Organization: Compute Canada

Editorial – 30-11

What steps must be taken for Canada to get its act together on digital research infrastructure (DRI)? It’s a perennial question that’s been bandied about in research and policy circles for years with little progress, while the demand for digitization and its transmission, storage and analysis continues to soar.

Government to consider expansion and greater coordination of digital research infrastructure

Canada’s digital research infrastructure (DRI) is fragmented, oversubscribed and underfunded, according to officials close to the file. Its precarious state compared to competitor nations comes at a time when more and more areas of R&D are becoming digitized and data driven while the size and complexity of data sets are increasing exponentially.

Innovation sectors continue to fail spectacularly at gender equity and diversity

The UK, US and Canada still haven’t managed to break the average 20% threshold for gender equity across STEM academic disciplines. In some cases, the numbers of women are actually declining and certain disciplines that like to boast higher numbers are still well below parity. To address the lack of progress being made by universities, Canada’s Science minister has made accessing research funding dependent on achieving gender equity and diversity and has called on university presidents to address the lack of women in the Canada Research Chairs program.

Basic science needs better oversight and coordination, and more money: Expert panel

R$ talks to David Naylor

A federally commissioned blue-chip panel calling for greater coherence and financial support for fundamental research has made a series of 35 recommendations, including a $1.3-billion increase in the budgets of the three granting councils, the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) and related entities over the next four years.

Industry Canada launches DRI strategy

The federal government is moving on commitments made in its recent Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy and 2015 Budget by launching consultations for a Digital Research Infrastructure (DRI) strategy. Led by Industry Canada, the on-line consultation is seeking submissions from a broad range of stakeholders to guide development of a strategy that the department says…

BC genome centre becomes latest WestGrid node

The Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre (MSGSC) has become the latest advanced research computing site for WestGrid and Compute Canada. One of eight research programs operated by the BC Cancer Agency, MSGSC is the largest capacity genomics centre of its type in Canada. It brings the number of western-based research institutions partnering with WestGrid to…

BC Genome Science Centre boosts advanced computing

BC Cancer Agency‘s Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre is partnering with Compute Canada and WestGrid to support the expansion of its advanced research computing systems. The centre will provide researchers with access to bioinformatics software, expertise and secure computing storage as they utilize advanced computing to develop improved methods for cancer care and other disease…