CIHR increases share of federal funding for biotechnology: Statistics Canada

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is the main beneficiary of increases in federal investment in biotechnology S&T, increasing more than 20% between FY06-07 and FY07-08, according to the latest data from Statistics Canada. Increased funding to CIHR far outstripped the overall increase in federal biotech spending which rose 4.6% in the same period.

CIHR's support of biotech research in higher education institutions helped push that sector to an all-time high of $528 million in FY07-08, up 9.9% from the previous year. That's in contrast to intramural biotech S&T spending, which dropped 5.3% to $263.0 million. Federal funding directed to the business sector decreased even more substantially from $24.5 million in FY06-07 to $15.4 million in FY07-08, a drop of 37.1%. Funding of foreign and other performers (defined as Canadian non-profit institutions, provincial and municipal governments) experienced modest increases of 5.3% and 0.3% respectively.

R&D accounted for 95% of all biotech S&T spending for a total of $874.4 million.

Among line departments, Health Canada experienced a substantial decline in R&D funding, from $8 million in FY05-06 to $4.9 million in FY07-08. That was largely due to the emergence of the Public Health Agency of Canada, which went from zero in FY03-04 to $4.9 million in FY07-08.

National Defence also experienced a significant decline in R&D funding from $15.1 million in FY06-07 to $7.8 million in FY07-08.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) held steady at $64.2 million in FY07-08, down slightly from $67.1 million the previous year. Fisheries and Oceans Canada also held steady at $3.1 million.

Among the granting councils, the majority of biotech R&D expenditures were allocated through CIHR. But the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council also accounted for a substantial amount. It increased from $62.2 million in FY06-07 to $70.6 million in FY07-08.

S&T personnel

A total of 2,112 personnel were employed in biotech S&T activities in FY07-08, up from 1,929 in FY06-07. The National Research Council was the single largest employer of biotech S&T personnel with 712, followed by AAFC with 552.

CIHR employed 189 personnel, closely followed by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency with 182.

Of total personnel, 826 were classified as scientific and professional, while 862 were classified as technical. Other personnel numbered 424.

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