Canadian Researchers Pleased to See Science and Research Valued in Federal Budget 2025

Ottawa—The Canadian Consortium for Research (CCR) is encouraged by the 2025 federal budget’s acknowledgement of the importance of science and research to Canada. Though the budget was against a backdrop of government 15 per cent spending reductions, the federal granting agencies were spared the full brunt of the government’s cuts.

“The government listened to Canadian researchers and recognized our work is foundational to Canada’s success,” said Karine Morin, Chair of the CCR. “Research funding supports innovative and important research projects that have meaningful impact. Science and research are essential to build a stronger Canada.”

Budget 2025 also included significant funding for an international research talent recruitment plan. Though current members of the CCR are not the target of this ambitious recruitment initiative, this program will bring new colleagues and ideas to strengthen research and science. The government also signaled an intention to engage in an examination of Canada’s research ecosystem and whether further supports are required to retain talent. The CCR looks forward to engaging the government on this important topic.

“Along with attracting new talent, we must ensure our sector is attractive enough to retain our best and brightest,” says Morin. “Upon examination, the government might come to the same conclusion as the CCR: Canada is rich with homegrown talent, however, there are obstacles to leveraging our talent that need to be addressed. Canada doesn’t lack research talent; we lack research funding and opportunities.”

The CCR acknowledges that the following key measures in Budget 2025 will help enhance the Canadian research ecosystem:

  • $1.7 billion for an International Talent Attraction Strategy and Action Plan, including:
    • $1 billion over 13 years to recruit “exception international researchers to Canadian universities”.
    • $400 million over seven years to establish a complimentary stream of research infrastructure support through the Canada Foundation of Innovation to support the talent that is recruited to Canada.
    • $133.6 million over three years to enable top international doctoral students and post-doctoral fellows to relocate to Canada.
    • $120 million over 12 years to the granting councils to support universities’ recruitment of international assistant professors.
  • Commitment to implement the capstone research organization, as announced in Budget 2024, without any additional details.
  • Maintaining last year’s significant budget commitments to increase grants, fellowships and scholarships.
  • 2 per cent or $83 million funding cut to the federal granting agencies – Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). While less than other departments, this cut exacerbates a shortage of funding for Canada’s research ecosystem.

Though our community did not expect to see increases in research funding as part of the 2025 budget, we now urge the government not to delay in the formation of a talent retention strategy or in releasing details of the new capstone agency. There is no doubt: Canadian talent retention requires sustained federal research support and addressing the chronic under-funding of the post-secondary sector is critical. As Budget 2025 expressed clearly, research is of “foundational importance” to “improving our global competitiveness and contributing to the economy of the future”.

The CCR stands ready to engage with and assist the government on the implementation of these investments.

Click Here to read the full response.

Canadian researchers welcome investments in federal budget

[Ottawa] The Canadian Consortium for Research (CCR) is encouraged by the investments in science and research in the 2024 federal budget. For the first time since 2018, the budget announced increased funding for core research funding grants through the federal granting councils, and it provided a major investment to increase graduate student scholarships and post-doctoral fellowships for the first time in almost two decades. This investment will deliver urgently needed support to Canada’s next generation of researchers.

Click here to read the full response

CCR’S WRITTEN SUBMISSION FOR THE PRE-BUDGET CONSULTATIONS IN ADVANCE OF THE 2024 BUDGET

Recommendations

Recommendation 1: That the government increase funding to the base budgets of each of CIHR, SSHRC, NSERC for core programming by at least 10% annually for five years

Recommendation 2: That the government significantly increase the value and number of scholarships and fellowships for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to keep pace with increases to costs of living and with research trainee compensation trends around the world and to ensure that Canadian research and its scientific expertise remain proportional to its demographic weight across nations.

Recommendation 3: That the government enhance programming to support early to mid-career researchers to accelerate their pathway to becoming leaders of tomorrow, inclusive of committing to new research chair positions for tenure-track early career researchers.

