Article Type: Generic

Need to unify disparate initiatives

Using revenues from government-imposed carbon levies for information and communications technologies (ICT) R&D could help the fastest growing source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions become part of the solution instead of a major source of the problem.

Merck and Co Inc is closing its Merck Frosst Centre for Therapeutic Research as part of a global restructuring prompted by its 2009, US$41-billion acquisition of Schering-Plough. The centre is one of eight research centres worldwide that are being shuttered as the Whitehouse Station NJ-based firm sheds 15,000 people or 15% of its work force.

The Quebec government says the amalgamation of the province’s three granting councils will help brand Quebec internationally as a place to do research, reduce administrative costs and capture aspects of research that currently fall between the cracks.

For the first time in recent memory, federal representatives attended a provincial S&T ministers meeting designed to coordinate efforts and share best practices for setting innovation policy and programs.

It was second time lucky for a Canadian-led proposal to establish a series of mathematics institutes across Africa, with the federal government contributing $20 million over four years to help create three institutes in Ethiopia, Senegal and Ghana.

The federal government has added yet another program in its growing arsenal of research talent support programs with the announcement of the Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships (BPF). Pegged at $45 million over five years, the program provides recipients with $70,000 annually for two years and will support 140 students when fully implemented.

Target sector of 130 companies

A new product commercialization centre (PCC) for emerging health care technologies is the latest addition to the new suite of innovation programs being rolled out in Alberta.

With the official launch of Clinexus, Alberta now has a suite of four product commercialization centres (PCC) targeted at sharply defined industry sectors and all under the authority of the recently established Alberta Innovates – Technology Futures (TF).

Phillipson steps down after six years

For his last media interview, Dr Eliot Phillipson was clearly anxious to discuss the recently concluded contribution agreement hammered out between the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) and Industry Canada.

The Sentinal Bioactive Paper Network is seeking to expand its clout as a world-leading source of applications for detecting water, air and food-borne pathogens using bioactive paper. The Network, which currently receives funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), has been short-listed for the next competition of the Centres of Excellence for Commercialization and Research (CECR) program, which will provide $57 million for four new Centres among the remaining 10 applicants.