Article Type: Generic

2005 Budget

Guarded optimism over the Budget’s modest funding boost to university research is being tempered by clawbacks to the two granting councils and an increase for health research that falls far short of what’s needed to fulfill its mandate.

Genome Canada is back on track with new core funding of $165 million over three years and the imminent release of $60 million in funding announced in last year’s Budget but never released. The $225-million package will allow the not-for-profit corporation to complete a major competition launched last year, bolster its regional centres and pay for the operation of core facilities and overall administration.

The Budget has dealt Precarn Inc a 60% reduction in the amount of funding it has managed over the past five years, and effectively sealed the fate of yet another sunsetting Network of Centres of Excellence (NCE).

Budget measures to support sustainable development and technology adoption are receiving a massive injection of more than $3 billion over five years, with the creation of several new funding initiatives designed to assist Canada in meeting its obligations under the Kyoto Protocol.

The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) has received $111 million over five years in new funding to help pay for a new generation of remote sensing satellites. The CSA is planning to build a constellation of three smaller satellites to succeed the much larger Radarsat II, which is scheduled for launch next year.

The federal and Quebec governments are contributing $176.6 million towards a $726.6-million R&D project by Bell Helicopter Textron Canada Ltd (BHTCL) for the development of key technologies for a new family of Canadian-built civilian helicopters.

General Motors is making a $2.5-billion investment in its Canadian operations with $425 million in assistance from the federal and Ontario governments. Under the banner of the Beacon Project, the investment — the largest in Canadian automotive history — has major R&D and skills training components and establishes a Canadian Automotive Innovation Network of universities and research institutes (see chart).

A politically charged federal Budget left little room for new S&T initiatives as the minority Liberals sought to preserve previously funded programs and agencies while positioning themselves for the next election.

Goal to alleviate uncertainty

Proponents of a Canadian big science strategy are hoping that the latest attempt to create a framework for the evaluation, funding and administration of major science facilities will finally lead to official policy and practice.

Genome Canada, CFI respond

By Debbie Lawes

Genome Canada’s president says his foundation would agree to a review by Auditor General (AG) Sheila Fraser if one was requested by Industry Canada. Responding to the AG’s latest report, released February 15, Dr Martin Godbout also stressed that his organization is “fully transparent and accountable” to government.