Article Type: Generic

Set to emerge as full-fledged RTO

The National Research Council (NRC) is on the cusp of rolling out its new portfolio and program offerings to position the organization as Canada’s answer to Germany’s network of Fraunhofer institutes.

12th Annual RE$EARCH MONEY Conference

Federal innovation policy is increasingly emphasizing a shift towards connecting science and the marketplace to better compete in the global economy, an approach that may result in a new S&T strategy in the near future.

Spearheaded by Research Canada

A Canadian advocacy group has spearheaded the creation of a global alliance of similar organizations to advocate for increased funding for health research to boost its impact and effectiveness.

The Institut national d’optique (INO) has begun informal discussions with the federal government to support an expansion of its services across the country. The plan comes as the Quebec City-based organization celebrates its 25th anniversary as a key player in the development and commercialization of optics and photonics technologies in an ever widening range of industry sectors.

The Canada Council of the Arts has announced the winners of the 2013 Killam Prizes, which celebrate world class excel- lence in the arts and sciences. This year’s five winners will each receive $100,000 at an April 23rd awards ceremony at the Governor General’s residence in Ottawa.

The mood was upbeat at the recent R&D Symposium of the Association of Canadian, Community Colleges (ACCC) as recent initiatives by the federal government provided encouraging evidence that the role of applied research is becoming an increasingly important element of Canada’s innovation agenda.

The findings of a new report accusing the Harper government of muzzling federal scientists has convinced the Federal Information Commissioner (FIC) to initiate an investigation into its allegations. Commissioner Suzanne Legault announced April 2 that she would investigate the claims at the request of its authors — Democracy Watch and the Univ of Victoria Environmental Law Centre.

Budget 2013

The federal Budget has given Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) a new lease on life, replenishing its depleted SD Tech Fund with $325 million over eight years. The new money allows SDTC to launch a new competition for the fund, which has allocated $592 million since its launch in 2001.

Budget 2013

This year’s austerity-driven federal Budget maintains the status quo for support of research and innovation but beneath the standard verbiage there appears to be a new coherent strategy emerging to support the government’s emphasis on commercial outcomes from its investments.