CANADA’S FUNDING OF UNIVERSITY R&D in

NATURAL SCIENCES & ENGINEERING

NSERC Executive Vice PresidentMargaret McCuaig-Johnston

IANAS, Guatemala CityJuly 26-28, 2009

Canada’s Funding of R&D

0.00.10.20.30.40.50.60.70.80.91.0

Sweden

Denm

ark

Canad

a

Switzer

land

Finlan

d

Austri

a

Austra

lia

Norway

Nethe

rland

s

United

King

domJa

pan

Belgium

German

y

Franc

e

New Z

ealan

d

Irelan

d

United

Sta

tes

Portug

alIta

ly

Spain

Korea

Turke

y

Greec

e

Czech

Rep

ublic

Hunga

ry

Poland

Mex

ico

Slovak

Rep

ublic

HE

RD

as

a %

of

GD

P

Source: OECD.

Higher Education R&D (HERD) as a Percentage of GDP, 2007 or Most Recent Year

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

Sweden

Japa

n

Finlan

d

Korea

Switzer

land

United

Sta

tes

Austri

a

German

y

Denm

ark

Belgium

Franc

e

Austra

lia

United

King

dom

Nethe

rland

s

Canad

a

Czech

Rep

ublic

Irelan

d

Norway

Spain

Portug

alIta

ly

Hunga

ry

New Z

ealan

d

Mex

ico

Turke

y

Poland

Slovak

Rep

ublic

Greec

e

BE

RD

as

a %

of

GD

P

Source: OECD.

Business Enterprise R&D (BERD) as a Percentage of GDP, 2007 or Most Recent Year

Canada is third in the OECD inHigher Education R&D (HERD)

But business expenditures on R&D lag other countries

3

So universities are seen as a source of innovation for industry

Federal S&T Structure

PARLIAMENTPARLIAMENT

Prime Minister

Prime Minister

CABINET CABINET Minister of IndustryMinister of Industry

Science, Technology and Innovation

Council

Science, Technology and Innovation

Council

Research Performed in Labs

•National Research Council (NRC) •Science-Based Department and Agencies e.g., Environment Canada, Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), Health Canada

Research Performed in Labs

•National Research Council (NRC) •Science-Based Department and Agencies e.g., Environment Canada, Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), Health Canada

Research Funding

•National Research Council’s Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP)•Canada Revenue Agency’s Scientific Research and Experimental Development(SR&ED) tax credits

Research Funding

•National Research Council’s Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP)•Canada Revenue Agency’s Scientific Research and Experimental Development(SR&ED) tax credits

Research Funding

Granting Agencies: Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC),Social Sciences&Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR)

Foundations: Canada Foundation For Innovation (CFI), Genome Canada, Canada Foundation for Climate andAtmospheric Sciences (CFCAS)

Post-secondary research inuniversities, colleges and

teaching hospitals

Post-secondary research inuniversities, colleges and

teaching hospitals

IndustryIndustry

4

Industry CanadaIndustry Canada

NSERC’s Vision, Mission & Mandate

Our Vision

NSERC helps make Canada a country of discoverers and innovators for the benefit of all Canadians.

Our Mission

NSERC achieves this by investing in people, discovery and innovation through programs that support post-secondary research in the natural sciences and engineering on the basis of national, peer-reviewed competitions.

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Our MandateOur Mandate

1. Fuel the advancement of knowledge in science and engineering and ensure that Canadian scientists and engineers can be leaders and key players in a global knowledge community.

2.2. Connect and apply the strength of the academic research Connect and apply the strength of the academic research system to addressing the system to addressing the opportunities and challengesopportunities and challenges of of prosperity for Canada.prosperity for Canada.

3. Inspire new generations of students to pursue careers in science and engineering, and provide them with the means to develop their full potential.

4. Demonstrate NSERC’s accountability and how the results of its investments in Canadian research and training benefit Canadians.

