If any industry deserves serious government support it’s the clean tech sector. Yet as this issue’s lead article illustrates, federal leadership is nowhere to be found. The sector – spanning many technologies and applications – has no home within the federal bureaucracy.

Just over 10 years ago, I helped write A Progress Report on Canada’s Renewal of Northern Research for the tri-council agencies. It was heartening to find that after years of neglect, northern research was getting a long-awaited shot in the arm.

Is Canada’s research base being neglected? That’s the issue now being hotly debated following the federal Budget’s failure to provide the granting councils with enough new funding this year to stave off the impact of inflation and the rising costs of conducting research.

Is Canada’s research base being neglected? That’s the issue now being hotly debated following the federal Budget’s failure to provide the granting councils with enough new funding this year to stave off the impact of inflation and the rising costs of conducting research.

The demise of ISTPCanada is something of a puzzle. Months of attempting to determine whether it would continue to be supported by government was met with silence. With no guidance on its future prospects, the organization pulled down its website and closed up shop (see page 7).

The demise of ISTPCanada is something of a puzzle. Months of attempting to determine whether it would continue to be supported by government was met with silence. With no guidance on its future prospects, the organization pulled down its website and closed up shop (see page 7).

Canada’s natural resources sectors are the bedrock of the economy but are they engines of innovation? Unfortunately not often enough, but that doesn’t mean diligent efforts aren’t being made to diversify the products and economic benefits they provide.

Canada’s natural resources sectors are the bedrock of the economy but are they engines of innovation? Unfortunately not often enough, but that doesn’t mean diligent efforts aren’t being made to diversify the products and economic benefits they provide.

Fifteen years ago, Dr Henry Friesen reiterated his vision for the freshly created Canadian Institutes of Health Research. The former president of CIHR’s predecessor, the Medical Research Council, boldly stated that “a one-billion CIHR is possible and defensible” — a target determined by allocating 1% of health care costs to medical and health research (R$, April 21/00).

Fifteen years ago, Dr Henry Friesen reiterated his vision for the freshly created Canadian Institutes of Health Research. The former president of CIHR’s predecessor, the Medical Research Council, boldly stated that “a one-billion CIHR is possible and defensible” — a target determined by allocating 1% of health care costs to medical and health research (R$, April 21/00).

What to make of the appointment of Tom Jenkins as chair of the National Research Council’s governing council? Reaction throughout the S&T community appears to be largely positive, particularly among those who look favourably on the agency’s transformation into a research and technology organization.

What to make of the appointment of Tom Jenkins as chair of the National Research Council’s governing council? Reaction throughout the S&T community appears to be largely positive, particularly among those who look favourably on the agency’s transformation into a research and technology organization.

In an increasingly globalized environment for business R&D and innovation, the silence surrounding Canada’s main program for bilateral industrial R&D is perplexing.

ISTPCanada is a small yet strategic mechanism for collaborative R&D between innovative Canadian firms with companies in China, India and Brazil.

In an increasingly globalized environment for business R&D and innovation, the silence surrounding Canada’s main program for bilateral industrial R&D is perplexing.

ISTPCanada is a small yet strategic mechanism for collaborative R&D between innovative Canadian firms with companies in China, India and Brazil.

A new year inevitably affords the opportunity to apply both hindsight and foresight to Canadian S&T and 2015 is going to be remarkable in several ways. Most obviously, it’s an election year which puts every federal move and pronouncement in a political context.

A new year inevitably affords the opportunity to apply both hindsight and foresight to Canadian S&T and 2015 is going to be remarkable in several ways. Most obviously, it’s an election year which puts every federal move and pronouncement in a political context.