Data provide snapshot of federal R&D spending

Three-year-old Statistics Canada data detailing the geographic distribution of federal S&T spending provide a revealing snapshot of the negative impact of Program Review on government outlays. After reaching a historic high of $4.961 billion in FY94-95, federal S&T expenditures declined over the next three years to $4.658 billion in FY97-98. These values will almost certainly rise as increases in spending provided by the Liberal administration are captured by subsequent surveys.

The above figures do not include federal spending in areas that cannot of accounted for geographically (payments abroad and various other undefined categories, but do encompass $1.658 billion spent in the National Capital Region (NCR), which has been split off as a special jurisdiction.

Of the $3.0 billion that can be regionally allocated, Ontario received the largest share (36.6%), followed by Quebec (25.2%), British Columbia (11.8%) and Alberta (7.7%). The government accounts for the largest share of spending ($1.374 billion or 45.8%), followed by universities ($789 million or 26.3%) and businesses (($728 million or 24.3%).

The natural sciences commanded the lion's share of government spending, with $2.742 billion or 91.4% of the total, with the remainder ($89 million) devoted to the social sciences. That imbalance changes dramatically within the NCR, where the natural sciences captured 54.1% of the $1.658 billion total and the social sciences accounted for 45.6%, largely due to spending by Statistics Canada.

Ontario was the largest recipient of $684 million in grants in the natural sciences and contracts awarded to industry, capturing 47.8%, followed by Quebec (33.1%), British Columbia (8.5%) and Alberta (3.5%). The two largest program dedicated to industry were the sunsetting Technology Outreach Program ($174.3 million) and Technology Partnerships Canada ($83.2 million), which was just ramping up. Quebec attracted the largest share of TOP funding ($90.2 million), while Ontario secured the largest portion of TPC outlays ($82.3 million).

Of the federal outlays in the NCR, Ontario was the location of the vast majority of spending. Ontario accounts for 97.7% of the $690 million in R&D spending, and 79.5% of $968 million in related scientific activities (RSA). Quebec accounted for $16 million in R&D spent in the NCR, and $198 million of RSA.

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