5. Increase the visibility of Canadian research.

6

NSERC Governance Council – Chair

President21 Members (from universities, industry)

Executive – PresidentExecutive Vice-President5 Vice Presidents

Staff (375) - Policy & International RelationsResearch Partnerships ProgramsResearch Grants and ScholarshipsExternal Relations and CommunicationsCommon Administrative Services

Committees - Committee for Research PartnershipsCommittee on Grants and Scholarships

Peer Review Committees - for allocation of funding - includes international membership

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NSERC Budget 2009-10:Total: $1.054 Billion

37%

29%

29%

5%

Discovery

Innovation

People

Administration

8

469 452 436499

550 565 588651

732803

859 895

1,0131,0301,054

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1995-96 1997-98 1999-00 2001-02 2003-04 2005-06 2007-08 2009-10

Fiscal Year

(mil

lion

s of

dol

lars

)

NSERC Expenditures

9

NSERC Funding by Province, 2007-08

1. Excludes NCE and Canada Research Chairs

(millions of dollars)

B.C.$106.4

(14.1%)Alta.$71.8

(9.5%)Sask.$33.4

(4.4%)Man.$19.3

(2.6%) Ontario$284.1

(37.6%)

Québec$172.6

(22.8%)

Nfld.$9.0

(1.2%)

P.E.I.$0.8

(0.1%)N.B.$11.0

(1.5%)

N.S.$23.9

(3.2%)

Other in Canada: $10.5 (1.4%)Outside Canada: $13.3 (1.8%)Total: $756.3

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Three Pillars of NSERC’s Role

1. People − Student Support:• >26,000 students and fellows at all levels are supported either directly through

individual scholarships and fellowships or indirectly by professors from research grants

2. Discovery − Basic Research:• Discovery grants to 11,800 university professors (International review and GSC

restructuring)• Average discovery grant is $32,000 per year, over four to five years

3. Innovation − Strategic Project Research:• 700 projects involving 1400 partners, 100 new firms per year• Total expenditures are over $100 million (excluding the Networks of Centres of

Excellence [NCE] Program)• Partner contributions have risen to $1.80 for very dollar contributed by NSERC• Since 1978, 1700 companies have invested $850 million as partners with NSERC• In 2004-05, 73 of Canada’s top 100 R&D firms were partners

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Best Practices in NSERC Programs

1. Discovery Grants

2. Chairs and Scholarships

3. Research Partnerships Programs

4. Networks and programs linking companies with university researchers

5. Intellectual Property Policy

6. Regional Offices across Canada

7. International Strategy and Linkages

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1. Discovery Grants Supports a program of research, giving the researcher

freedom to pursue the most promising directions

Subject to rigorous peer review

High level of funding for strong performers

Supports meritorious early-career researchers

Accelerator supplements for those close to breakthroughs

2008 2009

More dynamic system, higher bar of excellence this year

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

140,000

160,000

180,000

200,000

0 20,000 40,000 60,000 80,000 100,000 120,000 140,000 160,000 180,000 200,000

Previous Amount (in $)

New

Am

ount

(in

$)

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

140,000

160,000

180,000

200,000

0 20,000 40,000 60,000 80,000 100,000 120,000 140,000 160,000 180,000 200,000

Previous Amount (in $)

New

Am

ount

(in

$)

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Canada Research Chairs (2000)• Attract and retain some of the world's most accomplished and promising minds • Two thousand (2000) research professorships created across Canada in all

disciplines• Two levels: $200K/year for established researchers, $100K/year for emerging

researchers with high potential

Canada Excellence Research Chairs (2008)

Establish 20 prestigious research chairs in universities across the country $28 million a year to attract and retain the world's most accomplished and

promising minds Help Canada build a critical mass of expertise in the priority research areas Up to $1.4 million annually for seven years

2. Chairs and Scholarships

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Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships• Attract and retain world-class doctoral students • Both Canadian and international students are eligible • 500 awards across all disciplines; $50,000 per year, for up to three years

CREATE• Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE) Program • Training of teams of outstanding students and postdoctoral fellows from

Canada and abroad • Collaborative and integrative approaches• Address significant research challenges in areas of priority for Canada• Promote skills acquisition and development, and student mobility nationally and

internationally• Facilitate the transition of new researchers from trainees to productive

employees in the Canadian workforce.• Funding of up to $150,000 in the first year, and up to $300,000 annually in

subsequent years for a total period of six years. Partners may contribute additional funds.

