Federal Funding
Federal funding for research in Canada is administered mainly through three granting agencies: The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). CIHR and NSERC fund a broad array of projects related to the health sciences, whereas SSHRC focuses its funding on the humanities and social sciences.
CIHR awarded roughly $975-million in 2007-2008, and supported roughly 12,000 researchers across the country. Last year CIHR received 3,625 operating grant applications, of which 2/3 (2,384) were considered very good or excellent by peer review. A total of 816 operating grants were funded (less than 1/4 of applicants), with an average value of $119,000/yr. CIHR also awards funding to post-docs ($40K/yr), PhD students ($21K/yr), and Master’s students ($17.5K/yr). Additionally, CIHR peridoically offers funding for a variety of targeted programs which are listed on its website and which are posted on the right side of this page.
NSERC’s budget in 2008-2009 was just under $1-billion. NSERC funds research through its Discovery Grants program, which will award roughly $380-million to 11,500 researchers in 2008-2009. Roughly $150-million/yr goes to support 4,000 undergrads, 4,000 Master’s and PhD students, and 700 post-docs. NSERC also administers funding for roughly 1,500 Canada Graduate Scholarships (CGS) which provide enhanced funding for PhD students ($35K/yr). Funding is also provided for targeted research projects, equipment acquisition, and partnerships between universities, governments, and industry. Grant descriptions and their deadlines can be found on the NSERC website.
Funding decisions by federal agencies are informed by the government’s Science and Technology Strategy, which was published in May, 2007. Mobilizing Science and Technology to Canada’s Advantage sets out a comprehensive plan to achieve the government’s policy goals with regards to research. One of the main features of the plan is the desire to increase the private sector’s involvement in R&D, and much of the plan outlines the increasing need for partnerships between academic researchers and industry. Practical and commercial applications are desirable research outcomes. The plan is also explicit in the need for research to be of value to Canadians, be it through improved health, improved environment, or improved economy. It focuses on leveraging three Canadian advantages it identifies by encouraging entrepreneurship, cutting-edge research, and increased training of researchers. Given the emphasis placed on aligning program spending with the priorities outlined in this strategy, it is likely to become increasingly important to link grant proposals to the priorities outlined therein.
