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The Alberta Prion Research Institute (APRI) has unveiled an industry program which is the first of several being planned for institutes being launched by the Alberta Ingenuity Fund. The Innovation and Delivery Program (IDeal) is being positioned to develop R&D responses to prion-based diseases threatening cattle and wild animal herds such as elk by strengthening industry receptor capacity for new Alberta-based products and processes.

Enhancements to the scientific research and experimental development (SR&ED) tax credit program are shaping up as the hot-button issue in pre-Budget lobbying for changes to Canada’s R&D and S&T environments.

First $45 million in awards announced

Canada’s chances of moving forward with collaborative research in the area of stem cell research and regenerative medicine improved significantly with the announcement of the first awards by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM).

March 8th in Ottawa

“Are Canada’s Business R&D Incentives Working?”
The sixth annual RE$EARCH MONEY Conference examines the effectiveness of
government policies and programs to encourage R&D and innovation in Canada.

The Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) has released the last of its major project announcements, illustrating the increasing sophistication it employs in selecting initiatives that contribute to the development of select areas of Canada’s research infrastructure.

A team of Winnipeg researchers has received the third annual Brockhouse Canada Prize for Interdisciplinary Research in Science and Engineering for its work in refining proteomics techniques for use in several medical and biological applications.

Canada’s universities have weighed in with a timely dose of advice for the government’s federal S&T strategy. The Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC) calls for a range of expensive yet uncosted recommendations that touch on all aspects of the university research funding environment, including provisions for new training support, management and governance.

A leading US energy expert says the Conservative government’s adoption of intensity-based greenhouse gas emission targets “make no sense” and that the recent opposition bill holding the government to Canada’s Kyoto obligations is a step in the right direction.

Increased R&D spending in the business sector — particularly the service industry — helped push up the number of R&D personnel active in Canada to 199,060, a 5.0% increase over 2003 and up nearly 30% since 1990.

Canada and China have signed a Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement that includes a joint fund to support scientific and technological innovation and industrial cooperation. The agreement was signed January 16 as part of a high-level delegation to China led by Finance minister James Flaherty and International Trade minister David Emerson.