Editorial:
Sebastian Leck
This month, Canadians learned that we’re lagging far behind other countries in vaccinating our citizens. Canada’s struggle to secure vaccine supply illustrates the difficulties of responding to crises without the right infrastructure and planning in place.
Quebec invests $400-million into satellite program with goal of bringing high-speed internet to rural Canada
Quebec is investing $400 million into Telesat’s satellite network that aims to bring high-speed internet connections to remote and rural areas in Canada.
The Short Report – Feb 24, 2021: A level-four disease containment facility at U of Saskatchewan, NSERC provides $118 million for research partnerships, CIHR's plan for the next decade, and more
Saskatchewan funds an upgrade of a University of Saskatchewan centre to work with deadly diseases, Vancouver Shipyards begins construction of an ocean vessel to study the impact of climate change, Canadian Institutes of Health Research release a long-awaited plan for the next decade, and more.
Canada launches $53-million strategy to combat COVID-19 variants as experts warn of potential third wave
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Friday a new strategy to address variants of concern in the COVID-19 pandemic. The $53-million strategy aims to rapidly expand Canada’s surveillance, sequencing and research efforts. It brings together the Public Health Agency of Canada’s National Microbiology Laboratory, the Canadian COVID Genomics Network (CanCOGen), the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR) as well as the provinces and territories.
Opinion: Government investment in clean electricity must include nuclear to achieve economic and climate goals
Government investment and policy in clean electricity must include nuclear power to achieve Canada’s economic and climate goals, John Gorman, president and CEO of the Canadian Nuclear Association, says in an editorial. His recommendations include: a pan-Canadian electrification strategy; continued government support for the nuclear sector; regulatory support for Canada’s uranium industry; and official government categorization of nuclear as a clean technology.
York University lab to be the WHO's international centre in fight against antimicrobial resistance
The World Health Organization is looking to the York’s Global Strategy Lab to develop practical governance solutions to a slow-burning pandemic that is already killing an estimated 700,000 people each year.
Opinion: Solving the problem of antimicrobial resistance requires greater social science collaboration
Finding solutions to the problem of antimicrobial resistance will require rigorous social sciences research that explores the drivers of antimicrobial resistance, says an international group of authors in an editorial.
NGen joins $10-million effort to bolster manufacturing capacity for a COVID-19 vaccine
The NGen supercluster has awarded $27 million in funding for 12 advanced manufacturing projects that can supply critical health care products to combat COVID-19. The funding includes $5 million for Providence Therapeutics and partner Northern RNA to establish manufacturing capacity in Calgary for Providence’s made-in-Canada vaccine.
Corporate R&D dips slightly in 2019 with Bombardier dropping 60%, and cannabis firms investing heavily
Canada’s Top corporate R&D spenders reported a 7.5% increase in FY2019 R&D spending, down from 2018 but still described as “a very strong year”
Opinion: Leveraging Canada’s agri-food system to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050
Canada’s agri-food system can help the nation achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 by providing either a source of renewable energy or “negative” emissions, Adekunbi Adetona and Dr. (PhD) David Layzell say in an opinion leader column. Innovative approaches, incentives and supportive government policy will be needed to use residual agricultural biomass to help reduce emissions, they say.
With national strategy, Canada is hoping to get its lead back on hydrogen
Canada’s national hydrogen strategy could help the country reap trillions of dollars of valuable IP, economic benefits and create new jobs. But, we risk falling behind if we don’t act now.
New NRC research facility brings together public, private and academic partners to work on advanced materials
In November, the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) opened a new two-storey, 21,500-square-foot advanced materials research facility in Mississauga that will house collaborations with universities and industry partners.
The Short Report – Jan 27, 2021: Clinical trials for first made-in-Canada vaccine begin; a first-of-its-kind carbon capture cement study launches in Edmonton, and more.
The federal government invests in protecting the endangered North Atlantic right whale; a Canadian-led social media movement aims to stop the spread of misinformation around COVID-19; University Health Network study shows full dose blood thinners decrease need for life support in COVID-19 patients, and a new report says Canada’s PhD students face persistent barriers applying skill sets.
