Mobilizing Science and Technology to Canada's Advantage: Progress Report 2009

Knowledge Advantage — Positioning Canada at the Leading Edge of Global Science and Technology

For Canada to be more productive and competitive, Canadian researchers must be at the forefront of important developments in science and technology (S&T) that will generate health, social, environmental and economic benefits for Canadians.

Over the past two years, the Government of Canada has laid important groundwork for Canada to gain a global Knowledge Advantage. The following sections will describe progress made in four areas: targeting world-class research excellence in areas of health, social, environmental and economic opportunity; maintaining Canada's G-7 leadership in public sector research and development (R&D); enhancing accountability and value for money from the granting councils; and exploring new approaches to federally performed S&T.

In addition to funding basic research, the government has made significant investments to seed the strategic research needed to meet Canada's economic and social needs. It has also increased its investments in research and facilities, and worked diligently with its partners in business, academia and government to increase the commercial impact of federal investments and activities across all of Canada's research strengths.

Targeting World-Class Research Excellence in Areas of Health, Social, Environmental and Economic Opportunity

New Funding for the Granting Councils for Targeted Research

In keeping with our goal of achieving global excellence, we have continued to direct substantial new funding towards both basic and strategic research at Canada's universities and colleges.

Budget 2007 provided $85 million per year in new annual resources for Canada's three granting councils — the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) — to support exciting new research in the four priority areas identified in the S&T Strategy: environmental science and technologies, natural resources and energy, health and related life sciences and technologies, and information and communications technologies.

Budget 2008 expanded this support with an additional $80 million per year to foster research on important social and economic challenges, and to partner with public and private stakeholders to find practical solutions to many of these issues.

The results of these new investments are wide-ranging:

CIHR has increased its grants to accelerate the translation of knowledge into more effective health products and services for Canadians.
NSERC has funded three new strategic networks to focus on challenges in manufacturing, forestry and fisheries.
NSERC has directed $6 million towards a new partnership with the National Research Council Canada's Industrial Research Assistance Program and the Business Development Bank of Canada to enable researchers in nanoscience and nanotechnology to collaborate on large research projects. NSERC also received $34 million per year for collaborative research on the knowledge and innovation needs of Canada's automotive, manufacturing, forestry and fishing industries. Working with an industry task force and other federal agencies (including the SSHRC, the NRC, the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) and the Canada Excellence Research Chairs (CERC)), NSERC has set out an ambitious five-year agenda to further R&D benefits for the automotive industry, as part of the $145-million investment in Automotive Partnership Canada.
The SSHRC and the International Development Research Centre have partnered to launch a $6.2-million initiative to link research teams in Canada and the developing world, to address S&T priority areas including environment and natural resource management and information and communication technologies for development.
CIHR and NSERC have expanded their Collaborative Health Research Projects program from $6 million a year to a total of $13.8 million.

Straight to the Heart

New treatments for heart disease can improve lives and reduce costs to the health care system. The Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada have provided matching funds of $59 800 each to researchers at Université Laval to develop a new class of degradable coronary stents.

In March 2009, the Government of Canada announced that it will help create the Ivey Centre for Health Innovation and Leadership, through an investment of $5 million. The internationally recognized Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario will bring together expertise from the business, health sciences and medical sectors to develop specialized talent and commercialize health innovations that will benefit Canada's health care providers and patients.

Canada Is Becoming a World Leader in Neuroscience

The Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction (INMHA), one of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research's (CIHR's) 13 institutes, is dedicated to supporting research on the functioning and disorders of the brain, spinal cord, sensory and motor systems, and the mind. CIHR provides support to almost 12 000 health researchers and trainees across Canada and in 2007–08 provided $86.8 million for research related to Alzheimer disease, mental health and addictions.

Support for neuroscience research is also provided through the Networks of Centres of Excellence. PrioNet Canada at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute are developing strategies to mitigate, and ultimately eradicate, prion diseases such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and its human variant, Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease.

In addition, out of the seven Centres of Excellence for Commercialization and Research identified in Budget 2007, the Brain Research Centre (BRC) in Vancouver and the Montreal Neurological Institute are dedicated to neurological research. The BRC is a partnership between Vancouver Coastal Health and UBC's Faculty of Medicine. It draws on the skills of over 190 researchers, physicians and technicians to operate on a “bench to bedside” principle in order to bridge the gap between basic sciences and their clinical application as treatments for neurological diseases.

