Editorial - 29-7

Is Canada's research base being neglected? That's the issue now being hotly debated following the federal Budget's failure to provide the granting councils with enough new funding this year to stave off the impact of inflation and the rising costs of conducting research. New funding for the councils kicks in next year but the $46-million package is highly directed towards research partnerships with industry.

Operating funds for investigators to pursue their own research is the lifeblood of any innovation ecosystem and the Budget's silence in addressing mounting concerns over Canada's support for discovery research is a serious omission.

But research infrastructure, networking and computing power are also key ingredients in a country's innovation ecosystem. The Budget's $1.33-billion commitment to the Canada Foundation for Innovation, renewed funding for CANARIE and new money for cyberinfrastructure are all necessary and welcome, as are the top-up in funding for TRIUMF and support for the Thirty Meter Telescope.

It's true that many of the new investments won't take effect until next year at the earliest. Balancing the books and strategic positioning for this fall's federal election appear to have taken precedence over timely action on the S&T file.

But the clash between visionary S&T policy and the crass, hardscrabble world of politics is nothing new. Governing parties naturally want to extend their grip on power and S&T is evidently not the lever the government wishes to use in its bid to hold onto power.