The federal government’s new national security guidelines for research partnerships raise numerous concerns that range from discouraging research collaborations to potentially interfering with academic freedom, says Dr. Alex Navarre, PhD, a research associate at Université du Québec, in an op-ed.
Organization: Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
The Short Report – June 23, 2021: Construction finishes on Biologic’s vaccine plant, a new interdisciplinary school of health at Concordia, quantum research funding in Quebec and more
Minister Champagne announces construction of NRC’s vaccine plant in Montreal is complete, Concordia gets go-ahead for a new school of interdisciplinary health, NISC receives quantum research funding to improve online communication security, and more.
The Short Report – June 2, 2021: Cleantech R&D gets a boost, Biden’s 2022 research budget, UBC studies rapid testing kits, and more
Ottawa invests more than $44 million to bolster cleantech R&D innovation, US President Joseph Biden asks for US $13.5 billion increase in federal R&D spending, the University of British Columbia’s COVID-19 rapid testing clinic to be a first in Canada, and more.
New funding approaches could address gender disparities, peer review bias: Council of Canadian Academies
Creative funding models and other innovative tools could help Canada’s research funding agencies address issues such as gender disparities, peer review bias and inequitable funding for researchers and institutions, says the chair of a new expert panel report by the Council of Canadian Academies. The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada commissioned the report as part of NSERC’s planning process for its new long-term strategic plan.
Canada’s research funding agencies must experiment to keep up with evolving science landscape: Council of Canadian Academies report
Changes impacting the natural sciences and engineering fields include a sense of “hyper-competition” for research funding that is particularly affecting young investigators, says Dr. Shirley M. Tilghman, the chair of a new Council of Canadian Academies expert panel that released a report this week.
The Short Report – May 5, 2021: Federal government invests in vaccine uptake, Carleton U embarks on aging project, $5 million for new ocean supercluster projects, and more
This week in The Short Report, the Canadian Association of Science Centres receives funding to address vaccine misinformation while U of T targets strategies to reduce fear of needles; the University of Alberta receives industry funding to bolster wheat-breeding capacity, the Rideau Hall Foundation recognizes excellence in innovation, and more.
Council of Canadian Academies launches federally-supported projects to assess urgent scientific challenges
The Council of Canadian Academies (CCA) has launched four new, federally-supported projects to assess urgent scientific challenges. Expert panels will evaluate the benefits and risks of artificial intelligence for science and engineering, Canada’s carbon sink potential, public safety in the digital age, and the impacts of health and science misinformation.
The Short Report – April 14, 2021: Alberta invests in vaccine R&D, Ottawa brings wireless tech to mining industry, CIB shores up Ontario’s energy grid, and more
In this week’s The Short Report, the Government of Alberta contributes $20 million for vaccine R&D, a Canadian Infrastructure Bank invests in Ontario’s energy grid, 5G wireless tech to increase safety and reliability in the mining industry, Palette Skills leads consortium to address talent gaps in a post-COVID economy, and more.
Canada’s emissions-reduction policies and lower costs drive increasing investment in energy storage
Government and business investment in electrical-grid connected battery energy storage is growing, driven by lower costs for the technology and Canada’s goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
Canada needs a targeted industrial strategy to improve innovation performance, experts say
Canada’s continued poor performance in innovation and business productivity is due to a failure to link publicly funded research and innovation programs to an industrial strategy based on the country’s strengths, say innovation experts. Meanwhile, studies by University of Toronto researchers show the federal innovation agenda has negatively impacted funding for basic, investigator-driven research but hasn’t addressed the underlying problem of industrial innovation in Canada.