Dr Marc Renaud

Dr Marc Renaud will step down as president of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and begin a year-long sabbatical in Europe. Renaud will leave SSHRC after eight years at the end of August and return to a faculty position at the Univ of Montreal. His tenure has been marked by limited success in securing new funding, even though the granting agency’s budget has more than doubled since he succeeded Dr Lynn Penrod in 1997 (R$, July 30/97. Renaud also spearheaded a plan for a transformation of the agency into a so-called knowledge council (R$, September 3/04), but the federal government has yet to approve or fund the initiative. Industry Canada — the department responsible for SSHRC and Science and Engineering Research Canada (NSERC) — is now faced with the replacement of two presidents. Dr Tom Brzustowski announced his decision to leave NSERC earlier this year (R$, February 22/05). It is doubtful that the replacement process, which is managed by the Prime Minister’s Office and the Privy Council Office, will be completed by the time either presidents leave. Renaud has acknowledged a leadership gap, stating that the task of heading up SSHRC would fall to its governing council and senior management ….