Recommendation 4: That the government, in fulfilling the above recommendations, renew funding for EDI in research programming and data collection and analysis, to support a truly inclusive research environment that welcomes a broad range of perspectives and experiences as relates to gender equity, racialized and Indigenous researchers, those living with disabilities, and francophones.

 

Canada, and the world, rely on strong science and research to investigate fundamental questions, drive innovation, make ground-breaking discoveries, and increase understanding of complex problems.

At present, Canada is not making the best use of our existing talent and capacity, and we are falling behind our peers internationally in investments in research and science, threatening our ability to attract and retain world-class researchers. Furthermore, Canada is not investing enough in training the next generation of talent.

The recently released Report of the Advisory Panel on the Federal Research Support System stated, “we must continue to examine ways to enhance the system of supports to ensure that Canada’s research and talent remain among the best in the world so that we can tackle challenges and seize opportunities facing us today and in the future.” In keeping with this, the Canadian Consortium for Research (CCR) supports the following recommendations made in the report. If implemented, they will position Canada well to address the critical and complex research, economic, and societal challenges of today and tomorrow, and improve our collective well-being, competitiveness, and prosperity.

1: Solidify the base: invest in fundamental science

Basic research is the foundation of all science. Experts note that a minimum of $3 must be spent on discovery-based research to $1 of mission-driven or applied research for a thriving research ecosystem.

After a decade of neglect, Budget 2018 was a leap in the right direction. Canada has since plateaued, losing ground post-pandemic, as Canada’s international counterparts (i.e., US, Japan, Australia, UK, Germany, etc.) have significantly re-invested in research and science as a national pillar of interest. For example, the US recently committed US$200 billion over ten years for science; Japan created a US$87 billion fund devoted to science leadership, and the UK increased its annual government investment in R&D to £20 billion by 2024-25.

An increase in funding for basic research is also needed to increase compensation for students. A significant portion of support for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows is paid, not through scholarships, but through stipends or salaries out of grant funding awarded to supervising professors. By involving trainees in their research, grantees train the next generation of highly qualified personnel (HQP), providing them with research experience and skills, which in turn develops greater research capacity. Roughly 35,000 trainees are supported indirectly in this way, totaling an estimated $726 million annually. This is almost three times the current annual spending by the granting councils for direct support via their scholarship and fellowship programs. Support for highly qualified personnel, including trainees and other technical research personnel, typically constitutes the majority of research grant funding awarded. The number and value of research grants are currently insufficient for the demand, and to support competitive salaries for trainees or staff scientists.

Investment in fundamental science is needed, not only to pay research students and staff fairly and to keep up with the rise in the costs of research, but to ensure that more research can be funded.

Currently, there are many peer-approved research applications that do not proceed due to a lack of funding – this impacts Canada’s overall research ecosystem and trainees.

Recommendation: Initial increase of at least 10% annually for five years to the granting councils’ total base budgets for their core programming to address a) the opportunities resulting from growth in the system (e.g., increasing number of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows many of whom are funded via research assistantships through professors’ grants); b) the effects of inflation; and c) the importance of nurturing a globally competitive research and talent base.

2.  Nurture the next generation of researchers

The value and number of the government’s awards (i.e., scholarships and fellowships) for university research trainees have not kept pace with increases to the cost of living nor with research trainee compensation trends around the world and retention of research-enabled talent. As a result of underfunding, student researchers – particularly those in marginalized or under-represented groups – are required to take on additional jobs, thereby negatively impacting their research output productivity, as well as their physical and mental health.

Recommendation: Significantly increase the value and number of scholarships and fellowships for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to keep pace with increases to costs of living and with research trainee compensation trends around the world and to ensure that Canadian research and its scientific expertise remain proportional to its demographic weight across nations.

3.  Support the talent continuum

In addition to increasing the support for Canada’s graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, the development of Canada’s research talent across the continuum must also be nurtured and supported.

There is also a need for enhanced programming to support early to mid-career professors. Pre-tenure competitive programming to reward early-career research excellence will boost Canada’s capacity to retain top, diverse talent, while enabling the scientific leaders of tomorrow to build ambitious, world- leading programs that will attract and fund trainees at all levels.

