Royal Society paper says Canada must match OECD's average research intensity

Canada needs to boost its research investment to the OECD average to maintain and enhance its global competitiveness, according to a new position paper published by the Royal Society of Canada. The paper — the first in a series planned for the next few years — also calls for the government to develop a 10-year plan for research, innovation and skills development, as well as making greater use of academic societies which are currently underutilized. Unlike other developed nations, Canadian academies receive no government funding.

Entitled Driving Growth Through Research: The importance of research for Canada's future in the world knowledge economy, the paper is aimed at informing elected officials and comes at the height of the pre-Budget cycle. It contains advice in 10 areas where Canada can do better and includes citations for all its assertions.

For Canada to pull even with the OECD in research investment, Canada would need to boost its spending from $30.7 billion in 2012 to $43.6 billion — a $12.9-billion, 42% increase. Even over 10 years, an increase of that magnitude would put a strain on the personnel available to conduct the additional research, acknowledges Dr Graham Bell, RSC's president, professor and chair of the biology department at McGill Univ and the position paper's author.

"Personnel might be a problem. Canada has a low rate of PhD training so we would have to expand our PhD programs at the same time, which will be difficult under the current circumstances," says Bell. "Other countries have already done this. Canada needs to make better use of the PhDs we do have and create better research opportunities."

One RSC initiative that addresses the skills shortage is the College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists. Launched last year, the College brings together younger researchers who have obtained their PhDs within the last 15 years. There will be more than 500 college members within seven years who Bell says represent huge potential for Canada going forward.

Stable, long-term funding is another recommendation — a perennial call at odds with four-year electoral cycles. Bell says the issue remains a top concern in the research community.

"The biggest obstacle to researchers is that funding is uncertain. Even if a researcher has a five-year grant, there's a strong possibility that you won't be refunded. CIHR (Canadian Institutes of Health Research) is a particularly bad example," he says. "We're losing a lot of our research capacity."

Bell argues that any serious research and innovation strategy requires technology foresight capability, a 10-year timeframe and ongoing consultation with the academic and business communities.

"Horizon scanning is essential for the early detection of risks and opportunities. Other countries have set up formal structures for foresight and the Royal Society could do it," says Bell.

The position paper also offers the services of the RSC and its member academies to assist government in enhancing national research and innovation. But without government funding, the RSC's ability to provide evidence-based advice is severely constrained.

"In order to maintain our prosperity we need to keep pace with new advances in understanding and new forces in society. A vigorous research program must be a core component of our national strategy ... We believe that a coherent long-term plan for expanding research investment is an essential factor in securing a prosperous future for Canadians." — RSC Position Paper

"We're not pushing for it as this government would not fund it," he says. "But the fact remains that Canada is the only major advanced democracy in the world where the national academy is not government funded. Money cannot flow from the CCA (Council of Canadian Academies) to the academies (and ) they have restricted independence."

RSC plans to release up to four position papers annually to make the case to decision makers on issues of interest or concern to researchers. Bell says the next two papers will focus on the role of science advice and higher education in Canada.

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