A New Vision for NSERC?

1. A New Vision for NSERC? Suzanne Fortier, President Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada

2. Our Vision NSERC will help make Canada a country of discoverers and innovators for the benefit of all Canadians  

3. Our Priorities: People, Discovery and Innovation People: building our human capital in the natural sciences and engineering (NSE) Discovery: unleashing the creative power of our researchers Innovation: seizing strategic opportunities for our country and realizing the benefits of research in industry and society 

4. People, Discovery and Innovation at NSERC (Budget 2005/06) ($millions) Total: $865

5. People, Discovery and Innovation: NSERC Expenditures 2004/05 ($thousands) University A NSERC total

6. People, Discovery and Innovation: NSERC Expenditures 2004/05 ($thousands) University B NSERC total

7. People, Discovery and Innovation: NSERC Expenditures 2004/05 ($thousands) University C NSERC total

8. People: Building Our Human Capital - Some Questions Are we doing a good job of attracting young people to the NSE disciplines and keeping their interest alive? Are we providing a learning environment that prepares students well to become both discoverers and innovators? Do we have a supply or a demand problem for highly qualified personnel (HQP)? And does it matter? How does Canada’s human capital in the NSE stands up to international benchmarks?  

9. The Science and Engineering Supply Chain M 1,020 F 415 Doctoral Degrees (2003) M 2,794 F 1,645 M Male F Female Master’s Degrees (1999) M 14,943 F 9,168 Bachelor’s Degrees (1997) M 143,123 F 138,227 High School Diplomas (1993) M 178,869 F 170,433 Grade 1 Enrolment (1981) Source: Statistics Canada, NSERC estimates. University degrees shown are in the natural sciences and engineering for Canadians and permanent residents.

10. Percentage of Undergraduates Who Choose to Study the Natural Sciences or Engineering by Gender(Canadian and Permanent Residents) Males Females Source: Statistics Canada. Full-time enrolment at bachelor’s level.

11. Talent, interest or motivation? « When we consider overall performance in high school, the question about enrolments in engineering is not: ‘ Why are there so few women? ’ The real question is rhetorical: ‘ What else are boys going to do?’ » Lorne Carmichael, Queen’s University « What our research found was that their motivation for learning computer science very much hung on the purpose that computing was going to be used for. » Jane Margolis, University of California at Los Angeles

12. What about the boys? Quelques grands titres: (Le Devoir 30 avril, 2006) “Où sont passés les garçons?” Marie-Andrée Chouinard “Les garçons accros au concret” Marie-Andrée Chouinard “Il y en a pour qui c’est le sport, d’autres pour qui c’est la science; l’important, c’est de toucher une fibre qui les passionne. Après, on peut les mener à faire n’importe quoi, croit Marie-Johanne Lacroix.”

13. Findings and Recommendations from the OECD Global Science Forum, 2005 • “OECD governments must take concrete steps to make science and technology studies more attractive.” • “OECD analysis presented the results of a study of enrolment numbers, of contributing factors, and of potential solutions. This study documents worrying enrolment trends for fields such as mathematics, physics and chemistry, as illustrated by a decline in the number of university graduates of up to 30-50% over the past 8-10 years in physical sciences, in some countries.”

14. NSF REPORT NA = not available NOTE: Data based on "very great prestige" responses to: I am going to read off a number of different occupations. For each, would you tell me if you feel it is an occupation of very great prestige, considerable prestige, some prestige, or hardly any prestige at all?

15. Discovery: Unleashing the Creative Power of Our Researchers – Some Facts Unique sustainable support approach: supporting research programs rather than projects Success rate in the program in 2005: 75.2% Average grant in 2005: $32,054

16. Discovery: Unleashing the Creative Power of Our Researchers - Some Questions Do we have the right approach? What can we do to better support our researchers at critical stages in their careers? How can we bring a better understanding of the importance and benefits of research to the broader Canadian public?

17. Innovation: Some Facts ($millions – 2005/06) Total: $165

18. Innovation: Some Questions How can we more effectively use all of Canada’s public and private research strengths to have a bigger impact in areas of strategic importance to our country? What is the appropriate role for universities in Canada’s innovation system? How can we encourage and support the development of innovative and entrepreneurial spirit and skills in our students?

19. Goals for NSERC(In Serving Our Communities) To show Canadians and their government representatives that solid investments in science and research are critical for Canada’s social, economic and cultural vitality (prosperity) To lead Canada in advancing knowledge in science and engineering, and addressing significant opportunities and challenges for our country

20. Goals for NSERC(In Serving Our Communities) To inspire new generations of students to consider careers in science and engineering, and to provide them with opportunities to develop to their full potential To celebrate the accomplishments of Canadian NSE researchers and institutions, and to contribute to increasing their visibility worldwide To demonstrate to our funders and stakeholders that NSERC is a dynamic, innovative and effective agency, anticipating the needs and aspirations of its communities

21. Lessons Learned on Prosperity Task force on Competitiveness, Prosperity and Economic Progress U.S. National Academies’ Report: Rising Above The Gathering Storm - Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future La vérité vient de la bouche des enfants : Maxime, a 10-year-old living in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, Montréal

22. A Last Thought on Our Future Prosperity Is there any better place to be than at the intersection of a solid education with a creative imagination?