It is estimated that one out of three academic staff are working in teaching-only contracts. The federal government can play a role to address the underemployment of Canada’s highest quality personnel by dedicating funding to support faculty renewal of top, diverse early career researchers through programs like the Canada Research Chairs.

Recommendation: Commit to enhanced programming to support early to mid-career researchers, inclusive of new research chair positions for tenure-track early career researchers.

4.  Accelerate equity, diversity, and inclusive research

In fulfilling these recommendations, it is critical that the government supports and fosters a truly inclusive research environment that welcomes a broad range of perspectives and experiences as relates to gender equity, racialized and Indigenous researchers, those living with disabilities, and francophones.

The additional funding for equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in research, committed in Budget 2018 has now expired and must be renewed. This would renew the Dimensions program, which has shown early promise in supporting culture change, as well as the EDI capacity-building grants and funding for Statistics Canada to deepen its work in collecting EDI data on the student and science and research workforce.

Recommendation: Renew funding for EDI in research programming and data collection and analysis.

Click Read the full submission.

CCR’s WRITTEN SUBMISSION FOR THE PRE-BUDGET CONSULTATIONS IN ADVANCE OF THE 2022 BUDGET

COVID-19 showed that science is relevant and impactful at all levels, from individuals and businesses to municipalities, nations and the world. Science knows no boundaries; it has been, is, and will continue to be relied upon by decision-makers for continued management of the pandemic, for important discoveries and new knowledge, to re-start Canada’s economy, and to innovate and compete internationally. This is dependent on sustained support of a broad spectrum of research carried out in various environments (academic, industrial, research institutions, government laboratories, NFPs). Science innovations that enhance the economy and work to address issues such as those that have arisen as a result of COVID-19 happen when students and researchers from all disciplines and sectors (e.g., universities, government departments, data collection agencies, libraries) are supported with graduate scholarships, research funding, infrastructure support, institutional support, and career development opportunities – investments that show the government’s support for a prosperous science culture.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Recommendation #1: That the federal government address the outstanding recommendations from the 2017 Fundamental Science Review report. The Government of Canada has acted on some of the FSR Report’s recommendations; however, the government needs to address the critical 60% gap between the recommended increase to base funding for basic science and what has been implemented to date.

Recommendation #2: That the federal government increase its research and development (R&D) investments in Canada to re-start Canada’s economic recovery and find solutions to the many pressing and complex challenges facing Canada and society, including:

  • a 1% increase in Canada’s gross domestic expenditure in R&D which, at 1.56%, is at its lowest since 2001 (OECD average is 2.4%)
  • increased funding to the base budgets of each of CIHR, SSHRC, and NSERC for fundamental basic and applied research by at least 10% yearly, until commensurate with other G7 countries
  • increased support for diversity in research particularly as relates to gender equity, visible minorities, researchers with disabilities, and Indigenous researchers

Recommendation #3: That the federal government provide better coordination and oversight for science and research in Canada so that Canada is effectively positioned to address the next major issue impacting Canada that requires scientific input and analysis by:

  • establishing the National Advisory Council on Research and Innovation
  • ensuring that the Chief Science Adviser is established as a permanent position within the Canadian government

Recommendation #4: That the federal government increase its support for graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, early career scientists and international students by:

  • increasing funding for graduate scholarships and post-doctoral fellowships by $185 million in 2022 to increase both value and number awarded, with an additional $55 million per year phased in over the following three years
  • extending the temporary funding packages introduced to assist students impacted by COVID
  • restoring funding of the Canada Research Chairs program to 2012 levels with an investment of $140 million over the next two years ($35 million in fiscal 2022/23; $115 million in fiscal 2023/24), asymmetrically allocating new chairs to Tier 2 awards to help early career researchers

Recommendation #5: That the federal government increase its support for facilities and administrative costs of research by:

  • increasing the Research Support Fund from 21% to 40%
  • increasing funding to meet the small-medium equipment needs of individual researchers
  • ensuring the viability of research labs and institutional settings in which research is conducted

The Canadian Consortium for Research (CCR) is pleased to provide this 2022 pre-budget consultation submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance.

