Submission for the Pre-Budget Consultations ahead of Federal Budget 2026:

click here for the PDF version

Accelerating the Flourishing of Canada’s Research Ecosystem: Talent Retention, Engagement, and Strategic Governance By the Canadian Consortium for Research (CCR)

The CCR is the largest umbrella organization representing Canada’s researchers across all disciplines with more than 500,000 researchers and 50,000 students represented among its constituent societies and organizations. Established in 1976 and celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2026, the CCR comprises over 20 member organizations, predominantly representing researchers based in universities, while also including members working in government laboratories and private sector research centres.

The CCR is dedicated to fostering a flourishing research community in Canada, promoting research funding across all disciplines, and supporting post-secondary education.

All Consortium activities are carried out by volunteers from its member organizations. For more information, visit https://ccr-ccr.ca/ or email info@ccr-ccr.ca

Recommendations:

  1. Accelerate delivery of the outstanding $1.28 billion from Budget 2024 tri-council funding increase. Then increase tri-council funding by 10% annually for four years, doubling tri-council budgets from 2024 levels by 2030-31.
  2. Any new capstone organization must distribute funding equally across the three tri-agency discipline groupings using a 3:1 ratio of funding between fundamental to applied research. Funding decisions must be peer-review driven, free from political influence.
  3. Engage provincial counterparts and strengthen federal support for the post-secondary education sector to alleviate the fiscal crisis impacting Canada’s research capacity.
  4. Formalize coordination across government with a federal secretariat for post-secondary education and research to 1) ensure effective cross-department coordination on sector-wide programs 2) serve as a central access point for stakeholders 3) support the planned Federal Advisory Council on Science and Innovation.

Attracting, training, and retaining research talent

Canada’s research community has a history of welcoming international colleagues with open arms. The CCR’s members are ready to work with those attracted by the Impact+ program and, in the words of King Charles, “build Canada into the world’s leading hub for science and innovation.” Though welcoming, we are also concerned about the reality into which new colleagues are arriving. Our recommendations address long-standing issues and mitigate unintended consequences of the Impact+ program.

The government wisely indicated in Budget 2025 an intention to examine questions regarding “Canada’s research ecosystem require[ing] further support to retain talent.” It is time to act—to increase support for Canada’s research community and retain research talent. Action needs to address more than one tranche of our talent pool:

  • International researchers attracted by the Impact+ program, once their initial funding expires, if Canada’s research ecosystem continues languishing, some may relocate to countries with higher funding opportunities. Loss of this talent would raise questions about return-on-investment of Budget 2025’s $1.7 billion talent attraction funding.
  • Recent PhD graduates and postdoctoral scholars, many of whom sincerely want academic jobs that pay for research, face a labour market with few prospects. When these highly qualified workers are unable to secure academic research positions, they either leave Canada or research More than a failure to retain research talent, this also represents a loss of significant public money invested in their education and research careers.
  • Contract academic staff (CAS)—full-time adjunct professors renewing their contracts each semester—are a growing precariously employed pool of potential research talent hidden in plain sight. Their potential contribution to the research ecosystem is largely untapped: typically, they are ineligible to hold federal research funding. Their academic work—unlike that of their tenure-track peers from whom they are usually nearly indistinguishable—does not pay them to engage in research.
  • Graduate students and future students need continued support and opportunities to engage in research across the entire PSE sector.

Accelerating growth & strengthening fundamentals

The CCR is concerned about on-going low and declining funding success rates at the tri-councils.

At the Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), Insight Grant success rates temporarily rose above 50% in 2021-22 due to fewer applications during Covid. For the 2024-25 competition, SSHRC reported funding success rates of 34.1%.

At the National Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), Discovery Grant (DG) success rates declined from over 80% in 2002 to 67% in 2019 and have since hovered around 58%. The most recent funding success rates reported by NSERC are at 62%.1

At the Canadian Institute for Health Research (CIHR), success rates for Project Grants have steadily fallen since 2000, with an exception from funding infusions during Covid. In 2000, CIHR received 1,260 applications and funded 421, for a 33% success rate. By 2018, they funded 740 of 5,117 applications (14%). For the autumn 2025 competition, CIHR is reporting an alarming funding success rate of 13.6%.

Low and declining success rates indicate a research funding ecosystem moving towards or approaching system failure. CIHR’s low success rates particularly indicate systemic inefficiency: top researchers spending hundreds of hours annually in an almost futile exercise of applying for funding.

Approved but unfunded research proposals are ready-to-launch research plans and each represents a lost opportunity. Among unfunded proposals, every single year, most would—if only they could proceed—advance their fields and produce net positive downstream impacts. Every proposal is ripe with potential to expand knowledge, generate economic and IP benefits, improve the lives of Canadians and the world, and more.

Peer reviewers appreciate this. Anecdotally they report the hardest aspect of their role has become going home at the end of the day fully appreciating all of the potential excellent research that will not get funded and their part in making impossible choices. The weight of this knowledge is a kind of moral injury carried by peer reviewers.

Increasing funding success rates is critical. Funding more awards must not be achieved by shrinking grant sizes. Instead, spreading funding across more researchers (“peanut butter” approach) has been shown to yield better national outcomes than concentrating large grants among a small number of established researchers. By contrast, the Impact+ chairs program concentrates large grants among later-career researchers likely to cluster at well-resourced urban universities.

Tri-council data indicates senior investigators consistently have higher success rates than early career researchers (ECRs). It is strategic to increase ECR success rates: ECRs are more likely to drive innovative research, transform disciplines, and – critically – remain in Canada. As Impact+ researchers enter the same applicant pool, mitigation is needed against increased competition, to prevent further declines in success rates overall and disproportionate impacts on ECRs.

