Budget 2024 must grow Canada’s research capacity, coalition urges

The University of Toronto (U of T) has joined fellow members of the Coalition for Canadian Research who are calling on the federal government to invest in Canada’s research ecosystem in this spring’s upcoming budget.  

The Coalition is urging all Canadians to add their voice to this call for new investments in science and research funding by participating in a campaign at www.researchcoalition.ca. 

Made up of 12 national associations, the coalition represents the combined voices of post-secondary institutions, university and hospital-based researchers, faculty, early career researchers, post-doctoral fellows, and students, as well as research hospitals, health charities, and leading life sciences companies across Canada. 

The call-to-action echoes that in the Report of the Advisory Panel on the Federal Research Support System. Also known as the Bouchard Report, the panel urged the federal government to increase funding for granting agencies (NSERC, SSHRC, and CIHR, plus CFI) and graduate scholarships and post-doctoral fellowships. 

“Canada has many strengths in this new strategic race, including unparalleled access to talent, an increasingly successful commercialization pipeline from researchers to business, and a federal government focused on developing the industries of tomorrow,” notes Leah Cowen, U of T’s vice-president, research and innovation, and strategic initiatives.   

“At the same time, stagnating support for research at our universities threatens to undermine these institutions as foundations for competitiveness. Without reinvestment, both home-grown and global talent will look elsewhere, jeopardizing one of the country’s advantages,” adds Cowen. 

The upcoming federal Budget is an opportunity for the federal government to change course and commit to supporting science and research in 2024 and beyond.  

As the coalition explains, stagnating funding has significant and negative implications: 

• Uncompetitive funding for researchers and students. Federal research funding through the tri-council has not kept pace with inflation. Federally funded graduate scholarships have not increased in value in two decades. Moreover, spending on science and technology as a share of total overall federal expenditures has declined to levels not seen since the mid-1990s. 
   
• Decreasing capacity to address future challenges: Canadian researchers are working on solutions and cutting-edge technologies to help policymakers address some of the most pressing economic and social challenges of our time – from the climate crisis to future public health emergencies to the artificial intelligence revolution. Stagnant research funding puts these efforts at risk of falling behind. In the global race for talent, the situation also impacts businesses from coast to coast to coast as they rely on talent to innovate and grow. 
   
• Talent attraction and retention is at stake: When it comes to adults with advanced degrees (M.As and PhDs), the talent gap between Canada and its OECD peers continues to widen. As it stands, it is difficult for researchers to secure the funding they need to advance their ideas in Canada, making it increasingly difficult to attract and retain top talent. We must provide our top talent with the resources they need, or we risk losing them to other jurisdictions. 
   
• Other jurisdictions are making bold investments. The CHIPs and Science Act in the U.S. has provided a huge boost to funding. Meanwhile, the German government has set a goal of spending 3.5% of GDP on research by 2024. For its part, the U.K. aims to become a ‘science superpower.’ These and other countries have made research a central component of their economic vision. They are investing heavily to attract top talent from around the world, secure international investments, and advance their economies.  
   
• Canada’s place on the international stage is at risk: Canada needs to show the same ambition or risks falling further behind our peers. Without a major boost to research funding, Canada’s place as a leader in innovation and a home for highly qualified talent is in jeopardy.  

This spring’s budget “is an opportunity to invest in a successful future, underpinned by a vibrant research ecosystem… Canada can be a world leader, but not without investing in our knowledge economy,” said Cowen.  

(By Catrina Kronfli)