Editorial - 21-17

One enduring criticism of the Canadian research landscape is the plethora of programs and the myriad processes for accessing them. A research manager at a large facility like the Canadian Light Source, for example, must be well versed on a host of different funding pots, each aimed at a specific aspect of the R&D enterprise. If time is money (and it is), then the current system for many areas of research is a waste of taxpayer dollars.

The first order of business is to deal with the sheer number of programs available. When the current government came to power, it campaigned on the reduction of red tape for businesses and a leaner, more efficient government. It makes sense that this philosophy should be applied to publicly funded research and the work it supports.

Yet, instead of reducing program options, the Harper government has added to them with a new suite of initiatives aimed at getting more return from its investments. And since many are aimed at the higher education sector, it has unleashed a feeding frenzy characterized by confusion and overlap.

The current situation could be improved by better communication and coordination with other players in the innovation system, namely the provinces which are expected to contribute to many new and existing programs. Perhaps the government should consider expanding the Industry minister’s authority to include S&T and invest that department with responsibility for all federal R&D funding mechanisms. What we need is some creative thinking to get the S&T funding system operating more efficiently.