QUESTION PERIOD — Innovation, Science and Economic Development
Research Funding
June 20, 2023
Senator Gold, the Parliamentary Budget Officer’s recent fiscal analysis of Canada’s support for Volkswagen’s electric vehicle battery manufacturing plant estimated the government’s financial commitment to be $16.3 billion over the term of the agreement. This is for one plant that is being built on today’s technology, based on yesterday’s science. Who knows what the scientific and resultant technological advances will bring us to in 2027, when it is projected to be online?
This is the same government that cannot seem to find investments to bring trainees, who are the scientists that will create the economy of tomorrow, up to a living wage today. These are young people whose innovative minds drive the research, development and economic growth of Canada’s future. Without continued investigatory research, such manufacturing plants will become stagnant and redundant as quickly as our best and brightest head elsewhere.
Senator Gold, will the government commit to increasing the number and value of grants and fellowships programs through the Tri-Council for students in the fall economic update?
Thank you for that question. Thank you for bringing to our attention the important role played by the Tri-Agency, which comprises the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the SSHRC, or Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.
The government remains committed to supporting Canadian researchers and scientists and the government, as I have said before in this chamber, recognizes the central role that our graduate students, our doctoral students and the post-doctoral community play within our research ecosystem. That’s why, in October 2022, the government launched the Advisory Panel on the Federal Research Support System to provide independent expert advice on the structure and governance of the federal system that supports such research and talent.
In March, Minister Champagne and Minister Duclos released the panel’s report with its finding and recommendations. I understand the government has been carefully reviewing this advice with a view to further supporting our researchers and talent. However, before we look to the fall economic update to which you referred, colleague, I certainly look forward to this chamber’s third reading of what I hope will be its swift adoption of Bill C-47, the budget implementation act, 2023, No. 1.
Senator Gold, tri-council-funded grants and fellowships allow entry points for marginalized postgraduate students, students whose families cannot support them as they continue their education.
How does the government plan to level the playing field for access to higher education for all who have merit so that Canada can continue to prosper and grow because those who are our best and brightest can access the positions they need to be in and not just those who are in a privileged position to do so?
Thank you for the question and, again, underlining the questions that many researchers face in order to do the work upon which we depend for our present and future prosperity.
Colleagues, as you may recall, the government’s previous budgets provided $40.9 million to support targeted scholarships and fellowships for, in this case, promising Black student researchers, and $38.3 million for the federal granting councils to add new Canada Excellence Research Chairs in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Again, I repeat: The government remains committed to supporting Canada’s continued status as a global leader in research and innovation because our world-class researchers perform cutting-edge and bold work.
