Article Type: Generic

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) has come out in defence of its funding for post doctoral fellowships (PDF) following a rash of criticism surrounding the plummeting success rates of one of its suite of PDF support programs (R$ August 31/12).

Innovation expert questions report’s value

Canada has slipped another two positions on the ranking of global economic competitiveness published annually by the World Economic Forum (WEF). The massive report that compiles information from 144 countries says Canada is “being dragged down” by the quality of its research institutions and the government’s role in “promoting innovation through procurement policies”, compounded by lower university enrollment rates and less than sufficient training of academic staff.

12th Annual RE$EARCH MONEY conference

Budget 2013: Checking the Pulse of Canada’s Innovation Policies

April 9-10, 2013
National Arts Centre,, Ottawa

To register:
http://www.researchmoneyinc.com/conferences.

Commentary

By Dr Margaret Dalziel

In 1987, sociologist Peter Rossi distilled his experience evaluating social programs in a few simple ‘metallic laws’ where the durability of the metal indicates the law’s robustness.

NSERC regional offices play central role

A relatively new industry-focused program being offered by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) is growing like wildfire, having caught the attention of smaller firms eager to tap into the expertise and resources of the academic sector.

An advisory panel says the federal government should align a proposed international education strategy with Canada’s S&T Strategy, boosting and re-grouping grants and scholarships aimed at international students under one brand.

The increasing importance of open innovation has fuelled the rapid growth of a new breed of service providers seeking to assist companies forge collaborations to shorten development time for products and speed-to-market.

$62 million over three years

CANARIE is introducing an element of cost recovery into its programming as part of its new $62-million, three-year mandate that also significantly boosts industry engagement while maintaining its traditional focus on the needs of the research and education (R&E) communities.

First in a series on federal S&T

It’s command central for federal S&T, meeting up to 20 times a year to help align federal scientific activities and capacity with evolving government priorities. To further its mission, the ADM S&T Integration Board (IB) has recently issued a brief “think piece” that provides concise, big-picture thinking on the key role science-based departments and agencies (SBDAs) play.

NSERC MRS program suspended

A report issued by the New Democratic Party is calling for the “immediate reversal” of a moratorium placed on a key research support program that will result in the closure of eight facilities that are home to $81 million worth of unique scientific equipment.