Opinion Leader:
Christina Seidel
To shift to a circular economy, we need to harness local expertise on plastics
Building a circular economy for plastics in Canada will take smart solutions, says Christina Seidel, executive director of the Recycling Council of Alberta and co-chair of the Plastics Alliance of Alberta, in an op-ed. These include locally driven initiatives, collaboration across sectors and organizations, research investment and innovation to eliminate unnecessary plastics and reduce plastic waste.
Nova Scotia researchers to test whether UV light reduces COVID-19 at long-term care homes
Nova Scotia researchers are launching a $1.7-million project to test whether ultraviolet (UV) lights installed in long-term care facilities will reduce COVID-19 and other infections among residents. Previous studies have shown that germicidal UV light effectively kills seasonal coronaviruses, and there are now Canadian companies selling UV light disinfection systems.
Calgary vaccine developer reaches deal with Manitoba government after hearing no response from Ottawa
Providence Therapeutics, a Calgary biotechnology company in human trials with its COVID-19 vaccine, struck a supply deal with the Government of Manitoba after sending the federal government a proposal and receiving no response. In a video, Providence founder and CEO Brad Sorenson criticized Ottawa’s “apathetic response” as “unacceptable” and he implored the government to take initiative to establish a secure domestic vaccine supply.
Agriculture innovation in Canada needs a long-term approach, researchers say
As Canada aims for $75 billion in agri-food exports by 2025, the federal government has invested major dollars into increasing the country’s capacity. But Canada needs to conduct research in a way that supports long-term innovation, experts tell Research Money, or there’s a risk that many research efforts will be short-term and piecemeal.
The Short Report – Feb 17, 2021: NSERC supports Huawei research collaboration, ALS research gets a boost, Ottawa invests in SMEs transitioning to clean tech, and more.
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council collaborates with the Canadian arm of Huawei Technologies, Canadian and international teams receive funding to accelerate ALS research, SDTC supports SMEs across Canada in their adoption of clean technology, an unexpected donation spurs Northern Ontario School of Medicine to address health inequities in marginalized populations, and more.
New algorithmic assessment tool promotes responsible use of AI in government
The Algorithmic Impact Assessment (AIA) tool is a critical part of the Treasury Board’s directive on the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) in government. A first of its kind, the AIA is designed to assess and reduce the risks of using AI systems in the delivery of services and programs to Canadians. But the impact the tool will have is still unclear. Lauded as an example of innovative policymaking., there are early signs that compliance may be an issue.
The Short Report – Feb 10, 2021: Pilot program to recycle COVID-19 face masks, UVIC divests from fossil fuels, MS Society tests type-2 diabetes drug, and more
UVic is the latest university in Canada to cut fossil fuels from its investment portfolio, Nova Scotia’s fish and seafood sector gets a boost, a promising snapshot of Ontario’s developing AI ecosystem, and more.
Precision NanoSystems receives federal support to build $50 million biomanufacturing facility in Vancouver
New plant expected to produce 240 million vaccine doses every year starting in 2023.
BC firm using $6 million from feds to scale up sustainable insect production, reduce food waste
Enterra Feed Corporation is building a full-scale commercial facility near Calgary to feed food waste to black soldier flies which are then dried processed for animal feed and plant fertilizer.
The Short Report – Feb. 3, 2021: Corporations partner on rapid COVID testing for employees, Conestoga launches national institute for senior care, Lakeland offers Canada's first AgriTech degree, and more
A consortium of some of Canada’s biggest corporations launch a pilot project offering workers rapid COVID-19 testing; Conestoga College prepares to launch a national institute dedicated to senior care; Lakeland College offers Canada’s first two-year Agricultural Technology program this fall, and more.
New laws and regulations urgently needed to address AI risks, say experts
Canadian policymakers have been very influential in promoting responsible artificial intelligence (AI) globally, according to experts participating in the third annual AICan meeting. But as the development, deployment and use of autonomous systems accelerates, Canada urgently needs new laws and regulations to ensure they benefit everyone.
Opinion: Stop putting “lipstick” on Canada’s innovation mess and solve early-stage funding gap
Canada needs to stop putting “lipstick” on Canada’s innovation mess and solve the funding gap for early-stage entrepreneurs and SMEs, Michael Nitefor, president and founder of Air Lab, Inc., says in an editorial.