Canada Reveals Updated S&T Strategy, $1.5B Fund to Spur Academic R&D

On December 4, the Canadian government revealed their national Science and Technology (S&T) Strategy – Seizing Canada's Moment: Moving Forward in Science, Technology and Innovation 2014.  An update to the original report released in 2007, the S&T strategy identifies five priority research areas for federal support over the next seven years: environment and agriculture; health and life sciences; natural resources and energy; information and communications technology; and, advanced manufacturing. Read the strategy…

Among the proposals included in the S&T strategy, the government launched a seven-year, $1.5 billion CD (approximately $1.3 billion USD) Canada First Research Excellence Fund. Each year, Canadian universities and research institutions will compete for $350 million CD (approximately $304.9 million USD) in funding to support projects that increase the research and development (R&D) capacity and innovation infrastructure of their institutions.  The fund will support a broad array of activities including talent attraction, funding for research, R&D infrastructure projects and large-scale multi-institutional initiatives.  Projects must directly align with one of the five priority areas outlined in the report and will be awarded via a competitive, peer-reviewed process. Read the announcement…