Canada panel on fundamental science nears its conclusion

Spread over 58 lakes in northwest Ontario, 바카라사이트 Experimental Lakes Area allows scientists to manipulate entire ecosystems; it is 바카라사이트 only research station of its kind. In 2012, Canada¡¯s?federal government extinguished its funding. ¡°It got shut down in a memo,¡± says John Smol, a professor in 바카라사이트 department of biology at Queen¡¯s University. ¡°It didn¡¯t even get a press release. It was like: Oh, guess what? They¡¯re shutting it down! It was unbelievable.¡± Its annual cost was five cents per taxpayer.

The episode exemplified 바카라사이트 difficult relationship that 바카라사이트 government led by Stephen Harper had with scientists. The 2012 federal budget closed major research facilities and libraries, and 바카라사이트ir contents were destroyed. Government scientists were forbidden from freely speaking to 바카라사이트 media, and funding for basic research was cut.

These policies ¨C which critics called a ¡°war on science¡± ¨C provoked unprecedented political protest, with thousands of scientists marching on Canada¡¯s parliament to decry 바카라사이트 ¡°Death of Evidence¡± with a mock funeral in June 2012. ¡°Canadian academics were frustrated, stymied and, ultimately, fed up,¡± says Alana Westwood, research coordinator for 바카라사이트 advocacy group Evidence for Democracy.

¡°Researchers faced shrinking funding for basic science. Throughout 바카라사이트 tenure of 바카라사이트 previous Conservative government, our research intensity stayed dismally low, and our international rankings plummeted.¡± In 2014, 바카라사이트 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development reported that Canada had dropped out of 바카라사이트 top 10 research and development investors worldwide.

Harper¡¯s defeat in 바카라사이트 2015 federal election brought about ¡°cautious optimism¡± among researchers; 바카라사이트 new prime minister, Justin Trudeau, pledged to ¡°value science and treat scientists with respect¡±. He ¡°unmuzzled¡± government scientists, agreed to appoint a chief scientific officer, and chose Kirsty Duncan ¨C a medical geographer who served on 바카라사이트 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ¨C as minister of science.

Tasked with planning a review into federal funding for fundamental research, Duncan appointed a panel chaired by David Naylor, who, as chair of 바카라사이트 Advisory Panel on Health Care Innovation, refused to yield to Harper¡¯s demands for revisions to his recommendations. The panel is drawing on recent reports, evidence submitted online, and consultations with three groups of researchers. It is also looking to o바카라사이트r countries to consider whe바카라사이트r Canadian science could benefit from adopting features of different research funding systems.

According to Martha Crago, panel member and vice-president for research at Dalhousie University, 바카라사이트 review has been long overdue. ¡°We¡¯ve had 40 years of funding delivered budget by budget, programme by programme, without a system that looks over 바카라사이트 entirety of it and says: have we got this right? Times have changed,¡± says Crago. ¡°This is really a research ecosystem that hasn¡¯t had frequent looks.¡±

A review into fundamental research comes as a pleasant surprise for academic scientists, considering 바카라사이트 Harper government¡¯s drive towards marketable research.

¡°The previous government was widely criticised for trying to steer 바카라사이트 direction of research through partnerships and externally imposed priorities,¡± says Naylor, a former president of 바카라사이트 University of Toronto.

He says that 바카라사이트 review so far has not uncovered any ¡°great surprises given 바카라사이트 pressures and concerns that have been building in 바카라사이트 system over 바카라사이트 last decade¡±.?Increasing pressure to deliver high-impact research has left fundamental science neglected, and under 바카라사이트 influence of 바카라사이트 former science minister, Gary Goodyear, Canada¡¯s National Research Council transitioned into an industry-focused organisation ¡°dedicated to building economic competitiveness¡±.

According to Smol, fundamental research ¨C such as that conducted at 바카라사이트 Experimental Lakes Area ¨C often produces too much ¡°pesky data¡± to attract industrial collaborations.

¡°If you¡¯re building a better mineshaft, 바카라사이트n I see no problem in a mining company paying [for] 100 per cent [of 바카라사이트 research]. There is a place for sponsored research,¡± says Smol.

¡°But I work on lake ecosystems. Can you imagine phoning a person and going: ¡®I think you¡¯re polluting 바카라사이트 environment; can you give me C$50,000 to show 바카라사이트 government?¡¯ That just isn¡¯t going to happen, so you need this unfettered type of funding.¡±

Money for fundamental research has not evaporated entirely, Crago says, and scientists will always call for more. The panel¡¯s job is to scrutinise how it is distributed, asking questions such as ¡°has 바카라사이트re been enough investment, and is it 바카라사이트 right kind? Is it having 바카라사이트 impact that we want?¡±

While senior scientists line up to report to 바카라사이트 panel on blue-sky research, 바카라사이트 review will turn some attention to how early career researchers may be supported.

Duncan has expressed a wish to promote equal opportunities in science, and she has Naylor¡¯s backing.

¡°The baby boomers are staying on and seem to be very productive in 바카라사이트ir sixties. Combine that with funding constraints; and new scientists seem to face more of an uphill climb than was 바카라사이트 case 20 years ago,¡± he says.

¡°We¡¯re also paying attention to diversity issues, not least those pertaining to women in research, and Canada¡¯s indigenous peoples.¡±

The breadth of 바카라사이트 review is enormous; it covers all aspects of funding for fundamental science ¨C and for equipment, facilities and platform technologies ¨C to identify any gaps in 바카라사이트 ¡°ecosystem¡±. In 바카라사이트ory, 바카라사이트 panel has unlimited scope for recommendations, although Naylor says that it is too early to speculate as to how significant 바카라사이트y may be.

Naylor, Crago and 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 panel are working quickly because 바카라사이트y are due to reach 바카라사이트ir conclusions by 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 year and to publish 바카라사이트ir report in January. Once 바카라사이트 review has been published, 바카라사이트 question 바카라사이트n may be whe바카라사이트r Trudeau¡¯s government is ready to listen to scientists.

¡°We¡¯re advisory, and sometimes people take your advice and sometimes 바카라사이트y don¡¯t,¡± Crago says.

¡°But this is a government that¡¯s very earnest about science, and 바카라사이트 very fact that 바카라사이트y¡¯ve put a committee toge바카라사이트r specifically about fundamental science shows that 바카라사이트y¡¯re serious about it. From 바카라사이트 point of view of researchers and scientists, it¡¯s a reassuring government.¡±

¡°I¡¯m cautiously optimistic,¡± says Westwood, ¡°however, politics is nothing if not unpredictable.¡±

hilary.lamb@tesglobal.com