Initiative seeks to secure greater global recognition for Canadian research excellence

An initiative by the governor general to capture more global awards for Canadian scientists was quietly launched two years ago and is being well received by the academic and business communities, according to Dr Howard Alper, chair of the Science, Technology and Innovation Council (STIC).

Alper, who chairs the initiative's canvassing committee, says there's a real need for a coordinated effort to gain international recognition for Canadian scientists and boost their presence in competition for the world's major awards.

"The purpose is to position nominations for the maximum probability of success," says Alper, adding that scientists working for companies are also eligible. "The system as a whole is very pleased with how it has proceeded … This is a celebration of our best and showcasing it."

The Enhancing Global Recognition for Canadian Research Excellence (EGRCRE) initiative is supported by the presidents of the three granting councils. They committed to develop an inventory of international research awards and build dossiers of promising candidates by providing external reviews of draft statements prepared by academic institutions and helping those institutions seek out international endorsements.

The initiative is broken into two committees — the canvassing committee headed by Alper and the Committee to Enhance Canada's Success in International Awards/Prizes, chaired by governor general David Johnston. Members of the latter act as talent scouts, contacting the heads of institutions to recommend candidates to be put forward and connecting academic administrators with the granting councils' interagency coordinator to provide support.

Alper says he doesn't know how many nominations have been made since EGRCRE was launched but he's confident it can make a difference.

"We need to take better pride in our community and recognize excellence," he says. "Institutions and companies are not sufficiently proactive on their own so this is important for all involved."

The head of the Royal Society of Canada (RSC), Canada's most prestigious academic body, says that while he welcomes EGRCRE, Canada could do even better if it had a properly funded national academy.

In a recent posting on its web site, RSC president Dr Graham Bell says the nations that do best capturing Nobel Prizes, Fields medals and Kyoto awards all have "influential and well-funded national academies".

"National academies provide unparalleled opportunities for networking at the highest levels. It's difficult to make the most of these opportunities, however, when a national academy receives no government funding whatsoever and relies instead on the subscriptions of members," writes Bell, adding that nations such as the UK, US, Germany and Japan recognize and respect intellectual achievement at the highest level. "We cannot yet boast that the same is true in Canada; which is why determined efforts must be made to secure a greater degree of international recognition for Canadian science."

Bell says the struggle to advance RSC's programs and prestige is part and parcel of the efforts to advance Canada's culture of science and scholarship.

"The distrust of elites, however well-intentioned, suppresses public approbation of the highest levels of intellectual achievement, reduces the incentives to excel, and in consequence reduces the status and influence of the national academy," he writes.

Bell says RSC is a "natural conduit for high-level nominations" and he is encouraging RSC fellows to support the EGRCRE initiative by helping to identify candidates for international awards.

Deliberations of the canvassing committee, all records, material and information pertaining to the committee or obtained by committee members, are confidential.

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