Boosting Research Funding for Sustainable Technologies

New technologies that can support the goal of sustainable development will be critical to Canada's future economic prosperity and ability to maintain a healthy environment. In Budget 2007, the Government of Canada made $500 million available to Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) to establish the new NextGen Biofuels Fund™ supporting production of next-generation renewable fuels. This new fund is complementary to the original SD Tech Fund™ aimed at developing and demonstrating innovative solutions to environmental challenges. Accordingly, SDTC currently operates two leading-edge funds:

The $550-million SD Tech Fund™ supports projects that address issues relating to climate change, air quality, clean water and clean soil.
The $500-million NextGen Biofuels Fund™ supports the establishment of first-of-kind large demonstration-scale facilities for production of next-generation renewable fuels.

New Carbon Reduction Technology Takes Aim at Climate Change

Atlantic Hydrogen Inc. — a corporate–university consortium based in Fredericton, New Brunswick — has used new Sustainable Development Technology Canada funds to develop the CarbonSaver™. This exciting new technology will remove carbon from natural gas fuels in solid form rather than returning it to the atmosphere. It will be used to feed hydrogen-rich natural gas as fuel to automotive engines or for applications in distributed power generation.

SDTC funds groundbreaking technologies and fast-tracks their progress to market by helping entrepreneurs connect with partners, formalize business plans and qualify for venture capital financing.

Moving Canada Towards a Clean Energy Future

In keeping with the priorities of the S&T Strategy, the Government of Canada is supporting S&T activities that can reduce the impact of Canada's energy use on the environment. Budget 2009 announced the creation of a new Clean Energy Fund to support clean energy research, development and demonstration projects, including carbon capture and storage.

Placing Canada at the Forefront of Genomics Research

Genomics is an important, multidisciplinary science with the potential to improve the lives of Canadians and others around the world through better health and a cleaner environment. Budget 2007 provided $100 million, and Budget 2008 provided an additional $140 million, to Genome Canada — a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to establishing Canada as a research leader in genomics. This brings the total investment up to $840 million and will allow Genome Canada to operate through 2012–13. Using Budget 2007 and Budget 2008 funding, Genome Canada has invested in applied genomics research to strengthen Canada's agriculture, crop and bioproduct sectors. It has also partnered with California to advance important cancer stem cell research.

Maintaining Canada's G-7 Leadership in Public Sector Research and Development Performance

The Government of Canada is committed to maintaining Canada's international reputation for research excellence. Performing top-notch research and attracting and retaining outstanding researchers at our Canadian universities will help advance Canada's position in the global, knowledge-based economy and increase our access to the world's best ideas.

In keeping with our commitments under the S&T Strategy, the Government of Canada has taken decisive action to maintain Canada's post-secondary research system as one of the world's best. The federal investment in higher-education R&D helps Canada place the highest among G-7 countries and second in the OECD on higher-education R&D as a percentage of gross domestic product.

Altogether, Canadian governments and higher-education institutions performed some $12.6 billion in R&D in 2007–08. These investments have helped keep Canada in a leadership position among the G-7 countries.

Canada's World-Class Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Industry Gets Demonstration Centre

In 2008–09, the Government of Canada officially announced investments of $13.6 million over three years in the National Research Council's (NRC's) fuel cell and hydrogen technology cluster, an initiative that catalyzes broadly based community partnerships among industry, academia and the government to build Canada's competitive advantage through research, innovation and commercialization.

This is also the site of NRC's public–private Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Gateway in Vancouver — a technology demonstration and exhibit centre showcasing Canada's fuel cell and hydrogen industry. These investments support important work in an S&T Strategy's sub-priority.

Capturing the Leading Edge of Quantum Computing

To position Canadian researchers at the forefront of quantum computing, Budget 2007 provided $50 million to the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics. Quantum computing is a promising new combination of computing, engineering, and the mathematical and physical sciences. Budget 2009 builds on this advantage with a $50-million investment in the Institute for Quantum Computing at the University of Waterloo. This exciting new research centre has set its sights on creating a unique world-class environment for Canadian researchers working in quantum information and quantum computation. In November 2008, the Institute was pleased to announce the appointment of internationally renowned scientist Professor Stephen Hawking as a Distinguished Research Chair. Over the longer term, work at the Institute is expected to create significant economic benefits for Canadians through breakthroughs in knowledge and technology development.

Expanding the Boundaries of Science

In 2007–08, the Government of Canada announced it would provide the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) with $25 million in funds over five years.

CIFAR is a not-for-profit organization that brings together leading researchers from across Canada and around the world to work collaboratively on complex advanced research. CIFAR's members include Nobel Laureates, Guggenheim Fellows, Royal Society of Canada members and many others working at the top of their fields. Together they expand the boundaries of knowledge and understanding in fields as diverse as nanoelectronics, experience-based brain and biological development, quantum information processing, and research into successful societies.

