The CLSA Scientific Management Team (SMT) is the principal decision making body of the CLSA, providing overall scientific leadership and primary responsibility for oversight of all CLSA activities.

The SMT meets at least weekly via teleconference and in-person six times a year to review and monitor all aspects of study progress and to oversee:

• Strategic planning and priority setting for scientific direction and output;

• Development of strategic partnerships and mechanisms to ensure ongoing funding of the study;

• Development of the strategy for managing change in research team and other personnel;

• Engaging the CLSA Scientific Advisory Board and Operations Committee to develop plans for integrating future technological changes required for study of this length and magnitude;

• Engage with the CLSA Information Technology (IT) team to develop IT solutions for data storage, security, management and access;

• Engaging the Ethical Legal and Societal Implications committee and the Primary and Secondary Data Access and Utilization Committee for privacy, confidentiality and data access aspects of the CLSA;

• Oversee the management and storage of data in collaboration with IT team;

• Management of the CLSA supported intellectual property (IP);

• Budgetary and financial aspects of the CLSA and budget projections;

• Communications and knowledge translation;

• Ethics, security, and privacy;

• Capacity building and training; and

• Strategic decisions related to the maintenance and operation of the infrastructure.

The SMT is composed of the CLSA Lead Principal Investigator, Co-Principal Investigators, and the CLSA Managing Director. The CIHR/CLSA Associate Director is an ex officio member of the SMT.

The SMT liaises with the CLSA-established Advisory Council and Scientific Advisory Board, the International Scientific Advisory Board, and the CIHR-established Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues Committee and Scientific Oversight Committee at least annually, or as required. The SMT will present an annual report reflecting mutually established performance indicators and research progress to the Scientific Oversight Committee as part of the accountability framework.

The Operations Committee and the Primary and Secondary Data Access and Utilization Committee report to the SMT

The CLSA Advisory Council (AC) provides overall guidance and advice to the Scientific Management Team on policy and promotional aspects of the study. Responsibilities include identifying and promoting opportunities for on-going funding for the research operations. Members of the CLSA Advisory Council are expected to advocate for the CLSA in the public and private sectors, and to establish mechanisms to ensure that the outcomes of the CLSA research are disseminated, adopted and integrated into health and social care policies, both economic and social.

The Advisory Council provides advice on:

• Overall governance of the CLSA;
• The processes for managing change in research leadership of the study;
• Risk management;
• Study promotion;
• Adding value through the research platform;
• Knowledge generation to inform policy development;
• Knowledge uptake; and
• Long term sustainability of the study through public or private partnerships.

The CLSA Advisory Council will have broad-based membership, including key stakeholders from federal and provincial governments, representatives from health charities, the private sector and lay members. Members will serve a fixed term, with the possibility of re-appointment. Once the AC is fully established and functional, a new chair will be selected by AC members.

The members of AC will be selected by SMT and will meet annually. Members serve a three year term, with the possibility of re-appointment.

The Training Committee (TC) is responsible for promoting the training vision of the CLSA via the development and implementation of educational policies and programs which utilize the infrastructure. A key role of the TC is to liaise with existing institutional programs in aging and population health, and to integrate the training within the infrastructure platform. Members are selected from the pool of CLSA investigators, based on their relevant expertise and interest, with an aim to achieve multidisciplinary and regional representation.

The Intellectual Property and Commercialization Committee (IPCC) will monitor and manage the CLSA supported intellectual property (IP). The ownership of CLSA-supported intellectual property (IP) rests with the participating institutions where the IP is created. Inventors and co-inventors will be identified and handled in accordance with the policies of the relevant participating institutions.

Inventors and participating institutions will be required to disclose IP to the CLSA IPCC.

The IPCC will be composed of CLSA members from the pool of CLSA researchers, and institutional bodies responsible for IP. The committee will meet as required, at least once annually.

The Data and Sample Access Committee (DSAC) is the CLSA body responsible for the review of applications for access to, and use of, alphanumeric data and/or biological samples, collected as part of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging. The DSAC oversees all aspects of data usage, storage, and security. The DSAC ensures participants’ privacy and confidentiality are guarded in accordance with Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with Statistics Canada and other institutions as required. As well, the DSAC takes responsibility for implementing policies and procedures consistent with the principles described in the CIHR Best Practices for Protecting Privacy in Health Research, Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans and the Canadian Standards Association Privacy Code.

The DSAC is responsible for:

The review of all applications to the CLSA for:

• Access to alphanumeric data;
• Access to biological samples;
• The conduct of sub studies that are ancillary to the CLSA;
• Monitoring the progress of the studies for which access has been granted.

The committee is initially chaired by CLSA co-PI Dr. Christina Wolfson. The committee membership is composed primarily (no less than 75% of members) of researchers not involved in the CLSA and reflects the diversity of disciplines within the CLSA research program. Researcher members of the DSAC are drawn from individuals with expertise in the following disciplines: genetics/epigenetics; biobanking and biomarkers; social aspects of aging; psychology/neuropsychology; statistics/biostatistics; ethics; health policy; and epidemiology. The committee is supported by a DSAC Coordinator who coordinates the activities of the committee and maintains relevant documentation.

The DSAC meets monthly by teleconference to review submitted applications and on an ad hoc basis by teleconference /videoconference as needed. At least one face to face meeting will take place annually.

The DSAC reports directly the CLSA Scientific Management Team (SMT) via the Chair. The Chair of the DSAC will also present an annual report to the CIHR International Scientific Oversight Committee.

The interim chair of the DSAC is Christina Wolfson, co-PI.

The following researchers comprised the DSAC:
Cynthia Balion (McMaster University)
Iranga Chikuru (CIHR ex officio)
Max Cynader (University of British Columbia
Pierrette Gaudreau (University of Montreal)
Joan Lindsay (University of Ottawa)
Verena Menec (University of Manitoba)
Saminda Pathmasiri (Public Population Project in Genomics)
Margaret Penning (University of Victoria)
Brent Richards (McGill University)
Harry Shannon (McMaster University)

The DSAC reports directly the CLSA Scientific Management Team (SMT) via the Chair. The Chair of the DSAC will also present an annual report to the CIHR International Scientific Oversight Committee.