2. Chairs and Scholarships (ctnd)

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Strategic Workshops • ≤ $25,000 (1 year) to seed new collaborations between academic researchers,

industry and government • Same target areas as NSERC Strategic Projects and Strategic Networks

Programs

Strategic Projects• Research and training in target areas• Increase participation of Canadian-based companies and/or government

organizations in academic research • Applicants encouraged to incorporate international collaborations into their

proposals

Strategic Networks• For large scale multi-disciplinary research projects in target areas • ≥ $500,000 and ≤ $1 million from NSERC for up to five years

3. Research Partnership Programs

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3. Research Partnership Programs Building on Other Programs with Industry

1. Industrial Chairs & Collaborative R&D with Industry – Industry and market-driven, from short-term projects to long-term relationships

2. Industrial R&D Fellowships – Putting talent in industry and building receptor capacity, even more crucial today

3. Catalyst initiatives – Pilot being developed for relationship-building, market studies, applied R&D projects

4. Idea to Innovation (I2I) - Accelerate precompetitive technology developement & transfer to Canadian companies

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Government of Canada S&T Priority Areas

Environmental science and technologies

Natural resources and energy

Health and related life sciences and technologies

Information and communications technologies

Budget 2008 Sector Priorities

Automotive - $85M/5yrs, of $145M initiative

Manufacturing - $30M/5yrs

Forestry - $33.5M/5yrs, with FPInnovations

Fisheries, Aquaculture - $24M/5yrs

3. Research Partnership Programs

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4. Networks and programs linking companies with university researchers

17 Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCEs) -$82.4M/yr

4 Business-led NCEs - $46M/4yrs 17 Centres of Excellence for Commercialization

and Research – 2008: $165M; 2009: $62M 140 Industrial Research Chairs - $22M 1,000 Industrial R&D Internships – $8.5M/2yrs 177 Industrial R&D Fellowships - $3.7M Idea to Innovation (I2I) Program - $7.4M

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5. Intellectual Property Policy Summer 2008 – consultation with stakeholders November 2008 – Expert Panel March 2009 – Council approval of new policy

Provides industrial partners with more options:

- open dissemination with no restrictions

- non-exclusive licensing

- exclusive licensing

- joint ownership

- partial assignment of ownership

- full assignment of ownership

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WinnipegWinnipeg MontrealMontreal

6. Regional Offices6. Regional Offices VancouverVancouver Toronto MonctonToronto Moncton

2004-2008

Enhance the regional presence of NSERC

Enhance regional participation in NSERC programs

Enhance regional promotion of science and engineering research

2009-2012

Enhance regional awareness, understanding and application to NSERC partnership and industrial scholarship programs

Enhance opportunities for collaboration between regional post secondary institutions and the business community

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7. NSERC’s International Strategy

• Positioning Canada as a destination of choice for the best research talent — Addressing global, complex issues requires the mobilization of the best research talent from around the world. Canadian universities offer a first-rate environment for training foreign research talent who will bring an invaluable contribution to world S&T. NSERC is increasing the pool of talent available for research in all sectors of the economy (industry, academia, government) by attracting top-class postdoctoral fellows and graduate students from abroad to undertake research or research training in Canada.

• Fostering global research platforms — In Canada, NSERC is building on existing research strengths and supporting a limited number of platforms in select thematic areas in which Canada has the potential to be a global leader.

• Promoting internationalization of research and training — NSERC is supporting sustained Canadian participation in major international science initiatives and partnerships that focus on a specific topic or problem.

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International Linkages

Canadian researchers partner with the best and the brightest in their field of work, anywhere in the world – bringing their own research resources to the table

- 5% of NSERC budget directly supports internat’l activities

- high % of papers w international collaboration (21% w US); Facilitated by international S&T agreements for IP, exchanges, etc

International major science projects are funded for Canadian contribution to infrastructure development, as well as scientific participation

Funded programs linking researchers in other countries- managed by an arms length, not-for-profit: International S&T Partnerships Canada - joint management of funds w California, China, Israel,

India, Brazil

Potential for additional international linkages & mechanisms where research agendas with other countries are congruent. 23

For more information:

www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca

or write to international@nserc-crsng.gc.ca

Margaret McCuaig-JohnstonExecutive Vice-President

13th floor, 350 Albert St.Ottawa, OntarioCanada K1A 1H5

Phone: (613) 947-2620Fax: (613) 943-1624

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Priorities of NSERC’s International Strategy

• Positioning Canada as a destination of choice for the best research talent — Addressing global, complex issues requires the mobilization of the best research talent from around the world. Canadian universities offer a first-rate environment for training foreign research talent who will bring an invaluable contribution to world S&T. NSERC increases the pool of talent available for research in all sectors of the economy (industry, academia, government) by attracting top-class postdoctoral fellows and graduate students from abroad to undertake research or research training in Canada.

• Fostering global research platforms — In Canada, NSERC builds on existing research strengths and supports a limited number of platforms in select thematic areas in which Canada has the potential to be a global leader.

• Promoting internationalization of research and training — NSERC will supports sustained Canadian participation in major international science initiatives and partnerships that focus on a specific topic or problem.