Call for Expression of Interest in Research Consultancy: Quantitative Scoping Exercise
Position: Consultant - Quantitative Social Science Researcher (or Team)
Project Lead: Allison Petrozziello
Contract length: 3 months (negotiable)
Deadline: March 31, 2025
Project Overview
In Canada access to birthright citizenship is presumed to be automatic, regardless of the citizenship or migration status of migrant mothers. While most migrant mothers can access documentation proving the Canadian citizenship of their children, there are particular groups who face individual and structural barriers to birth registration and documentation of citizenship for their children. For example, un- or under-insured migrant mothers with temporary immigration or without status in Canada face barriers to reproductive healthcare and may give birth outside hospital, where birth documentation may be less streamlined. Additionally, some parents may see proof of birth withheld by the hospital as a means of pressuring them to pay exorbitant hospital fees.
The opportunity
Bridging Divides is looking a quantitative social science researcher (or team) to join the projct "Birthing Canadian citizens: Migrant mothers’ experiences accessing documentation and citizenship for children born in Canada and abroad" and conduct a quantitative scoping exercise on non-resident migrant mothers, under the supervision of Dr. Allison Petrozziello.
The goal of this work is to estimate the size of the population that has been excluded from birth registration (or issuance of birth certificates) in Canada by examining differences across provinces (with an initial focus on Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia) between the numbers of live births (health data) and birth certificates issued to non-resident mothers (civil registrar/vital statistics).
Description of Responsibilities
- Identify data sources: We are interested in understanding whether there is a discrepancy between issuances of live birth notifications and numbers of actual birth certificates delivered to “non-resident” mothers (people who are not citizens or permanent residents) in Canada (and/or more granular categorizations as available). The first part of this work is to identify where and how these data might be accessed. Potential examples include: the Discharge Abstract Database from the Canadian Institute for Health Information, Statistics Canada, civil registration records, and specific hospital records. If hospital data are being used, is there a way of capturing births happening outside of hospitals? Task 1 is to identify the best source(s) of the data we seek.
- Collect data set: Define geographic and temporal parameters in conversation with the research team. Download and organize the data.
- Analyze data: We are interested in whether there is a discrepancy between issuances of live birth notifications and actual birth certificates delivered. If there is such a discrepancy, what is the magnitude of the problem? Analysis will be conducted to determine the characteristics of families receiving birth certificates versus families not receiving birth certificates, and to identify whether/which populations are consistently not receiving birth registration documentation.
- Data visualization: In consultation with the research team, define appropriate means of visualizing the quantitative research results and produce these visualizations.
Expressions of Interest
The research team invites expressions of interest from an individual or team with strong quantitative research skills, which can include training in demography, sociology, epidemiology, statistics, etc. Please send a 1-2 page letter outlining your qualifications to conduct this research and initial ideas or questions as to how you would approach the scoping exercise outlined above, along with team member CVs to Allison Petrozziello, apetrozziello@torontomu.ca by March 31, 2025.
Contract Details
A lump sum contract will be negotiated based on estimated level of effort. The projected timeline is a three-month period in 2025 (also negotiable).
