Modest increase in federal S&T spending boosts total to $11.7 billion: StatsCan

Federal spending on S&T managed to stay slightly ahead of inflation in FY10-11 with a 3.5% increase to $11.7 billion while R&D enjoyed a similar increase (3.3%) to $7.4 billion, according to the latest data from Statistics Canada. Natural Resources Canada experienced the largest funding increase of all departments and agencies with the commencement of the Clean Energy Fund program, boosting both its R&D and related scientific activities (RSA) by 29% .

The three research granting agencies didn't fare nearly as well, with their budgets essentially flat lined for the past four years. The impact of new, high profile research chairs and fellowship programs have been offset by program review-related cuts. The the granting councils received a total of $2.7 billion in FY10-11 — the same as the previous year. That includes $322 million for the indirect costs of university research which flows through the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

The Canada Foundation for Innovation received $473 million in FY10-11, up from $382 million the previous year and the highest amount in the past five years.

Federal funding for the National Research Council was $767 million, up 6.8% from FY09-10 but well off the high of $840 million in FY07-08. (Contract revenue pushes NRC's overall budget closer to $1 billion).

Of the $11.7 billion total, $5.9 billion will be spent within federal departments and agencies, while a nearly equal amount ($5.8 billion) will be directed to other sectors — higher education, ($3.2 billion), business ($1.1 billion), private non-profit organizations ($454 million), provincial and municipal governments ($481 million), foreign performers ($560 million) and other performers ($53 million).

Of the $7.4 billion devoted to R&D, $6.4 billion or 86.4% went to activities in the natural sciences, while the social sciences received $1 billion or 13.6%.

The largest amounts of funding directed to business were directed through Industry Canada ($299 million), the National Research Council ($183 million), the Canadian Space Agency ($174 million) and National Defence ($130 million).

Federal intramural expenditures totalled $5.8 billion in FY10-11, up $280 million or 5% from the previous years. Of that amount, $3.2 billion or 54% was devoted to RSA, with data collection accounting for $2 billion. R&D received $2.7 billion or 46%. of the total (up 4.5% from the previous year), with $2.2 billion used for current expenditures. The remainder was used for administration of extramural programs ($337 million) and capital expenditures ($180 million).

Total federal personnel engaged in S&T activities increased by 1.7% to 39,182. The number of federal scientific and professional personnel devoted to S&T activities exceeded 18,000 for the first time, with modest increases for R&D (6,682), RSA (10,278), administration of extramural R&D programs (874) and administration of extramural RSA (193).

Technical S&T personnel was up slightly to 9,280, while those categorized as ‘Other' inched up to 11,874.

The number of personnel devoted to R&D was flat at 16,896. That includes 7,557 scientific and professional staff, 4,887 engaged in technical activities and 4,452 categorized as ‘Other'.

RSA totalled 22,287, with scientific and professional accounting for 10,471, technical accounting for 4,393, and 7.422 ‘Other'.

The National Capital Region accounted for 59.4% of all scientific and professional personnel in FY08-09, the last year for which a regional breakdown is available.

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