Article Type: Generic

Federal outlays on S&T as a percentage of total government spending slipped in both FY08-09 and FY09-10 back to levels not seen since 2000. Federal expenditures were up $306 million or 3% in FY09-10 to $10.

Aims to be world leader in nuclear medicine

Canada’s national laboratory for particle and nuclear physics is seeking a 38% increase to its next funding cycle to fund an ambitious expansion of its activities and enhance its leadership position for the production of rare isotopes, accelerator design and nuclear medicine.

Demonstrating value proposition crucial

The CANARIE research and education network may be close to 20 years old but in many respects it’s still at the ground floor of a revolution in R&D that is radically altering the ways in which researchers of all persuasions conduct their work.

October 28-30 in Toronto

Canada’s weak science policy capacity and the lack of academic input into the policy making process has prompted a Toronto-based researcher to launch the inaugural 2009 Canadian Science Policy Conference.

Different report, similar conclusions. The authors of a new study probing the distressingly high number of Canadian R&D-performing firms that disappear despite adequate financing say Canada’s lack of a culture of commerce is largely to blame.

A bold initiative to increase the quality and quantity of science stories in the media was officially launched last week with the unveiling of the Science Media Centre of Canada (SMCC). Conceived three years ago as a behind-the-scenes facilitator of science information, the SMCC is raising its initial funding requirements with charter memberships of $5,000 each and is aiming to commence operations next summer.

The Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) has added an unprecedented nine new networks to its Strategic Research Networks (SRN) program with $45 million in funding over five years. The networks were selected as part of the program’s 2008 competition and bring the program’s network total to 24.

The Conservative government has followed through on its 2008 election pledge to inject $200 million over four years into the Strategic Aerospace and Defence Initiative (SADI) program, boosting the funding available annually to as high as $300 million.

The Canadian Light Source (CLS) has received $44 million over four years bringing it a step closer to securing the necessary support to operate the growing national synchrotron facility over the next several years.

Spending on higher education R&D resumed healthy growth in FY07-08 after nearly grinding to a standstill in FY06-07, according to the latest data from Statistics Canada. Higher ed expenditures reached nearly $10.