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The British Columbia government is investing an additional $25 million in Genome BC, increasing its support for the agency’s current-five year plan to $75 million. The latest funding is expected to leverage $265 million from other sources for a total of $340 million, significantly more than the amount raised in the previous 2005-2010 five-year strategy.

Canada is a world leader in astronomy and astrophysics research, ranking fifth among the top 15 leaders in the field, according to a bibliometric survey on behalf of the National Research Council. The survey — conducted by Montreal-based Science Metrix — found that Canada has boosted its standing from ninth to fifth since 1998 and is particularly strong when gauged by the impact of the research on the scientific community.

$190 million over five years

Swiss-based pharmaceutical giant Hoffmann La Roche AG has awarded a global development mandate to Roche Canada and a commitment to invest $190 million over five years in a global pharmaceutical development site in Mississauga ON.

Fiscal restraint, R&D review panel cited

A cost-cutting strategic operating review and the pending report from the federal R&D review panel are producing a chill in the pre-Budget submissions to government, with fewer organizations and individuals proposing significant new spending for R&D and innovation.

US more restrictive than Canada

Canadian university researchers seeking to engage in collaborative research with their US counterparts need a far greater understanding of the rules and regulations surrounding intellectual property (IP) in the two jurisdictions to achieve successful outcomes, says a first-of-its-kind report released this month by a committee of the Canada-California Strategic Innovation Partnership (CCSIP).

Springboard Atlantic Inc is establishing a new fund to boost its technology commercialization efforts as part of new funding from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA). The $8.5-million investment over three years will facilitate the creation of the Innovation Mobilization Program (IMP) as part of a new strategic plan to be released this fall.

Range of options available

Canada’s nuclear S&T community is anxious to learn more about the fate of the Chalk River Laboratories (CRL) — the nation’s largest major science facility — following the sale of the CANDU division of Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd (AECL) to SNC Lavalin.

Process could take years

The pending sale of the CANDU division of Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd to SNC Lavalin has once again raised hopes within the materials science and other nuclear research communities that the federal government may finally approve construction of a new reactor at Chalk River ON.

Canada is about to lose its guaranteed seat on the board of the US-based Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM) but that doesn’t mean that Canadian technology transfer personnel are giving up on the organization.

The Council of Canadian Academies (CCA) is developing a long-term, diversified funding strategy as it enters the second half of its 10-year funding agreement with Industry Canada. The move — along with closer ties to its member academies and a broader range of experts on its assessment panels — was recommended by an expert panel that recently reported on the CCA’s activities for its first five years of operation.