Granting councils boost funding 81% for environment since 2001; CFI tops $188.7M

By Debbie Lawes

The capacity of Canadian universities to conduct environmental research has experienced a major boost this decade, with unprecedented levels of infrastructure investments and an 81% increase in funding by the three major granting agencies, according to data prepared for RE$EARCH MONEY by the country's major research funders. Collectively, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) invested nearly $134 million on environment-related projects in 2005-06.

As expected, NSERC leads the pack on environmental research and training investments, awarding $114.2 million last year, about 14% of its overall budget and 72% more than in 2001-02. The largest increases over the past five years have gone to climate and atmospheric science and meteorology ($13.8M to $24.1M), water pollution ($9.7M to $16.6M), air pollution ($3.9M to $10.8M) and full cells and hydrogen ($2.9M to $8.3M).

Among the three granting councils, SSHRC is the second largest contributor to environmental research, with $15.7 million awarded last year, a 142% increase since the beginning of the decade. In 2005-06, the lion's share of environmental funding ($9.6M) went to projects directly related to the environment and sustainability. The largest percentage increase was seen in the area of climate change, where funding rose from only $62,180 in 2001-02 to nearly $2.7 million last year. The balance was awarded to environmental projects in the areas of forestry and silviculture ($2.5M) and energy and natural resources ($896K).

Although a minor player in this sector, CIHR reported the largest percentage increase since 2001, with spending for environmental research jumping from $987,000 to more than $4 million last year. During this period, funding for clean air research increased from $143,000 to nearly $1.5 million, food and water research went from zero for the first two years to $465,000 last year (it was $865,000 in 04-05), while funding for environmental toxicants grew from $408,000 to $2.1 million.

CFI & CHAIRS AWARDS

Since 2000, CFI has invested $188.8 million in 419 projects, most related to natural sciences and engineering (388 — $164.2M). During this period, CFI awarded $18.2 million for nine projects of a multidisciplinary nature, $6.1 million for 19 projects in the humanities and social sciences and $300,200 for three projects in the health sciences, all related to the environmental sector.

Figures provided by the granting councils include flow-through funding to the Canada Research Chairs (CRC) and the Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE). Broken out separately, CRC has awarded a total of 49 Tier 1 chairs and 57 Tier 2 chairs in fields related to the environment, for a total funding level of $97.1 million.

The NCE program has three networks that focus primarily on the environment, ArcticNet ($6.4M), Sustainable Forest Management Network ($4.1M) and the Canadian Water Network ($3.7M).

Ed. Note: More detailed data for each funding agency are available to our online subscribers at www.researchmoneyinc.com.

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CIHR Awards in the Environment Sector.doc

Canada Research Chairs (environmental).xls

Distribution of CFI Awards in Environment Sector by Area of Application.pdf

Distribution of CFI Awards in Environment Sector by Research Discipline.pdf

NSERC Funding on the Environment.DOC

SSHRC Spending on Enviornmental Research.xls