Editorial - 27-7

The announcement of a reo-focused National Research Council (NRC) has certainly captured the attention of the media, propelling the 97-year-old institution to the top of news broadcasts and the front pages of newspapers nationwide. The message was similar to many recent pronouncements by the Conservative government. A business-oriented NRC will result in new jobs, more and bigger companies and greater prosperity for all.

But the announcement did not come with any more information than is already known and reported on in previous issues of RE$EARCH MONEY. The latest Budget provided NRC with $121 million to "support the NRC's new mandate and aid in its transformation to a business-driven, industry-relevant research and technology organization", as minister of state for science and technology Dr Gary Goodyear informed the assembled media throng in Ottawa May 7th. But how and where is the NRC going to spend this money?

NRC John McDougall said the NRC will "measure our success by the success of our clients". If so, are the appropriate systems and metrics in place?

The NRC's transformation has been guided by a two-year strategic plan that still hasn't seen the light of day. If we are to gauge the effectiveness of such a plan, its public release is essential.

Despite the departure of many talented, senior research and management personnel, the NRC remains a motherlode of innovation talent. Having more information on the NRC's strategic direction and its plans to invest would go far to determining chances of this new course succeeding.