Recent News
What if? Imagine Canada’s space industry if MDA’s space division had been sold in 2008
What if? Imagine the huge impacts on Canada’s space program and space industry had MDA sold its space technology division in 2008 to a U.S. firm.
Canadian manufacturing of CAR-T cells a game-changer for cancer patients and researchers
A pioneering clinical trial by The Ottawa Hospital is using made-in-Canada genetically engineered T calls, called CART-T cells, to keep cancer patients alive and cancer-free.
Feds need to coordinate Arctic waste management to protect polar bears, researchers say
The federal government needs to take control of Arctic waste management to protect polar bears impacted by faster-melting sea ice due to climate change and feeding on garbage, say researchers.
National strategy needed to build homegrown EV battery metals supply chain: report
Canada needs a national strategy and large public-private sector investment to create a homegrown battery metals supply chain for electric vehicles, a report by the Transition Accelerator recommends.
The Short Report - August 10, 2022: A new CEO for C100; Stem Cell Network launches last funding competition for 2022-2025, Alberta tech investments soar, and more
C100 brings in Ray Newal as new CEO; the Stem Cell Network launches its second national research funding competition, Alberta surpasses 2021 tech investment earnings, and more.
Three provinces rank among North America’s 10 most competitive jurisdictions: new report
Three provinces – Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec – are among North America’s 10 most competitive and innovation-ready subnational jurisdictions, according to a new report from a U.S. think-tank.
SR&ED program requires major reforms to stimulate business R&D: policy brief
Major reforms are required to the federal SR&ED tax credit program to stimulate business R&D spending and for Canada to compete internationally in innovation, says a policy brief by Robert Asselin.
Canadian tracking network part of worldwide effort to study shark populations
Researchers engaged in the federally supported Ocean Tracking Network, a made-in-Canada initiative, are part of a global effort to track more than 160 aquatic species including sharks.
GHGSat seeks methane from space to help Canada tackle global warming
Montreal-based GHGSat’s fleet of satellites is tracking industrial methane leaks on Earth to help Canada reduce greenhouse gas emissions and tackle global warming.
NSERC initiatives geared at mobilizing knowledge on a global scale
Fostering international research partnerships will help position Canada’s research community as a global leader in science and technology, NSERC President Dr. Alejandro Adem, PhD, says in an op-ed.
The Short Report - August 3, 2022: CAMH awarded the first federal psilocybin study grant; C6 Launch Systems prepares for suborbital test at a foreign spaceport; Ottawa launches calls for Women Entrepreneurship Strategy Ecosystem Fund projects, and more.
CAMH receives first CIHR grant to study psilocybin and its effect on treatment-resistant depression; Toronto-based C6 Launch Systems prepares for its first suborbital test at a foreign spaceport through its Brazilian subsidiary, Ottawa makes $40 million available for projects that deliver business supports for women entrepreneurs, and more.
Alberta investing in innovative high-value, non-combustion uses for oil sands bitumen
Alberta’s investment in innovative high-value, non-combustion uses for oil sands bitumen could yield significant economic and environmental benefits for the province and Canada, say proponents.
National network helping skilled immigrant health care professionals practise in Canada
The Ontario-based National Newcomer Navigation Network has received $1.5 million in federal funding to help skilled immigrant health care professionals practise in Canada.
Health Canada levels the field for GMOs
Changes by Health Canada to the way it regulates food-based products developed with gene editing technologies is a “game-changer” for Canadian food production, says an agri-food innovation scientist.
Dedicated pipelines essential to creating a hydrogen economy in Canada, says new report
Creating a hydrogen economy in Canada will require dedicated pipelines, hydrogen hubs and corridors, policy changes and financial incentives, according to a new report by the Transition Accelerator.
Josty: Canada is more just than a hewer of wood and drawer of water
More than a “hewer of wood and drawer of water,” Canada’s economy is actually more complex than Australia and some other countries based on their mix of exports, says columnist Peter Josty.
The Short Report - July 27, 2022: Ottawa launches next phase of its ocean protection program, a new policy agreement for Canada's agricultural partnership, funding to fight online disinformation, and more.
Ottawa invests in marine safety as part of the next phase of the Oceans Protection Plan; federal, provincial, and territorial Ministers of Agriculture reach an agreement for the new Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, fighting disinformation on COVID and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and more.
Latest Issue:
Number 7
Volume 36 July 20 2022
Southeast Alberta well-suited to become Canada’s second hydrogen hub: report
The southeast Alberta region has the energy sources, transportation infrastructure and industrial complex necessary to become Canada’s second hub for hydrogen fuel, according to a new report.
The Short Report - July 20, 2022: Another step toward a vertically-integrated EV supply chain for Ontario, an Atlantic alliance to advance ocean science, a boost for digital innovation in Canada, and more.
Umicore set to build industrial scale battery materials manufacturing plant in Ontario; Ottawa commits to advancing cooperative ocean science and sustainability with international partners, India’s Tata Consultancy Services opens Pace Port Toronto to spur digital innovation, and more.
