Summary
of past PAGSE recommendations to The House of Commons Standing
Committee on Finance

PAGSE submits a brief to the House of Commons
Standing Committee on Finance each fall to provide consensus
views from the S&T research community on policy issues
and initiatives. Prior to 2000, PAGSE has strongly supported
such government initiatives as the creation of CFI, the Canada
Research Chairs, and the CIHR, and the Sustainable Development
Technology Fund and the Canada Graduate Scholarships. Since
2000, PAGSE’s briefs have made recommendations that
can be broadly grouped under four headings:
• Governance gaps in S&T research in Canada
• Support for university-based S&T research
• Support for S&T students and young scientists
• Support for S&T research in industry
• Support for S&T research in government
Governance gaps in S&T Research in Canada
• The creation of a high level interface between government
and S&T research in the form of a Parliamentary Standing
Committee on Science and Technology (S&T), an Office of
S&T located in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO),
or a PMO Office of Science and Innovation
• The creation of National Academies of Canada or Canadian
Academies of Science
• The establishment of a mechanism for setting national
priorities for S&T research in Canada
• The establishment of a standardised peer review protocol
for research in government science-based agencies
• The creation of International Innovation/Opportunities
Funds in order to open domestic S&T research to facilities
not yet available within Canada
• Formulation of a new, forward-looking national S&T
framework
Support for university-based S&T research
• Increased support for university-based research, with
particular emphasis on the funding levels and multi-year commitments
to granting agencies (NSERC, SSHRC, CIHR) and CFI
• Facilitation of the commercialisation of university
research, where appropriate
• Increased support for the indirect costs of university-based
research
• The creation of an industry-driven Tri-agency Cluster
Development program to better support trailblazers and “leaders
of tomorrow”
Support for S&T students and young scientists
• Replacement of a substantial proportion of student
loans by a system of grants for those who work in Canada after
graduation
• Creation of a program to support 600 postdoctoral
fellowships that could be held in universities or in industry,
especially SMEs
• Increased pre- and post-doctoral stipends, including
for industry placements
• Increased participation of 25-64 year olds in post-secondary
education to 50% by 2010
• Evaluation of efforts to increase admissions to post-graduate
programs, in order to ensure that they are well directed to
areas of fruitful employment
Support for S&T research in industry
• Increased government support explicitly targeted at
S&T research in industry
• Fostering the high-tech advantage of Canada’s
resource industries
• Increased R&D support levels, provision of R&D
funding and expertise for small and medium size enterprises
(SME’s), and increased availability of venture capital
• The foundation of a prestigious annual award to recognise
internationally competitive innovators in the private sector
• Fiscal encouragement of the formation of public-private
research consortia
• Creation of a new Tri-Council Cluster Development
Program, led by industry
• Implementing the recommendations of the Expert
Panel on Commercialization
Support for S&T research in government
• Adequate A-base budgets to the relevant governmental
departments for continuous scientific monitoring
• Adequate support for scientific research in the vast
isolated areas of Canada
• Commission an external review of the roles, functions,
assets and deficiencies related to research and development
(R&D) in federal government laboratories
Government Actions
PAGSE’s recommendations have been in tune with a number
of recent actions and policy statements by the government
of Canada concerning S&E research:
• Commitment to funding for indirect costs of university
research (2002)
• Increased funding to granting councils (2003)
• Increased funding for indirect costs (2003)
• Creation of the position of Science Advisor to the
Prime Minister (2004)
• Creation and funding of the Canadian Academies of
Science (2004)
• Steps toward the creation of a student grant program
(2004)
• Recognition of the need for support for the commercialisation
of university-based research (2004)
• Establishment and funding of the Canadian Academies
of Science (2005)
PAGSE- sponsored studies
With the aid of external funds, PAGSE also sponsors independent
studies of important issues for S&T in Canada.
"Setting Priorities for Research in Canada"
(2000), by SECOR
The study found that "Most organisations were simply not
interested in how priorities ought to be established nationally",
and that there is poor fit between research priorities of
universities and those of firms. Most importantly, broad S&T
research priorities are set with little public debate. It
recommended that Government should establish a foresight and
priorities panel to ensure that investments are being made
in research for the economic needs of the country, linked
to industrial sector needs, and for social benefit.
"Socio-Economic Importance of Scientific Research
to Canada", written by David A.
Wolfe and Ammon Salter (1999),
which highlighted the difficulty of performing quantitative
evaluations of the socio-economic benefits that derive directly
from science. However, it concluded that there were many qualitative
examples that demonstrated that they do. It also examined
the instruments used by government and the financial sector
to support research and its commercialisation.
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