Improving Infrastructure at Universities and Colleges

The Government of Canada has made a major investment aimed at creating an economic stimulus while renewing the infrastructure that will support world-class research and training for decades to come. In Budget 2009, the Government of Canada committed up to $2 billion to accelerate repairs, maintenance and construction at Canada's colleges and universities. This funding will leverage up to an additional $2 billion in new investments to help ensure that post-secondary institutions continue to advance the frontiers of knowledge and contribute to Canada's economy through the research and advanced skills training they provide. Budget 2009's investments build on the $1-billion Post-Secondary Education Infrastructure Trust the government announced in Budget 2006.

Building Strength through the Canada Research Chairs Program

The Canada Research Chairs (CRC) program plays an important role in branding Canada's universities as hubs of world-class research and training grounds for the next generation of leading-edge scientists and highly qualified personnel. Research funded by the program also benefits Canada's public, private and not-for-profit sectors, helping them to respond to social, political and economic issues of concern to Canadians.

Canada Research Chair Attracts Global Attention with New Cancer Treatment

Dr. Sylvain Martel, Canada Research Chair in Micro/Nanosystem Development, Construction and Validation at the École Polytechnique de Montréal, made headlines around the world in 2007 with a breakthrough in medical robotics.

Using specialized software and prototypes developed with the support of CMC Microsystems, Dr. Martel and his team have created a system that could transport chemotherapy drugs through a blood vessel directly to a cancerous tumour, without damaging the healthy cells around it.

In 2007–08, the Government of Canada invested $258.6 million through the CRC program to fund 1902 CRC appointments across the country. Of these, 187 were new CRC appointments in 2007–08. The CFI made an additional investment of $22.4 million to fund research infrastructure essential to the work of 139 of these new chair holders.

Canada Foundation for Innovation Funds New Research Infrastructure

Canada is known for its state-of-the-art research equipment and facilities. As a country, we have invested heavily to ensure that Canadian and visiting researchers have access to the leading-edge tools and facilities they need to conduct world-class research and technology development that will generate benefits for Canadians.

Budget 2007 provided the CFI with $510 million to further strengthen the research capacity of Canada's universities, colleges, research hospitals and not-for-profit research institutions. The CFI put out its first call for proposals to use the new funds in February 2008. Budget 2009 increased this investment in Canada's Knowledge Advantage with another allocation to the CFI of $750 million for advanced research infrastructure, including $600 million in support of areas of priority identified by the Minister of Industry in consultation with the CFI, guided by the Foundation's strategic plan.

These new investments will have a significant impact on Canadian competitiveness and our reputation for research excellence. Since its inception, the CFI has allocated more than $4.5 billion to support 6000 projects at 128 research institutions in 64 communities across Canada.

The CFI's impact analysis for the last five years indicates that the availability of this new infrastructure has led to the following:

Creation of more than 4000 public/private sector jobs
Training of almost 11 000 technical personnel
Generation of more than 9000 research collaborations
Generation of more than 1500 international research collaborations
Generation of 1750 intellectual property rights
Development of 760 new or improved products, processes or services
Development of 613 new or improved public policies or programs
Creation of 198 spinoff companies

An important benefit has been the way these world-class facilities and equipment have helped attract new researchers to S&T projects in Canada. In 2006–07, some 2130 new researchers were recruited to CFI-sponsored projects. Of these, almost half (44 percent) came from outside Canada. That same year, CFI-funded projects also attracted more than 16 000 post-doctoral fellows and graduate students.^{Footnote 2}

Linking the Ocean Floor and the World Above

CANARIE Inc. and the Canada Foundation for Innovation both contribute to NEPTUNE Canada — a $300-million leading-edge, Canada–U.S., public–private collaboration that will use a cabled observatory to expand scientific knowledge of the ocean and the ocean floor. Located on the seabed off the coast of British Columbia, Washington and Oregon, the observatory will be used by scientists to investigate a range of global challenges and opportunities. Projects will contribute to the international understanding of climate change, greenhouse gas cycling, earthquake and tsunami forecasting, pollution threats to human and animal health, and more. NEPTUNE Canada is managed by the University of Victoria and its partner, the University of Washington.