Read the full submission…

CCR Response to 2021 Federal Budget

Basic Investments in Canada’s Research Ecosystem Pay Many Dividends

(Ottawa, ON) April 23, 2021 – The Canadian Consortium for Research (CCR) recognizes the significance of this week’s federal budget, which identified a series of social, health and economic investments meant to place Canada on the road to recovery from the COVID-19 global pandemic.  While science contributed significantly to the management of the pandemic, Canada’s research community was itself significantly impacted by the pandemic. We remain concerned that there were too few measures introduced to continue re-building Canada’s research ecosystem.

“The budget stops short of recognizing the concurrent contributions and impacts of the pandemic on Canada’s research community, and the role that research plays in Canada’s economic recovery”, says Dr. Lisa Votta-Bleeker, CCR Chair. “Today’s investment in basic research is tomorrow’s discoveries and innovations which drive our future competitiveness and prosperity.”

Budget 2021 invests in targeted research committing $2.2 billion over the next seven years to boost Canada’s biomedical and life sciences research sector to in part increase vaccine development. While these investments are welcomed, Budget 2021 did not include any new funds for the base operating budgets of Canada’s tri-councils for investigator-driven research, nor did it consider the critical funding still needed to support researchers, trainees and students such as was provided by the 2020 Canada Research Continuity Emergency Fund.

In its 2021 pre-budget submission, CCR members noted “…it is more critical than ever that the federal government increase its support for Canada’s research funding agencies, students, early career researchers, academic institutions, international research, and research labs”.[1]

Canada’s research ecosystem was significantly impacted by the pandemic. Research labs, studies, careers, particularly among women, and post-doctoral fellowships were halted and, in some cases, ended entirely. Physical distancing requirements created undeniable difficulties for many research projects in academic and non-academic settings. Reduced research funding from charities and non-profits left early career researchers with years of decreased funding opportunities. International students left Canada, and in some cases have yet to return. All these combined have not only impacted Canada’s academic and scientific resources in the short-term, but will be felt for many years to come.

“The inclusion of researchers in health sciences in the emergency wage subsidy program was helpful, but Budget 2021 fails to provide the ongoing research support and kickstart needed to regain the fundamental science that stalled or stopped in the pandemic,” notes Votta-Bleeker. “We were behind where we needed to be before the pandemic, and the gap has just widened.”

Canada’s current government expenditure in R&D is the lowest it has been since 2001 at 1.54% compared to the OECD average of 2.47% (a 55% gap), putting Canada 23rd among the 37 OECD countries. Investment in R&D is necessary to Canada’s economic recovery. The CCR called on the federal government for an increase of at least 10% to the base funding of CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC, until commensurate with other G7 countries, for investigator-driven research. R&D includes fundamental research undertaken in academia and industry; applied research directed towards specific objectives; and experimental development to produce new, or improve existing, products and processes. Together these boost economic growth and drive innovation, the impacts of which are better jobs and higher productivity.

“Canada’s research community will continue to call for increases in basic research, as it is needed to both cultivate a strong and viable science culture, domestically and internationally, and to support and secure current and future generations of researchers who will ultimately contribute to Canada’s economic strength and recovery.”

———–

The CCR is the largest advocacy coalition in Canada, focusing on research funding in all disciplines and support for post-secondary education. CCR includes 20 organizations that represent more than 50,000 researchers and 500,000 students across disciplines.

For more information:        Dr. Lisa Votta-Bleeker
Chair, Canadian Consortium for Research
executiveoffice@cpa.ca

[1]Written Submission for the Pre-Budget Consultations in Advance of the 2021 Budget, Canadian Consortium for Research, p.4, https://ccr-ccr.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/CCR_Pre-Budget_2021Consultation_Submission_FINAL.pdf

Download the full Press Release here

Budget 2018: Research community welcomes record investments in fundamental research for Canada

(Ottawa, Ontario) February 28, 2018 — The Canadian Consortium for Research (CCR) applauds the Government of Canada’s budget which provided record new investments for fundamental science and research infrastructure, as well as for students and researchers.

