CANADA’S FUNDING OF UNIVERSITY R&D in NATURAL SCIENCES & ENGINEERING

2. CANADA’S FUNDING OF UNIVERSITY R&D in NATURAL SCIENCES & ENGINEERING NSERC Executive Vice President Margaret McCuaig-Johnston IANAS, Guatemala City July 26-28, 2009

3. Canada’s Funding of R&D Higher Education R&D (HERD) as a Percentage of GDP, 2007 or Most Recent Year Canada is third in the OECD in Higher Education R&D (HERD) Business Enterprise R&D (BERD) as a Percentage of GDP, 2007 or Most Recent Year Source: OECD. But business expenditures on R&D lag other countries Source: OECD. So universities are seen as a source of innovation for industry 3

4. Federal S&T Structure PARLIAMENT Industry Canada CABINET Prime Minister Minister of Industry Science, Technology and Innovation Council 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 and Atmospheric Sciences (CFCAS) 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 Performed in Labs • National Research Council (NRC) • Science-Based Department and Agencies e.g., Environment Canada, Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), Health Canada Industry Post-secondary research in universities, colleges and teaching hospitals 4

5. 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. 5

6. Our Mandate • 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. • Connect and apply the strength of the academic research system to addressing the opportunities and challenges of prosperity for Canada. • Inspire new generations of students to pursue careers in science and engineering, and provide them with the means to develop their full potential. • Demonstrate NSERC’s accountability and how the results of its investments in Canadian research and training benefit Canadians. • Increase the visibility of Canadian research. 6

7. NSERC Governance Council – Chair President 21 Members (from universities, industry) Executive – President Executive Vice-President 5 Vice Presidents Staff (375) - Policy & International Relations Research Partnerships Programs Research Grants and Scholarships External Relations and Communications Common Administrative Services Committees - Committee for Research Partnerships Committee on Grants and Scholarships Peer Review Committees - for allocation of funding - includes international membership 7

8. NSERC Budget 2009-10: Total: $1.054 Billion 8

9. NSERC Expenditures 9

10. NSERC Funding by Province, 2007-08 (millions of dollars) B.C. $106.4 (14.1%) Nfld. $9.0 (1.2%) Alta. $71.8 (9.5%) Sask. $33.4 (4.4%) Man. $19.3 (2.6%) Québec $172.6 (22.8%) Ontario $284.1 (37.6%) P.E.I. $0.8 (0.1%) Other in Canada: $10.5 (1.4%) Outside Canada: $13.3 (1.8%) Total: $756.3 N.S. $23.9 (3.2%) N.B. $11.0 (1.5%) 1. Excludes NCE and Canada Research Chairs 10

11. 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 −StrategicProject 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 11

12. Best Practices in NSERC Programs • Discovery Grants • Chairs and Scholarships • Research Partnerships Programs • Networks and programs linking companies with university researchers • Intellectual Property Policy • Regional Offices across Canada • International Strategy and Linkages 12

13. 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 13

14. 2. Chairs and Scholarships 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 14

15. 2. Chairs and Scholarships (ctnd) 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. 15

16. 3. Research Partnership Programs 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 16

17. 3. Research Partnership ProgramsBuilding on Other Programs with Industry • Industrial Chairs & Collaborative R&D with Industry – Industry and market-driven, from short-term projects to long-term relationships • Industrial R&D Fellowships – Putting talent in industry and building receptor capacity, even more crucial today • 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 17

18. 3. Research Partnership Programs 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 18

19. 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 19

20. 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 20

21. 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 Winnipeg Montreal6. Regional OfficesVancouverToronto Moncton 21

22. 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. 22

23. 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

24. For more information: www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca or write tointernational@nserc-crsng.gc.ca Margaret McCuaig-Johnston Executive Vice-President 13th floor, 350 Albert St. Ottawa, Ontario Canada K1A 1H5 Phone: (613) 947-2620 Fax: (613) 943-1624 24

25. 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.