ICES Analyst Support Program

The ob-gyn department provides access to a dedicated ICES analyst, in partnership with the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto, to help faculty members conduct high-quality, population-based health research. This program is designed to strengthen research capacity within the department, support the development of future ICES scientists, and ensure that projects are scientifically rigorous, feasible and aligned with ICES data resources.

What is ICES?

Founded in 1992, ICES is an independent, not-for-profit research institute that has been given broad access to the health-related data of Ontarians, including population-based health surveys, anonymous patient records and clinical and administrative databases. 

ICES analysts collaborate with health-care researchers to study the health-care system and promote effective, efficient and equitable health care in Ontario.

About ICES projects in the department 

The full details for departmental ICES-supported projects, including qualifications, selections, responsibilities and costs, are set out in the 2026 Terms of Reference. You must read this document before applying.

How do I qualify for an ICES project?

You must be a full- or part-time faculty member with a primary appointment in the ob-gyn department to be eligible to apply for ICES analyst support.

You should have prior experience working with ICES data and be actively interested in developing your expertise in ICES-based research. The department gives preference to investigators who are working toward becoming ICES scientists. This supports our goal of growing internal capacity and increasing the number of faculty with advanced ICES research expertise.

Every project team must include a Responsible ICES Scientist (RIS) who has a U of T appointment or cross-appointment. This person provides scientific oversight and guidance throughout the project. Currently, there are three eligible RIS affliated with the department:

• Lilian Gien
• Hilary Brown
• Andrea Simpson

Other RIS from ICES are also available to collaborate on projects. 

How are projects selected?

The department’s ICES steering committee oversees the analyst support program. The committee consists of faculty members with ICES research experience and ICES scientists across multiple hospitals and departmental divisions.

The committee meets two to three times annually to review submissions, assess scientific merit and prioritize projects for analyst support. It ranks projects based on the strength of the proposal and the timing of the application. The committee may return applications that are insufficiently developed or not suitable for ICES data.

To ensure fair access to resources, only one active project submission per primary applicant is permitted at any given time.

Note on costs: The department pays for the cost of the analyst. However, there is a compulsory $10,000 baseline co-pay. See the Terms of Reference for a full cost schedule.

How to apply for an ICES project

The submission requirements, costs, timelines and many other details are in the 2026 Terms of Reference (PDF). ICES recommends a minimum two-year timeline for project completion.

You will need to submit the following document package:

• One-page research proposal
• Project Activation Worksheet (PAW)
• Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA)
• Dataset Creation Plan (DCP)

You must follow these steps to obtain project approval:

1. Work with your research team and RIS to develop the research proposal.
2. Submit the completed proposal to the department’s ICES analyst Sakib Yasar. Sakib will guide you through the PAW and PIA documents.
3. Submit the completed PAW and PIA to to Dinah Thorpe, the ICES U of T Privacy, Risk and Compliance Officer, at dinah.thorpe@ices.on.ca
4. After you receive approval for these documents, work with your research team and RIS to complete the DCP.
5. Submit the completed DCP to Sakib to begin the data analysis.

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