Q&A: Alan Bernstein on globalizing CIFAR and the next frontiers for Canadian R&D
Exit interview: after wrapping up 10 years as CEO of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Alan Bernstein shares his observations about where R&D has been and where it is going.
Opinion Leader: Investors can play a key role in future of Canada’s salmon industry
Aquaculture is coming under increasing criticism from environmental advocates around the world, but the FAIRR global investor network offers sustainable prospects for Canada’s salmon industry.
Energy and resource tables to serve regional green energy strengths
The federal government is creating a series of forums to allow representatives from the country’s energy and resource sectors to contribute to the development of a national low-carbon industrial strategy. These forums are aimed at a wide range of public and private participants, who will be asked for observations and proposals that reflect the varying needs of each region.
Innovation and imagery — Montreal team boldly goes
A team of Montreal researchers are preparing to use the an instrument they designed for the James Webb Space Telescope, which will help them analyse the atmospheric composition of planets orbiting around distant stars. This Canadian contribution to the deep-space telescope means scientists from this country will have preferred access to this sophisticated instrument, which will be in high demand.
Message from the Publisher
I find it somewhat prophetic, and possibly hopeful, that a heightened appreciation
and desire to honour and include Indigenous ways of knowing is coming at a time of environmental crisis. The lived experience and accumulated wisdom of people who have lived here on the land for millennia will undoubtedly balance and temper the intellectual insights and technological ingenuity of the newcomers who currently wield power and need to learn how to share it for the greater good.
Marking a Eureka moment
Canada is now a full member of the Eureka network, an international R&D consortium that includes more than 40 countries on five continents. Over the past decade some 300 Canadians have participated in Eureka projects, which have been worth more than $500 million.
Opinion Leader: Psychedelic agents open up new therapeutic frontiers
Canada can be a leader in delivering widespread, well-regulated psychedelic-assisted therapy for people with depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and substance abuse, by investing in research, educating health care professionals and providing the necessary clinical infrastructure, Dr. Ross Marshall, chief scientific officer at The Newly Institute based in Calgary, says in an op-ed.
Hydrogen heavyweights hit Alberta highways
The largest hydrogen-powered trucks ever to hit the road in North America will be operating in Alberta next year, as part of a major initiative to move this important transportation sector to the zero-emission fuel.
Feds provide $54 million to expand “Living Labs” agriculture innovation program
The federal government is investing $54 million to expand its “Living Laboratories” initiative in the agricultural sector by creating nine new living labs across Canada.
Editorial: A teachable moment in the evolving relationship between government and science
Three milestones — a scientific protest march, a science advisor’s reappointment, and a telescope’s “first light” — reveal the changing face of science in the policy realm.
Spawning start-ups for Canada's blue economy
Canada is well positioned to thrive in the global “blue” economy of ocean-based activities. A new consortium is mounting the support and investment for Canadian start-ups that will build this economy.
The Short Report - July 13, 2022: Dr. Mona Nemer reappointed as CSA, U of T & partners mount research response to monkeypox outbreak, a record for Canadian angel investment in 2021, and more.
A new term for Dr. Mona Nemer; U of T’s response to monkeypox outbreak paves the way for collaborations with Canadian and international groups, a rebound in Canadian angel investment stats, and more.
Nurturing the entrepreneurial mind-set
Simon Fraser University, in collaboration with the research organization Mitacs, is mounting a concerted effort to provide students across the campus with access to courses and services to help them develop an entrepreneurial outlook on their work. Elicia Maine, who recently became a special advisor to the university’s VP Research and International, says these extensive efforts will benefit these students in their career paths as well as enhancing the talent available for Canada’s innovation ecosystem.
The Short Report - July 6, 2022: Funding to address trauma in frontline workers, a name change for the superclusters initiative, topping up patient-oriented research in Sask. and Manitoba, a new ED for SNOLAB, and more.
Ottawa invests more than $28 million to address PTSD and trauma in frontline and essential workers; the supercluster program gets a name change from Minister Champagne; patient-oriented research funding for Manitoba and Saskatchewan, Dr. Jody Cooley is appointed new ED at SNOLAB, and more.
Taking stock of young people's outlook on science and technology
The Canada Foundation for Innovation and l’Association canadienne-française pour l’avancement des sciences hosted an on-line discussion to discuss the implications of a national survey of young people’s attitudes toward science. The ensuing discussion revealed the dominance of social media in determining those attitudes, which can range from eager enthusiasm to disinterest and mistrust. Participants also frame a series of Calls to Action for organizations to develop working relationships with Canadian youth around scientific matters.
Opinion Leader: New report recommends playing to Alberta’s many strengths
A new report from the Business Council of Alberta outlines several areas of strength that the province can use as the foundation for economic and R&D policy. The report cites agriculture, energy, and medicine as the three pillars of this strategy, with specific recommendations about how each sector should be managed.
The Short Report - June 28, 2022: Anand's NORAD upgrade plans for space-based surveillance system; new funding streams strengthen Canada's clinical trials; CIFAR launches Phase 2 of the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy, and more.
NORAD upgrades include plans for a space-based surveillance system and a science program with the US; three new funding streams to bolster Canada’s clinical trials, phase 2 of the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy launches, and more.
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