1 / 39

I. Identifying the problems

I. Identifying the problems. Shifting funding from basic research Defunding politically inconvenient research Obscuring the defunding Stacking granting council governing boards Changing granting council priorities Diverting resources to “stars” Muzzling experts

ewa
Download Presentation

I. Identifying the problems

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. I. Identifying the problems Shifting funding from basic research Defunding politically inconvenient research Obscuring the defunding Stacking granting council governing boards Changing granting council priorities Diverting resources to “stars” Muzzling experts Directing public science for private profit Promoting undue corporate influence in university research

  2. Shifting away from funding basic research

  3. Funding for Canada’s Granting Councils

  4. SSHRC Funding, 2007-15 2010 constant dollars, millions

  5. NSERC Funding, 2007-2015 2010 constant dollars, millions

  6. CIHR Funding, 2007-15 2010 constant dollars, millions

  7. Defunding politically inconvenient research

  8. Polar Environment Atmospheric Research Laboratory (PEARL) Experimental Lakes Area

  9. Obscuring the defunding

  10. Stacking granting council governing boards

  11. NSERC Council • Biologists - 0 • Chemists - 0 • Physicists – 0 • Mathematicians - 0 • Engineers - 6 • Administrators - 3 • Others - 2

  12. SSHRC Council • Social Sciences • Sociology – 0 • Anthropology – 0 • Psychology – 0 • Criminology – 0 • Education – 0 • Law – 0 • Political Science - 0 • Archeology - 1 • Business - 4 • Economics – 2 • Humanities • Languages & Literature - 0 • Classics – 0 • Visual Arts – 0 • Performing Arts - 0 • Philosophy - 1 • History – 1 • Others • Corporate – 2 • Centraide Montréal– 1 • Administrator - 1 • Trades - 1

  13. CIHR Council • Medicine – 3 • Psychiatry - 1 • Surgery – 1 • Health Administration – 3 • Corporate – 3 • Caprion Proteomics • Pfizer • Barclays Capital Canada • Other – 1 • Télé-Québec • Other health care professions - 0

  14. Changing granting council priorities

  15. Less support for open research Source: NSERC, CIHR, SSHRC Departmental Performance Reports, Federal Budget 2012-13

  16. Declining success rates Source: SSHRC, NSERC, CIHR

  17. Fettered funding within Granting Councils - NSERC Source: NSERC Departmental Performance Reports, Report on Plans and Priorities 2014-15 *Estimate

  18. $21.8-million for the Engage Grants program: • The Engage Grants Program “is supporting short-term research and development projects aimed at addressing a company-specificproblem in the natural sciences or engineering fields.” • http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Professors-Professeurs/RPP-PP/Engage-engagement_eng.asp

  19. Engage Grant Program Source: NSERC

  20. NSERC: Report on Plans and Priorities 2013-14 • “Working with the Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP) to develop an effective Concierge Service for business that includes the expertise within the postsecondary research community: • “In 2013-14, NSERC will work with IRAP to assess and implement tools to link the expertise base within the NSERC systems with the new Concierge Service system being developed under the leadership of IRAP.” • http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/NSERC-CRSNG/Reports-Rapports/RPP-PPR/2013-2014/index_eng.asp#s2.1.3

  21. NSERC Spending Priorities In millions, 2014 dollars. Source: NSERC 2013-14 and 2014-15 Report on Plans and Priorities

  22. Solicitation: No. S13-14426 • Date: 2014-01-30 • Strengthening Research Partnerships • between Post-Secondary Institutions and Industry • “The overall goal of this project is to enhance the engagement of industry partners in research partnerships related to the social sciences and humanities as per SSHRC's key commitment in 2013-14 following the Budget 2013. • “Achievement of this goal will result in: • an increased awareness of opportunities for partnerships between post-secondary institutions and industry involving the social sciences and humanities; • an increased number of grant applications for projects that involve industry partners; • an increase in the average number of industry partners involved per application; and, • strengthened partnerships between post-secondary institutions and industry.

