Canada science review: will funding plea be put into practice?

Canadian academics have welcomed a review that calls for a major increase in funding for basic research, but concerns have been raised that 바카라사이트 timing of 바카라사이트 publication, just weeks?after 바카라사이트 federal budget announcement, suggests that 바카라사이트 government may be hesitant to implement 바카라사이트 recommendations.

The government-commissioned report,?, says that annual funding for basic research should rise by more than a third ¨C or C$1.3 billion (?780 million) ¨C to C$4.8 billion within four years.

It argues that independent science and scholarly enquiry has been ¡°underfunded for much of 바카라사이트 last decade¡± as ministers have concentrated resources on ¡°innovation-facing and priority-driven programmes¡±. Direct funding per researcher fell by 35 per cent in real terms between 2000-01 and 2015-16, it says.

The report?also recommends 바카라사이트 creation of a new National Advisory Council on Research and Innovation (Nacri) to oversee 바카라사이트 federal research system, which is currently ¡°weakly coordinated and inconsistently evaluated¡±.

This new council would report to 바카라사이트 government, replace 바카라사이트 existing Science, Technology and Innovation Council, and be composed of 12 to 15 members, including distinguished scientists and scholars, it said.

Meanwhile, an additional coordinating board for 바카라사이트 country¡¯s four funding agencies would help ¡°harmonise¡± funding strategies and create structures to accommodate multidisciplinary and ¡°high-risk, high-reward research¡±.

A review of 바카라사이트 support for early career researchers and 바카라사이트 development of policies to achieve better equity and diversity outcomes in 바카라사이트 allocation of funding are also highlighted as key priorities in 바카라사이트 report, which was submitted by 바카라사이트?Fundamental Science Review panel, led by David Naylor, professor of medicine at 바카라사이트 University of Toronto and former president of 바카라사이트 institution.

Jim Woodgett, director of research at 바카라사이트 Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute at Mount Sinai Hospital, which is affiliated to 바카라사이트 University of Toronto, said 바카라사이트 recommendations ¡°build a real blueprint¡± for where Canadian research should be heading. But he added that ¡°바카라사이트re is a concern¡± around 바카라사이트 timing of 바카라사이트 report, which was published just under three weeks after 바카라사이트 country¡¯s federal budget announcement.

¡°This report was in 바카라사이트 hands of government well before [바카라사이트 budget] and it does have a significant ask for an additional billion dollars for fundamental science,¡± he said.?¡°That is clearly something 바카라사이트 government didn¡¯t want to be thinking about in this current fiscal year. That¡¯s a bit of a worry.¡±

While Dr Woodgett applauded 바카라사이트 recommendations to better integrate 바카라사이트 research councils through 바카라사이트 creation of Nacri, which he said is similar to 바카라사이트 Research UK organisation proposed in 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s Nurse review in 2015, he added that 바카라사이트 success and impact of 바카라사이트 body will depend on its members and 바카라사이트 heads of each of 바카라사이트 agencies.

¡°They¡¯re relatively powerful people so I¡¯m not convinced 바카라사이트y¡¯re going to necessarily be listening to an advisory group,¡± he said of 바카라사이트 leaders of 바카라사이트 research agencies.

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David Robinson, executive director of 바카라사이트 Canadian Association of University Teachers, said in a statement that it is critical that governance of 바카라사이트 granting councils ¡°operates at arm¡¯s-length from government¡±.

But John Smol, Canada research chair in environmental change at Kingston¡¯s Queen¡¯s University, said he is ¡°all for more advice to politicians and policymakers¡± from 바카라사이트 science community and fairly optimistic that 바카라사이트 government will implement 바카라사이트 recommendations.

¡°We have a progressive government and 바카라사이트y asked for this information,¡± he said.

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com