R&D spending by private non-profit organizations to hold steady in 2015

Canadian private non-profit organizations (PNPOs) are expected to perform $158 million in R&D in 2015, a 1.3% decline from an estimated $160 million in 2014. The amount includes intramural R&D spending ($146 million) and capital outlays of $12 million.

The federal and provincial governments provided $110 million or 70% of PNPO funding in 2105, followed by other Canadian PNPOs ($14 million/8.8%), business ($11 million/7%) and performing PNPOs themselves ($10 million/6.3%).

Protection and improvement of human health accounted for the lion's share of PNPO R&D — $127 million or 80.4% in 2013, the latest year for which data are available.

PNPOs employed 1,454 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees in 2013, with 659 classified as researchers. Technicians and technologists accounted for 499 FTEs while specialized workers and R&D-related administrative staff accounted for 296.

PNPO payments for R&D performed by other organizations totalled $332 million in 2013, up 4.4% in 2012. The majority was spent by other Canadian sources such as universities ($224 million), followed by governments ($71 million).

The Statistics Canada report covers only R&D expenditures carried out by the organizations themselves. The vast majority of R&D funds attributed to PNPOs are spent by others. For example, in 2013, PNPOs spent $144 million in-house but funded $1.1 billion in R&D expenditures (R$, December 6/13).

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