Increasing the number and size of grants also has downstream benefits for graduate students and postdocs whose stipends are paid from grants.

Budget 2024’s $1.795 billion investment in tri-council funding was widely celebrated. Planned ongoing increases were announced to be implemented as follows:

 

2024-25 2025-26 2026-27 2027-28 2028-29 Total
$75 m $153 m $286 m $517 m $764 m $1,795 m

In addition to the $286 million increase expected for 2026-27, $1.28 billion remains outstanding. Meanwhile, the $1.7 billion investment in talent attraction (Budget 2025) will reshape the ecosystem and exacerbate existing pressures. Canadian researchers cannot wait until 2028-29 for full implementation of tri-council increases nor will they be enough.

Recommendation:

Accelerate delivery of the remaining $1.28 billion Budget 2024 tri-council funding. Then increase tri-councils funding by 10% annually for four years, effectively doubling budgets from 2024 levels by 2030-31.

The foundation of Canada’s research ecosystem is investigator-led fundamental research. With government interest in mission-driven research, it is critical to maintain strong supports for the foundations upon which Canada’s global research excellence is built. Mission-driven priorities, including advanced digital technologies (Quantum, AI, Cybersecurity, etc.), all began with fundamental research. In line with expert opinions, funding should follow a 3:1 ratio of fundamental science relative to applied research. 2

Recommendation:

Any new capstone organization must distribute funding equally across the three tri-agency discipline groupings using a 3:1 ratio of funding between fundamental to applied research. Funding decisions must be peer-review driven, free from political influence.

Research talent hidden in plain sight: addressing universities’ fiscal crisis

Canada’s research capacity has been reduced by the current fiscal crisis in the post-secondary education (PSE) sector.

Long-term declining public funding has pushed institutions towards alternative revenue streams, (notably international student tuition,) and cost reductions including limiting hiring of permanent tenure track research and teaching positions and expanding reliance on contract academic staff (CAS).

CAS are a pool of untapped Canadian research talent. Full-time CAS are often indistinguishable from their tenure-track peers in terms of their qualifications and research training; nonetheless,

CAS are excluded from applying for tri-council funding due to their precarious employment status. Unlike tenure-track professors, CAS’s employment does not pay them to research. Some CAS self-fund research but lack the job security needed to fully exercise academic freedom and fearlessly pursue knowledge regardless of how findings may be received by colleagues.

Although data are not publicly reported, anecdotal evidence indicates significant recent increases in institutions relying on CAS, with some estimates suggesting up to two-thirds of university teaching staff are CAS.3 Growing reliance on CAS contrasts with stable numbers reported across the sector for assistant professors, the entry level rank for tenure track careers, with approximately 10,000 people holding assistant professor roles annually, with no growth in these numbers since 2004.

Each year in Canada, approximately 8,000 PhD students graduate and 10,000 scholars hold postdoc positions. Many of these highly trained researchers seek academic careers but are unable to secure assistant professor roles. As a result, some take up CAS work, others leave research altogether, and some leave Canada for opportunities abroad.

The federal government has a role to play addressing the current fiscal crisis faced by the PSE sector. Unlike primary and secondary education, PSE is not strictly the domain of the provinces. Just as the federal government makes substantial annual investments in early-childhood education, it also invests in PSE every year with:

  • Over $4 billion in research funding;
  • Over $15 billion through the Canada Social Transfer, which legislatively supports post-secondary education and related programs;
  • Approximately $8 billion on student financial assistance;
  • Additional funding through various federal programs and

Maximizing return on these investments—to say nothing of broader national benefits of a well-funded research and education ecosystem—requires federal engagement with provinces.

Recommendation:

Engage provincial counterparts and strengthen federal support for the post-secondary education sector to alleviate the fiscal crisis impacting Canada’s research capacity.

Government coordination to support a flourishing research ecosystem

Beyond financial engagement, federal policies also impact university-based research.

Unintended consequences of policies can run counter to other policy objectives. This was evident with IRCC’s cap on international student visas – particularly its impact on international graduate students who are key workers for research programs funded by the tri-agencies. The CCR echoes recent calls for better coordination across government departments.

Recommendation:

Formalize coordination across government with a federal secretariat for post-secondary education and research to 1) ensure effective cross-department coordination on sector-wide programs 2) serve as a central access point for stakeholders 3) support the planned Federal Advisory Council on Science and Innovation.

1 Note that DGs are not directly comparable to CIHR’s Project or SSHRC’s Insight Grants. Reasons include that 1) DGs are by design a ‘grant-in-aid’ intended to award only a fraction of the total budget required for a research project to proceed, sometimes as low as only 30-40% and 2) funding success rates are meant to be high.
2 For example, quantum technologies advances are in large part thanks to Canadian fundamental research. The D-Wave lab has led quantum computing developments for years, based on decades old investments in fundamental quantum research made before possible applications were ever evident.
3 Reasonable estimates of CAS numbers in Canadian universities circa 2022-23 are as high as 2/3 of academic staff on campuses. This was the conclusion of Statistics Canada’s second pilot on expanding the University and College Staff System (UCASS) survey with findings reported verbally to stakeholders in 2024. The pilot used a “representative sample” of institutions from across the Canadian university sector but, Statistics Canada insisted, the findings could not be extrapolated to represent the sector. Elevated CAS numbers is in-line with previous research based on Freedom of Information Requests.

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)