Canadian Common CV frequently asked questions

The Common CV (CCV) works from a single database. The Generic CV displays the entire database. Any data entered into the Generic CV will be available for any Funding CV. The Funding CVs impose business rules specific to the sponsor / program to get a sub-set of the full data set relevant to that sponsor. When starting your CCV for the first time, it is advisable to enter data via the relevant Funding CV. The data still resides within the common database, but you will avoid entering data that is not required by the sponsor. For example, if you enter a publication that is more than six years old in the NSERC_Researcher CV, the system will show an error because NSERC wants publications from the past six years only.

For clarity, any data entered into the Funding CV will also populate the Generic CV.

As part of the transition to the renewed Common CV, all agencies are now using the classification system previously used in the CCV by provincial agencies to identify research focus areas. Users are asked to:

1) add a record;
2) click “Find”;
3) select a record from the first drop down list (i.e. Sector of Discipline, Sector of Research, or Field of Application);
4) click “Search”.

The above steps will allow you to access a list of related research areas from which we ask that you select the most appropriate element. You should then provide a more precise description in the “Research Specialization Keywords” field on the User Profile page.

You may also access the full list for the Research Classification System (RCS) in a spread sheet under the ‘Documentation’ tab on the Home page to see the options available to you.

Please note that the current RCS is being reviewed and that the plan is to expand the RCS to be more comprehensive. Entries in the Research Specialization Keywords section will be reviewed and analyzed as part of the RCS project. In addition, users should note that the lack of precision in some areas of the structured classification values will not impact the review of their application.

Can we access the XML schema to arrange our own ‘upload’ of data (for those comfortable writing their own code)?

Yes – information is available on the Common CV website.

The CCV has many categories of information available for data entry that I have not previously provided in my CV. Do I have to enter all that information?

A goal of the Common CV is to capture data relevant to many different disciplines. Therefore it has expanded the types and categories of information available to investigators for input to the CCV. It does not mean you are required to enter all data you might have for the available fields. Use your judgment to determine if the information would be expected by reviewers and/or strengthen your application.

If you have not provided required information in a data category within a Funding CV template, the system will give you an error (a red ‘X’). In this case, you will have to provide the required data. If the system shows a green ‘check mark’ in a category even in the absence of an entry, the data is not required – but the category is available should you deem it useful.

The CCV requires certain date information that is not applicable or known, e.g. a month of publication when none is available, or an end date to a collaboration that is ongoing. What should I do?

If there is an asterisk next to the data cell, the data is required. Provide a reasonable estimate or value, e.g. pick April or May if you think the article was published in the spring, or put an end date set in the future (such as the next year) for an ongoing collaboration. If you have no idea – pick a number. Remember, the CCV is only a new system to input data and provide data to sponsors – your application will still be reviewed as it has been in the past. If reviewers didn’t care about what month you published in the past, they are unlikely to care now, just because there is a new CCV.

In the NSERC form 100, investigators were prompted to identify student authorship by bolding the student’s name in listed publications. How do I denote student authorship in the Common CV?

Identify each student author with an asterisk.

I have data in the Common CV that I would like to include for some applications or particular sponsors, but not others. Do I have to delete that information?

You may select or de-select data to be included using the ‘submit?’ box. That way you aren’t faced with re-entering data at a future date, but can control what is submitted to a particular sponsor/program.

I have publications entered in the CCV for the past ten years. NSERC_Researcher CV only accepts publications over the last six years. How do I remove the older publications?

De-select the ‘submit?’ box of any publications that are not accepted by a Funding CV. That way you won’t lose the data, but will remove the error generated by the system.

I am not sure what the CCV is requesting for certain fields.

You can try the “?” icon for further clarification. This is not always helpful, but the CCV is working to expand the ‘help’ information and provide sponsor-specific information.

The CCV asks for start and end dates for funding that is ‘under review’/’applied for’. I don’t know what the dates will be, or even if it will be funded. What should I enter?

It is understood that if funding is still ‘under review’ the details are unconfirmed. Provide the start and end dates that were requested in the application, as well as the funding amount requested.

Scrolling through the drop down lists is driving me crazy – how can I avoid this?

In some fields, you can type in the information and it will move to that section of the drop down list. For example, when selecting 'Currency of Total Funding’ in the Funding History section, you can type ‘can’ in the box and it will take you to ‘Canadian dollar’.

I can’t type in the Affiliation 'organization type' box – it is greyed out. What do I do?

In this (and any other section) where you must ‘find’ the data to populate the information, click the ‘find’ box. You can then ‘search’ on a term, for example, ‘Waterloo’. The system will provide choices; select the correct one and it will populate that section.

What do I do about page limits for the CCV?

You have no control over the number of pages the CCV will generate, so don’t worry about it.

If I have a Common CV, can I use it instead of a Form 100 for a program that doesn’t use the CCV yet?

No, you cannot.

Do I have to refresh the CCV every time I submit?

You may use an earlier version (identified by the ‘confirmation number’ under the History tab of the CCV), or you may take the opportunity to update your CCV and determine if there is data you would/would not like to include in the particular submission by selecting or de-selecting the 'submit?' box for each entry.

I can’t identify my most significant contributions or HQP in the CCV – what do I do?

The new forms on the new NSERC/SSHRC research portals will capture information that is not captured in the CCV.

Please clarify what the symbols mean.

The ‘pencil’ means ‘edit’. The ‘trash can’ means ‘permanent delete’ and the ‘submit?’ means ‘do you or do you not want that data included in the particular CCV you are submitting’.

Can I change the order of entries – e.g. for publications?

Only in places where the system actually asks for rankings. Otherwise, you cannot override the system (and it doesn’t always get the order correct, even if you enter data chronologically).

I have funding from a sponsor not in the ‘Funding Organization’ list – now what?

You may enter the sponsor name in the 'Other Funding Organization' box – it is free text.

I can’t find NSERC/CIHR/SSHRC or CFI as a funding organization.

The system actually spells out NSERC to Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, and the other agencies are also spelled out: CIHR = Canadian Institutes of Health Research; SSHRC = Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada; CFI= Canada Foundation for Innovation. This is the case for many agencies, so if the acronym doesn’t work, look for the full title.