Details on Canada Research Chairs program await Cabinet approval of enabling legislation

The federal government is steaming ahead with the formation of the Canada Research Chairs (CRC) program, creating 2,000 research chairs over the next five years at a cost of $900 million to create a new breed of virtual university. The Budget announcement of the CRC program commits to sustaining funds for the new chairs, effectively increasing the number of research chairs in Canada from approximately 170 to nearly 2,200 and funded exclusively through the granting councils. It also underlines the growing influence of what many contend is a powerful shadow group on the government's S&T policies and programs.

Industry Canada officials are completing the terms and conditions of the program for Cabinet consideration and approval, which is expected by the end of the month. They are expected to include provisions for using the funds to cover overhead costs, although it will be left to the individual universities to determine how the money will be spent.

"It will be up to the universities to charge or not charge overhead costs to the program," says Industry Canada ADM Marie Tobin. "They can spend it on overhead or maximize the cost and get the overhead from the provinces." Discussions with the provinces are still at a preliminary stage although Tobin says the subject was raised at a meeting of provincial and federal DMs of innovation, science and technology last December.

As outlined in October's Speech From the Throne and the prime minister's official response, the CRC is considered to be a major program instrument aimed at increasing Canada's research capacity in all disciplines, combating a major factor in the loss of key personnel to the US and elsewhere.

The CRC concept was successfully sold by a small group of university-based leaders including Dr Martha Piper, president of the Univ of British Columbia, Dr David Strangway, president of the Canada Foundation for Innovation, Dr Robert Lacroix, president of the Univ of Montreal and the presidents of the three granting councils. Their ability to capture the attention of government leaders, and a substantial slice of the fiscal surplus, has led some observers to contend the existence of a shadow science budget whose strings extend far beyond government.

Once the CRC was announced with great fanfare last fall, considerable debate ensued over how the money would be disbursed among the granting councils. Approval of the enabling legislation will outline how the pie will be cut, but preliminary information indicates that the Social Sciences and Humanities Council will receive 20%, well above its allocation of granting council funding. The remainder will be split between the Medical Research Council and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council.

The CRC funding will be split 50-50 among senior chairs (so-called "star researchers" with a proven track record) and junior chairs. Senior chair holders will receive an average of $200,000 while the junior chair holders will receive about $100,000.

The legislation will also contain directives on how chairs can be allocated to smaller universities - another major bone of contention that has apparently been resolved. When first announced, the CRC program was to disburse funding to universities based on the amount of research funding they receive from the granting councils. A senior government official confirmed that there will be "some scope for smaller universities for capacity building", adding that each institution regardless of size will have to pass peer review excellence before obtaining chair funding.

R$

Canada Research Chairs Funding

($ millions)

FY Amount

00-01 60

01-02 120

02-03 180

03-04 240

04-05 300

Total 900