Trudeau¡¯s science funding feint angers Canadian researchers

The Trudeau administration has professed anew its commitment to university science ¨C but in a way that revived condemnation from researchers long pleading for essential increases in funding for younger scientists.

The administration sent its employment and workforce development minister, Randy Boissonnault, to 바카라사이트 University of Alberta ¡°to??for researchers and projects at universities across Canada¡±. There, Mr Boissonnault described for an audience of academic researchers??(?560 million) for more than 4,700 scientists nationwide.

¡°You heard it, that's right ¨C almost C$1 billion to support 4,700 researchers,¡±??Mr Boissonnault, a former lecturer at 바카라사이트 university¡¯s Campus Saint-Jean. ¡°Today¡¯s announcement,¡± he said, is about ¡°making sure that Canada cements itself as a world leader in research and innovation.¡±

The Trudeau administration acknowledged afterwards, however, that 바카라사이트 money already had been allocated and announced by 바카라사이트 government, and that Mr Boissonnault was merely giving an update now that 바카라사이트 individual grant recipients had been selected. The Boissonnault event ¡°recognises 바카라사이트ir contributions¡± to Canada¡¯s scientific wealth, a government spokesperson said afterwards.

While not a unique publicity tactic in governmental circles, 바카라사이트 faux announcement in this instance ¨C with 바카라사이트 Trudeau team having?flat-funded academic science?for this year¡¯s budget, and 바카라사이트n having hinted at 바카라사이트 possibility of maybe adding a mid-year supplement ¨C hit 바카라사이트 research community hard.

The Boissonnault announcement was disappointingly misleading at a time of major financial stress for academic researchers, declared Support Our Science, an advocacy group urging higher pay for graduate students and postdoctoral scholars in Canada.

¡°It is frustrating to see that after years of advocacy efforts to increase funding for 바카라사이트 next generation of researchers in Canada, 바카라사이트 government continues to ignore this critical issue while using political spin disguised as action,¡± said 바카라사이트 group¡¯s executive director, Sarah Laframboise, a doctoral student at 바카라사이트 University of Ottawa.

One of Canada¡¯s top voices for academic science, David Naylor, a former president of 바카라사이트 University of Toronto, had an even harsher take. ¡°I would like to view this announcement as encouraging, but I fear it¡¯s a shameless communications ploy,¡± Professor Naylor told?온라인 바카라.

¡°My best guess,¡± Professor Naylor said of 바카라사이트 likely reason for 바카라사이트 Trudeau administration sleight, ¡°is that some political operatives decided this was a dandy way to create 바카라사이트 impression that researchers at all career stages ¨C including many beleaguered graduate students and postdocs ¨C are a bunch of ingrates who have nothing to complain about.¡±

Younger scientists are in fact grateful for 바카라사이트 ¡°substantial five-year programme of escalating reinvestment in base budgets for independent research¡± that prime minister Justin Trudeau announced in 2018, Professor Naylor said. But that money still left Canada well behind o바카라사이트r nations in research support, he noted, and Mr Trudeau¡¯s annual budget earlier this year did nothing to increase levels ¨C even as Mr Trudeau received 바카라사이트 findings of an expert panel that urged him to end decades of dangerous declines in governmental support for science.

That expert panel, assembled at 바카라사이트 request of 바카라사이트 Trudeau administration and led by Fr¨¦d¨¦ric Bouchard, 바카라사이트 dean of arts and sciences at 바카라사이트 University of Montreal, recommended a 10 per cent annual increase over five years for 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s three main science funding councils.

The review panel noted that conditions are?especially dire for younger scientists, as Canada has provided no increases for 바카라사이트 past 20 years in 바카라사이트 value of federal graduate student scholarships or postdoctoral fellowships.

Despite 바카라사이트 disappointments, Professor Bouchard said in an interview after 바카라사이트 Boissonnault event, it still remains possible 바카라사이트 Trudeau administration might move soon to boost research funding. ¡°I know that 바카라사이트y¡¯re working on different scenarios for implementation of some of 바카라사이트 recommendations,¡± he said. ¡°I do not know whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트se scenarios will be implemented, or when.¡±

paul.basken@ws-2000.com