  23. Strengthening Research Partnerships between Post-Secondary Institutions and Industry “3.2 Definitions of "industry" and "postsecondary institution" For SSHRC, "industry" is defined as 'a for-profit organization, or an organization that assists, supports, connects and/or represents the common interests of a group of for-profit, incorporated organizations, such as an industry association or a formal or informal consortium.' The scope of this definition allows SSHRC to bring a variety of industry-focused organizations together with the best researchers and graduate students to add value to the Canadian business environment.” https://buyandsell.gc.ca/cds/public/2014/01/31/0c2aaa01db028666cb4c67c9b061aa9b/rfp_s13-14426_e.pdf

  24. Diverting resources to “stars”

  25. $10,733,333 was spent on 9 NSERC Canada Excellence Research Chairs in 2010-11 That would have supported 339 researchers with Discovery Grants and reversed the decline in success rates since 2006 $17,833,333 was spent on 13 NSERC CERC Chairs in 2011-12 That would have supported an additional 545 researchers with Discovery Grants that year

  26. Muzzling experts

  27. Muzzling Government Scientists Dr. Kristi Miller, Head, Molecular Genetics, Department of Fisheries and Oceans 2008 Federal Government Media Protocol:  "Just as we have one department we should have one voice. Interviews sometimes present surprises to ministers and senior management. Media relations will work with staff on how best to deal with the call (an interview request from a journalist). This should include asking the programme expert to respond with approved lines."

  28. Muzzling Academic Researchers Prof. Andreas Muenchow Associate Professor Graduate College of Marine Studies, University of Delaware DFO Publication Review Committee Procedures: “All journal articles…must be submitted to your Division Admin for review and approval prior to being submitted for publication. Publication review procedures apply to all submissions where a DFO Science staff member is an author (whether the single author, or one of multiple co-authors)."

  29. Directing public science for private profit

  30. National Research Council to 'refocus' to serve business • CBC News • Posted: Mar 6, 2012 1:58 PM ET  • “Canada's national government research and • development agency is being transformed • and ‘refocused’ into a service that provides • Solutions for businesses, Canada's Minister of State for Science and Technology announced Tuesday. • “Gary Goodyear says he envisions the National Research Council becoming a ‘concierge’ service that offers a single phone number to connect businesses to all their research and development needs.”

  31. Setting political priorities for university research

  32. Budget 2007 • $37 million for NSERC, targeted to • research in energy, the environment and • information and communications • technologies. • $11 million for SSHRC, targeted to research in management, business and finance. • Budget 2008 • NSERC - $34 million per year for collaborative research directly contributing to the knowledge &innovation needs of Canada’sautomotive, manufacturing, forestry and fishing industries. • SSHRC - $12 million per year for research contributing to a better understanding of how the environment affects the lives of Canadiansand ofthe social and economic development needs of northern communities." • Budget 2013 • All of the new funding for the granting councils ($37-million) to support “research partnerships with industry through the granting councils, including $12 million to enhance the College and Community Innovation Program”

  33. II. What we need to do Educate the public about basic research Building pressure to Increase core funding of the granting councils and for government science Protect the integrity and independence of scholarly research Make the granting councils arms-length Fund research on the basis of scientific and scholarly importance, as determined through peer review not political preference Stop the muzzling of scientists and other academic professionals – their duty is to the public, not to the minister of the day Create a non-partisan Parliamentary Science Officer Adopt a sound science policy for Canada Enforce principled standards for university collaborations Make graduate programs affordable & pay postdocs properly

  34. III. Some steps we are taking Dedicated web site [ GetScienceRight.ca ] Interactive map cataloguing cancelled and “at risk” projects Video testimonies and on-line submission forms Email & petition tool Local town halls and regional forums – for researchers to talk with the public about what’s happening and what it means Report on university – industry collaborations http://www.caut.ca/docs/default-source/academic-freedom/open-for-business-(nov-2013).pdf Reports on granting councils’ priorities and practices Database of researchers and scientists to facilitate advocacy

  35. Concluding Comment from Others

  36. nature editorialChanges to Canadian science raise questions that the government must answer • “Governments come and go, but scientific expertise and experience cannot be chopped and changed as the mood suits and still be expected to function. Nor can applied research thrive when basic research is struggling.” • Nature 487, 271–272 (19 July 2012) • http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v487/n7407/full/487271b.html

  37. Mike Lazarides Founder, Research in Motion “What we need are those creative people to be left to do creative things just for the hell of it … this is the game changer that forms the raw material for industry to capitalize.” - Speech at the Perimeter Institute, 2003

More Related