Dr William G. Doubleday

Federal Science : Working Together for Canadians

Dr William G. Doubleday

The need for excellent science to support government policies and actions is compelling. Experience with the Canadian blood system and mad cow disease in the United Kingdom demonstrates the high costs of failure to incorporate sound science in government policy quickly and effectively. The potential losses include those to individuals and companies affected, lawsuits for negligence and loss of confidence in government. The Montreal Protocol which phased out the use of ozone-destroying freon illustrates the benefits of basing policy on sound science.

For government policies and actions to be well supported by science, a core science function within government must be done well:

• early identification of policy issues with high risk or high potential benefit to Canada and where science can contribute to effective solutions
• mobilizing and focusing science resources across the national system of innovation to produce solutions
• linking government policy making to new science knowledge from within and outside government and from outside Canada.

A scientific capability is needed in government to provide awareness of advances in scientific knowledge, to understand their significance to government, and to reflect scientific advances in the policy development process.

Most of the current and emerging science related policy issues facing government are complex and touch the mandates of several departments. Addressing crosscutting issues efficiently and effectively requires integration of related science across the departments concerned.

The need for government to nurture the growth of the knowledge-based economy is also compelling. Globalization of trade and acceleration of innovation worldwide require active national responses to sustain Canadian competitiveness. Federal science can contribute. The growth of a world class biotechnology community in Saskatoon shows how government facilities and research infrastructure can provide a nucleus for growth of technology clusters.

Government has developed commercially successful technological innovations such as the Brewer spectrophotometer used in many countries to support UV forecasts and demonstrating the feasibility of salmon aquaculture in Atlantic Canada. Government is a major player in the national system of innovation as a funder, a policy maker and a performer.

Existing linkages and partnerships between government science and other R&D performers and actions to fund university-based research and to stimulate private sector R&D are valuable. For government to maximize its support for growth of the knowledge-based economy, these should be complemented by effective integration of gov- ernment science programs in the national system of innovation. Such integration will improve the flow of highly qualified people and ideas between government, universities and the private sector and increase the introduction and spread of innovative products and services. Integration can be achieved by establishing three-way R&D networks including government science, universities and the private sector, and managing shared resources to find solutions to policy issues and to develop new technologies.

What are the characteristics of a federal S&T program that meets these criteria ?

• It will be alert to emerging science issues and quick to respond to them,
• It will set priorities for crosscutting horizontal issues ,
• It will integrate science with government policy through teams of scientists and policy analysts working together to a common purpose,
• It will integrate science addressing horizontal policy issues through self-governing multi-department research networks,
• Federal science will integrate with the university and private sector elements of the national system of innovation through self-governing R&D networks focused on providing solutions to priority policy issues and on seizing economic opportunities,
• Federal science will link with science worldwide, and
• The federal government will conduct world class science serving the public good.

Federal science has an essential core role to play within government and within the national system of innovation to maximize the support of science for government policies and actions and to maximize government’s contribution to national economic development, innovation and competitiveness.

William Doubleday is a Special Advisor, Science & Innovation to Environment Canada (william.doubleday@ec.gc.ca).