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Inno-Centre Canada (ICC) has launched its first full-fledged provincial operation with the creation of Inno-Centre Alberta (ICA) and is working with other provinces to expand its mentoring and commercialization concept across the country.

The federal government will not introduce any new S&T programs that require substantial matching provincial funding without first consulting with the provinces. The agreement, which was not included in the final communiqué of the recent meeting of S&T ministers in Quebec City, would delay the introduction of any new programs stemming from the innovation paper until the fall of 2002.

While the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) continues to press the federal government for a long-term funding commitment, it is making profound changes to its governance structure and activities to better encompass the grand experiment in health research launched 16 months ago.

EMPOWR Canada Inc is set to become the first organization to form a national innovation platform (NIP) with the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), a novel new mechanism that would allow the flow of targeted research funding without having to create a new organization.

Researchers from the TeleLearning Network of Centres of Excellence (TL-NCE) are exploring the feasibility of creating a new networking mechanism in the wake of Network’s failure to obtain Phase II funding.

New and ongoing research and development initiatives feature prominently in the first update to the First National Climate Change Business Plan (FNBP) which was recently released to provide current details on the host of national and provincial measures now underway.

Playing catch-up with the rest of the world

The materials research community is engineering an ambitious proposal to create a national Materials Innovation Cooperative (MIC) that will enhance the research infrastructure of the transportation, construction and energy sectors and give academic researchers widespread access to essential equipment and services for the first time.

The federal government should consider tightening up regulations governing early-stage R&D of genetically modified (GM) foods and provide assistance to industry in identifying best practices. The recommendations are part of a wide ranging new interim report by the Canadian Biotechnology Advisory Council (CBAC) that provides the basis for a new round of consultation.

A three-year, $50-million pilot project for the electronic delivery of research publications promises to revolutionize the way in which university researchers access scholarly publication in the natural sciences and in medicine.

RE$EARCH MONEY Exclusive

The federal government’s unfolding skills and learning agenda is proposing an urgent initial investment of $860 million to begin meeting core policy objectives, according to documents obtained by RE$EARCH MONEY.