is used is the focus of this introductory workshop. The workshop includes a comprehensive introduction to regression methods and its utility. Equipped with this knowledge, participants will feel more confident in their ability to engage in discussions on the use of regression analyses and in interpreting results from...
Student spotlight: Meet the BoostNB Team
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: January 10, 2019 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: DataNB
BoostNB is a student research stream in the Pathways to Professions (P2P) experiential learning program at NB-IRDT. Launched in 2018 by Dr. Herb Emery, Vaughan Chair of Regional Economics, BoostNB serves as a dashboard of economic indicators that aims to provide straightforward, fact-based information about New Brunswick and its economy. This summer, BoostNB was comprised of four undergraduate students from Saint Thomas University and the University of New Brunswick. Under the...
Where are they now? Students from summers past: Madeleine Gorman-Asal
NB-IRDT Staff
Posted: January 10, 2019 12:00:00 AM AST
Category: DataNB
When NB-IRDT launched its Pathways to Professions (P2P) experiential learning program back in 2020, Madeleine Gorman-Asal was one of six undergraduates to join us for a summer of research and training. At the time, she was working towards a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics/Statistics and Biology, with plans to graduate in 2021. Now, two years later, we follow up with her to find out what she’s been up to lately and where she plans to go next. Madeleine Gorman-Asal – From P2P to...