The Short Report - Sept. 22, 2021: Mintz report calls for tax reform, CSA starts procurement for LUNAR program, a new member of BIOTECanada, and more

ELECTION NEWS

Research Canada is holding a members-only webinar with Michelle McLean of Hill+Knowlton on September 23 to explore what another Liberal minority government will mean for Canada’s health research and innovation ecosystem. In a press release following Monday's federal election, Research Canada said its members would work "to engage newly elected Members of Parliament across the country to raise awareness and advocate for the health research and innovation ecosystem in Canada." – Research Canada

POST-SECONDARY FUNDING

Memorial University research teams have received combined funding of more than $1 million from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Canadian Medical Association Foundation to advance three health-related studies. A study on the impact of urban changes on health and equity led by Dr. Daniel Fuller received $918,000; a study on how physical rehabilitation impacts stroke recovery, led by Dr. Michelle Ploughman, has received $100,000; and a study that could shift the focus of the health system towards disease prevention rather than treatment led by Dr. Kris Aubrey-Bassler has received $150,000. – MUN

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) has renewed Technology Access Centre (TAC) funding for the Niagara College Research & Innovation division’s Canadian Food and Wine Institute Innovation Centre for another five years at $350,000 per year. The $1.75 million renewal grant is part of NSERC’s College and Community Innovation program. The program is investing more than $38 million in colleges, CEGEPs and polytechnics across the country, which will allow them to partner with local companies and community organizations by providing them with technological or process solutions, labs and equipment, and highly trained students ready to enter the workforce. – Niagara College

A new McGill University funding program may improve the chances of university innovations being implemented once they leave the classroom or laboratory. The McGill Innovation Fund will provide up to $100,000 in funding to selected spinoff companies possessing an active license agreement with McGill and funding packages of $50,000 and $25,000 to technologies that have been accepted as inventions by the Office of Innovations and Partnerships. Ten prizes will be awarded for a total pool of nearly $500,000. The fund will officially launch on Tuesday, Sept. 28. Registration details for launching event. – McGill

COLLABORATIONS

Glycomics research organization GlycoNet (Edmonton) has joined BIOTECanada as an academic member of its national biotech ecosystem, which includes multinational pharma and early-stage biotech companies, investors, academic institutions and drug discovery/development organizations. GlycoNet supports translational research, drug development, company formation and training of glyco-scientists and entrepreneurs in the field of glycomics, an evolving field that studies the role of sophisticated carbohydrates (glycans) in humans, animals, plants, bacteria and viruses. – GlycoNet

A collaboration between Vancouver-based regenerative medicine company RepliCel Life Sciences and the University of Victoria Centre for Biomedical Engineering will receive funding over the next three years from the Mitacs Accelerate program to continue their second stage of research optimizing therapeutic cell culture platforms. The first phase of the two-year RepliCel-UVic project was co-funded by RepliCel Life Sciences and a grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) under NSERC's Collaborative Research and Development program. This first phase of the project resulted in further development of a proprietary microcarrier technology which is now the subject of a U.S. patent application. – RepliCel

CMC Microsystems (Kingston) and Ottawa's Edgewater Wireless have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to advance the commercialization of technology that has application potential for the Internet of Things. CMC Microsystems is the manager of Canada's National Design Network (CNDN), a system of academic participants and companies developing innovations in micro-nanotechnologies that is recognized as a Major Research Facility, and which has been awarded funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) Major Science Initiatives (MSI) program. – CMC Microsystems

RELATED: CMC Microsystems pitches Ottawa on $120-million chip manufacturing plan amid global shortage

As the next step for its $250 million Lunar Exploration Accelerator Program (LEAP), the Canadian Space Agency has started a multi-level procurement process with an Invitation to Qualify notice that includes NASA's PRISM program. The invitation is open until Oct. 29, 2021. – SPACE Q

RELATED: Industry lauds long-awaited space strategy, but details on timelines and funding still needed

Meanwhile, Brampton-based space technology company MDA has been awarded a full contract from Mitsubishi Electric Corporation to provide a Laser Rangefinder (LRF) altimeter for Japan's Aerospace Exploration Agency, which is scheduled to launch in Japanese fiscal year 2024 and explore two moons of Mars. – MDA

REPORTS

Economists Jack Mintz and Philip Bezel have written a research paper for the University of Calgary's School of Public Policy Publications warning that Canada faces a decline in competitiveness due to an increasingly inefficient corporate tax. They argue for broad corporate tax reform to encourage investment and submit that while it may be politically popular to raise corporate taxes, lowering corporate tax rates may be needed to recover economic health post-pandemic. – University of Calgary SPP

The Battery Metals Association of Canada (BMAC) released a report entitled "Maximizing Canada's Battery Metals Sector" which assesses Canada's ability to build a "mines to mobility" supply chain to contribute to the rapidly growing battery metals industry. The report follows a virtual workshop held in March 2021 during which representatives from the Canadian battery supply chain addressed roadblocks to effectively participating in the global battery market and identified steps to overcome them. The report notes that Canada has an opportunity to lead in the battery metals market, but will need to establish a national battery metals industrial framework that recognizes the challenges and includes initiatives to address them. – BMAC

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