On Wednesday April 19, 2017, the former President of the University of Toronto, Dr. David Naylor, presented a report on the state of federal funding for research.
The report, titled Canada’s Fundamental Science Review, is the first of its type in over 40 years. It was created by an independent and non-partisan expert panel with the mandate “…to provide advice and recommendations to the Minister of Science on how to improve federal science programs and initiatives”, according to the press release (link is external).
In Dr. Naylor’s words, the report recommendations could help “...transform Canadian research capacity and have enormous long-term impacts across the nation.”
Findings from the report revealed that Canadian research competitiveness is being eroded and that federal funding has flat-lined over the past 15 years, with the total proportion of federal funding for research in decline.
Key recommendations include:
1. Improved oversight and governance of funding is needed to provide more stability within the “research ecosystem”
2. Funding increases are recommended for independent, “front line” research—also known as ‘basic’ or ‘fundamental’ research—which often leads to transformational discoveries and improved quality of life for Canadians.
To read the full report, click here (link is external).