Author: Mark Henderson

Top up for large transformative projects

FPInnovations has received $20.6 million from Natural Resources Canada to extend funding of large transformative technology projects in its Collaborative Research Program for another year.

Researchers across all disciplines are now required to make their publicly funded research results publicly available within 12 months of appearing in peer reviewed journals. The new Tri-Council Open Access Policy on Publications marks the first time all three granting councils will operate under the same rules.

Montreal has succeeded in its bid to become the global secretariat of Future Earth, a distributed research program dedicated to scientifically solving real-world problems of global sustainability. Spearheaded by Montreal International and Dr Remi Quirion, Quebec’s chief scientist, Future Earth is comprised of five hubs — Montreal, Paris, Tokyo, Stockholm and Boulder CO.

The Centre de recherche at the Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke (CRCHUS) has achieved a significant breakthrough in the production of technetium (Tc-99m) used for medical isotope procedures.

For the first time in its history, the president of the National Research Council (NRC) will not chair the agency’s governing council in a move that’s designed to emulate the challenge function played by a growing number of corporate boards of directors.

Mitacs is opening its two key programs to not-for-profit (NFP) organizations for the first time, exponentially expanding the number of organizations that stand to gain from its support for internships and fellowships.

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) announced its annual awards at a gala event at the Governor General’s residence on February 17th in Ottawa. The evening’s top prize, the Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal for Science and Engineering, went to Dr Axel Becke, a chemistry professor at Dalhousie University.

Critical lack of Series A financing

Buoyed by a projected GDP growth of 2.6% in 2015, the Government of British Columbia is forecasting a surplus of $284 million in 2015 on spending of $45.8 billion — standing virtually alone among the provinces, many of which are suffering from the collapse in commodity prices.

Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) has announced $51.9 million in funding to support pre-commercial R&D projects at 11 companies. The financing is drawn from its SD Tech Fund which was replenished in Budget 2013 with $325 million over eight years (R$, April 3/13).

Looking out to 2030

Canada’s largest research-intensive universities have released a high-level think piece outlining their proposed future role in the nation’s innovation ecosystem with the goal of making Canada the world’s most innovative nation by 2030.