The CCR’s pre-budget submission recommended that the recommendations embodied within the Fundamental Science Review report be fully implemented, particularly to establish steady-state annual funding across the four agencies and related entities at $4.8 billion (from approximately $3.5 billion).  This steady-state increase in base by the end of four years would amount to an additional 0.4% of the Government of Canada’s annual budget.

“The CCR is particularly pleased with the allocation to the granting councils of a total of $925 million over a 5-year period. This is a welcomed step toward restoring Canada as a world-leader in fundamental research for the natural, health and social sciences,” says Canadian Consortium for Research Chair, Dr. Lisa Votta-Bleeker.

Consistent with the recommendations in the Fundamental Science Review report, the budget also included support for a new tri-council fund to support research that is international, interdisciplinary, fast-breaking and higher-risk; funding to provide increased support and training opportunities for researchers, students and highly qualified personnel; funding for surveys to collect data on researchers; funding to implement programs that support improved equality and diversity in academia and post-secondary institutions; increased support for the Canada Research Chairs program; and ongoing and stable funding for the Canada Foundation for Innovation.

NSERC, CIHR and SSHRC have been tasked with developing new plans, strategies and targets to ensure greater tri-council collaboration in support for interdisciplinary research, as well as to achieve greater diversity among research funding recipients, including improved support for women, underrepresented groups and early-career researchers. The CCR looks forward to collaborating with the granting councils to provide input on the development and implementation of these plans.

“Canada’s research community has long called for these investments, and we are pleased the Government has heard these calls.  These investments will position Canada as a leader in knowledge production and innovation, and a country that cultivates a strong science culture, domestically and internationally”, added Dr. Votta-Bleeker. “We look forward to working with the Federal Government in the years to come as it continues this commitment towards a long-term roadmap for Canada’s research system as outlined in the Fundamental Science Review report.”

 

Read the full Press Release here: https://ccr-ccr.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/CCR_BudgetResponse_26Feb2018_Final.pdf

CCR Applauds Reinstatement of University and College Academic Staff System

Ottawa (September 16, 2016) – The Canadian Consortium for Research (CCR) welcomed the announcement that Statistics Canada will be reinstating the University and College Academic Staff System (UCASS), as announced by Minister of Science, Kirsty Duncan.  The CCR has been calling for its reinstatement since its cancellation in 2012.

“Reliable data that is collected in a standardized manner is essential for effective resource planning and public policy” says Dr. Lisa Votta-Bleeker, Chair, CCR. “The UCASS gives us the information necessary for academic planning, the development of innovation-related indicators, and to track the representation of equity seek groups within post-secondary institutions over time.”

Information generated by the UCASS provides governments, higher education institutions, researchers and policy analysists with a detailed picture of full-time academic staff, including gender, age, principal subject taught, academic rank, salary and administrative stipends, and province or country of degrees earned. The CCR was also pleased to hear that Statistics Canada will work in collaboration with academic institutions to fill the data gap between 2012 to 2015.

Numerous Statistics Canada surveys have been discontinued in recent years as part of budget reductions. The CCR hopes that the government will also consider reinstating other Statistics Canada surveys such as the Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED), National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY), and the Youth in Transition Survey (YITS). The discontinuation of these, and many other surveys, has left significant gaps in our understanding of the Canadian landscape.

Click here for the Press Release

 

CCR hosts its 4th Annual Breakfast with the Funders

On Wednesday December 9th, 2015, the CCR hosted its 4th annual breakfast with the funders.  The breakfast, which was hosted at the offices of the Canadian Psychological Association in Ottawa, included the following representatives:

Funding Agency Representative
NSERC Dr. Pierre Charest​ (VP, Research Grants and Scholarships)
CFI Dr. Gilles Patry (President and CEO)
SSHRC Dr. Brent Copley-Herbert​ (Executive Vice-President)
CIHR Dr. Kelly VanKoughnet (Associate Vice-President, Research, Knowledge Translations and Ethics Portfolio)