The universal role of government science

By Ron Freedman

Commitments in the 2007 federal budget and S&T strategy potentially signal the start of a new era in how federal government science and technology (S&T) is managed. How the federal government's requirements for science and technology are fulfilled, and by whom, is a fair matter for discussion and debate. What is less debatable is the "why" of government S&T — why governments need science and technology in the first place. This is a good time to review the central mission — indeed the universal mission — of government S&T.

All advanced countries fund and perform substantial amounts of S&T. Some do more work within government whereas others finance more of their S&T requirements through contracts, grants or contributions to university, industry, or the private not-for-profit sector. Thus countries vary considerably in how they fulfill their S&T requirements.

What varies less is the universal role of government S&T. There are actually five central roles and they transcend individual departments or agencies. They are the bedrock roles of government science, not only in Canada, but in all developed countries.

1. Protect Society from Nature

The first universal role of federal S&T is to protect our society and social system (including the economy) from the forces of nature and the natural world. There is a romantic view that nature is our "friend" and that all society needs to do is to learn to live in harmony with nature. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Nature is trying its best to eradicate us, in a myriad of ways. Earthquakes, landslides, infectious diseases, diseases of aging, tainted food, severe weather, climate change, invasive species ... the list goes on.

The natural world that we inhabit is an ever-evolving and dangerous place. Society must be constantly on its guard to protect itself from perils new and old. Departments such as Health Canada, Natural Resources Canada (Earth Sciences Sector), Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Environment Canada (Meteorological Service), and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency are some of the federal organizations that fund and perform research that protects society and the economy from the forces of nature.

2. Protect Nature from Society

Humanity is no less malign than our natural foes. Left unchecked, social forces would quickly degrade the natural world that threatens, but also sustains us. There is ample evidence of the adverse impact of society on nature. As populations grow and humanity's environmental footprint spreads, there is an ever-increasing need to protect the natural world on which we depend for the necessities of life (air, water, food, etc.), from the excesses of humanity: oil spills, toxic chemicals, clear-cut logging, endocrine disruptors, habitat destruction, species-at-risk, over-fishing, air pollution, carbon dioxide emissions, and so forth.

Society is just as threatening to nature as nature is to society. Governments need the products of S&T — in particular knowledge and technology — to make decisions that will moderate society's impact on nature. Departments such as Environment Canada, DFO, Natural Resources Canada (Canadian Forest Service), Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and the Pest Management Review Agency, to name a few, are devoted to protecting the natural world from society's excesses, so that our planet remains habitable.

3. Protect Society from Society

Paradoxical as it first sounds, one of the major threats to our society and economy comes from society itself — ours and other countries'. Crime, war, and (more recently) terrorism are permanent features of all civilizations. Moreover, as societies become more complex and inter-dependent, no society can completely insulate itself from adverse conditions in far-away places.

Departments and agencies such as Defence Research and Development Canada, RCMP, Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada, Transport Canada, CSIS, and others maintain a scientific and technical vigil against internal and external threats to society.

4. Develop Nature

Federally-performed and funded S&T is not just focussed on protecting society. To a considerable degree, it is working to develop or exploit the natural world for the benefit of society. Natural Resources Canada (Minerals and Metals Sector, Energy Sector, CFS), Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and others concentrate on exploiting our natural endowment. The granting councils support work that may ultimately exploit nature (e.g. gas hydrates) and its forces (e.g. quantum computing) for society's gain. DFO is working to develop our marine resources in a sustainable way.

The National Research Council explores how to exploit the forces of nature (physics, chemistry, biology, engineering, nanoscience, etc.) for economic opportunity. The Canadian Space Agency develops space for earth observation and communication, and carries on a program of scientific discovery about the forces of nature at work in space. The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research fund science, engineering and health research that will lead to new knowledge, new technologies, new treatments and cures that will enhance the economy. Industry Canada develops regulations to manage the electromagnetic spectrum.

5. Develop Society

A considerable amount of federal S&T aims to develop society and the economy; the institutions, practices, laws, history, mythology, and other forms of social knowledge that contribute to a vibrant society and culture. Research on law reform, corrections, economics and business, psychology, history, literature, and much else, enrich society and strengthen business and the economy. In the forefront are organizations such as the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, Canadian Museum of Civilization, and others who fund and perform S&T activities that develop society.

The federal government is right to challenge the status quo and explore alternative ways to meet its requirements for science and technology in the future — the "how" of federal S&T. In so doing, it will want to bear in mind the universal missions of government-funded and government-performed S&T, and to adopt the improvements that make sense.

Ron Freedman is a partner with The Impact Group and co-publisher of RE$EARCH MONEY. ron@impactg.com.