Preparing for Canada's Next-Generation Research Networks

Science is increasingly multidisciplinary, collaborative and network-based. In 2007–08, the Government of Canada allocated $120 million to CANARIE Inc. to continue its operation and development of the CANARIE Advanced Research Network. Canada has long been recognized for this sophisticated, broadband network that links Canadian universities, research hospitals, federal laboratories and other science facilities with each other and with the top science facilities around the world. By getting ready today for the cyber infrastructure of tomorrow, Canada will maintain its reputation for leading-edge technology development in the area of advanced communication networks, and the products, applications and services that run them.

Enhancing Accountability and Value for Money from the Granting Councils

Canada's three granting councils, CIHR, NSERC and the SSHRC, are important S&T funders in Canada. The S&T Strategy identified the need to improve coordination and enhance accountability across Canada's three granting councils.

Since that time, NSERC and SSHRC have separated the roles of President and Chair of the granting councils, and increased the membership in the councils from the research user community. The government is firmly committed to basic, discovery research. These moves will also increase the relevance of the research funded by the councils and encourage work on practical and commercial applications.

Other initiatives are under way to better coordinate programs, facilitate interdisciplinary and international collaborations, and improve client service. Efforts are also being made to collect and report standardized data on the results and impacts of investments made by the three granting councils and the CFI.

Exploring New Approaches to Federally Performed Science and Technology

The Government of Canada plays a major role in S&T in Canada. It invested $5.2 billion in 2007–08 in its own S&T initiatives. This included some $2.5 billion for government R&D and $2.7 billion for related scientific activities (data collection, testing and standards development, feasibility studies and education support such as scholarships).

As promised in the S&T Strategy, the Government of Canada has worked to increase the impact of federal S&T investments. In some cases, we have made new investments in regulatory activities, scientific research or infrastructure that is in the public interest. In others, we have looked for innovative ways to effectively deliver results through strategic partnerships.

New Investments in Space — Reaching beyond Global Excellence

The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) is known the world over for its excellence in space technologies — from earth-observation and communications satellites to the Canadarm2 and Dextre (Special Purpose Dextrous Manipulator), which are essential tools for servicing the International Space Station. Many of these advanced technologies lead to commercial spinoff applications for use in industry and everyday life here on earth in areas such as manufacturing, underground mining and medicine.

Budget 2009 provided $110 million over three years to the CSA to develop terrestrial prototypes — such as a Mars Lander and a Lunar Rover — and to spur development of other technologies and space robotics.

Managing Our Ocean Resources for Sustainability

The livelihood of Canadians in many coastal communities depends on effective protection of the environment. Through Budget 2007, the Government of Canada provided $39 million over two years to science research programs at Fisheries and Oceans Canada. These additional resources will help stabilize ongoing collaborative fish stock assessment and research with the fishing industry.

Expert Panel on Federal Laboratories

In 2007–08, the Government of Canada appointed an independent panel of experts to consult with stakeholders and provide advice on transferring federal non-regulatory laboratories to Canadian universities or the private sector. Reporting back in June 2008, the panel identified five early candidates for alternative management arrangements. It also proposed a policy framework to guide similar decisions in the future.

Modernizing Federal Laboratories

The Government of Canada maintains a network of about 200 federal laboratories and scientific facilities across the country. Budget 2009 announced investments of $250 million over two years in an accelerated investment program to address maintenance that has been deferred at federal laboratories. Projects must be completed by the end of 2010–11 and will focus on laboratories that contribute to the government's main regulatory responsibilities such as health and food safety. Examples of early investments made under this fund include $10 million over two years in upgrades to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's laboratories in Calgary, Lethbridge, Saskatoon and St-Hyacinthe to ensure the safeguarding of Canada's food, animal and plant systems. The government also announced $7.5 million to upgrade Natural Resources Canada's Northern Forestry Centre in Edmonton.

Natural Resources Canada's CANMET Materials Technology Laboratory will be relocated to new state-of-the-art facilities at the McMaster Innovation Park in Hamilton, Ontario. Minister of Natural Resources Lisa Raitt and McMaster University President Peter George unveiled the final building design and broke ground for the new facility on December 5, 2008, with completion expected in September 2010.

Strengthening Canada's Position as a World Leader in Arctic S&T

Canada is a significant player in Arctic science. Canadian Arctic scientists and managers lead in numerous international forums such as the Arctic Council, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and International Polar Year.

Under the Northern Strategy, Canada committed to building a new world-class hub for scientific activity in the Canadian Arctic. The new high Arctic research station will anchor the network of existing research facilities in the North and serve both Canadian and international researchers drawn by the science potential of Canada's vast and diverse Arctic. Under Canada's Economic Action Plan, $85 million was allocated to upgrade the existing network and $2 million to a feasibility study for the new research station. These investments lay the groundwork for strengthening Canada's position in Arctic S&T.