CPFC seeking funding renewal in next Budget as part of NRC cluster initiative

The Canadian Photonics Fabrication Centre (CPFC) is seeking renewed funding in the next federal Budget as part of a larger request by the National Research Council (NRC) to extend its cluster initiatives across the country. CPFC is requesting approximately $7.4 million annually to support operations — the same level of funding it received in 2008 when the government provided $22.3 million over three years, ending March 31/10.

The NRC funding request covers 11 clusters including the National Institute for Nanotechnology (NINT) in Edmonton, the Institute for Information Technology in Fredericton NB, and the Aluminium Technology Centre in Chicoutimi QC. When NRC unveiled its latest strategic plan in 2006 it committed to reorganize the agency without requesting additional resources. At the same time, it hoped to convince government to transition initiatives demonstrating high-impact from cyclical to permanent funding. NINT and CPFC were prominent on the list of for possible inclusion in NRC's A-base funding.

"A-base would be welcome but I'm not sure if the government wants to go that route. We would also welcome (renewal of) three or five years," says Dr Sylvain Charbonneau, NRC's director of applications technologies with responsibility for CPFC. "Our business depends on us being there doing business. If there are gaps in funding, what does that say for the long term?"

The release of the CPFC impact study and the larger photonics study released last month were timed to raise the visibility of the CPFC as the government formulates its Budget strategy.

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