Organization: Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council

The Short Report – July 22, 2020: Alberta university research leans on fossil fuel industry, patent filings go up during COVID-19, and more

INVESTING IN INNOVATION Alberta Innovates announced over $3 million in funding for 17 successful projects in its Digital Innovation in Clean Energy (DICE) program. These projects will develop and bring technology to market that creates jobs in the digital economy, improves the efficiency of energy production, reduces GHG emissions and contributes to environmental innovations in water…

The Short Report – June 3, 2020: SSHRC and NSERC announce new grant winners; ScaleAI supporting 10 university chairs; DND launches COVID-19 challenges; and more…

The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council awarded $75 million to more than 1,600 researchers from over 60 universities across Canada. More than $60 million will go for partnership projects and $14 million will support 160 postdoctoral researchers. Out of the total number of recipients, 760 (56%) self-identify as women, 48 (4%) as Indigenous, 158…

The Short Report – May 27, 2020: DMZ and Ryerson Futures merge; Canadian psychedelic research gets boost; CFI launches $25-million competition; progress on a homegrown COVID-19 vaccine; and more

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council has awarded $76 million for 128 new applied research projects at colleges, cégeps and polytechnics. Funded through the tri-agency College and Community Innovation Program and the College-Industry Innovation Fund from the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the investments will connect colleges with local companies, particularly small- and medium-sized enterprises, to collaborate on projects that further…

Canada’s next industrial strategy needs to focus on business innovation

By Bert van den Berg The New North Star II report should be lauded for suggesting the creation of a national, challenge-driven industrial strategy.  As others have noted, such a strategy would represent an important change for Canada. Past decades have seen a laissez-faire approach focused on ensuring favourable business conditions … an approach that…

The Short Report, April 28, 2020: Alarming drop in donations for health charities; Health Canada approves COVID-19 clinical trial; and more

Health charities are seeing an “alarming” drop in donations, which they warn will compromise the health of Canadians living with chronic disease. HealthPartners, a collaboration of 16 Canadian charities, released the findings in its report, The Impact of COVID-19 on our Most Vulnerable Canadians. In response to declining donations, the report says health charities have…

New federal strategy aims to ensure Indigenous governance of research

Canada’s Tri-Council of major government funding agencies and Indigenous partners across the country have co-developed a new Indigenous research strategic plan. The plan, which proposes a new interdisciplinary research and research screening model, represents a significant new approach by the federal government and a contribution to reconciliation. With implementation starting this spring, the strategy aims to ensure Indigenous peoples lead and control any research involving them.

The Short Report, June 19, 2019 – Research chairs, cybersecurity, Strategic Innovation Fund

Science and Sports minister Kirsty Duncan has announced over $275 million for 346 new and renewed Canada Research Chairs at 52 institutions across Canada. It was the most gender diverse competition yet: 47% women, 22% visible minorities, 5% persons with disabilities, and 4% Indigenous peoples. The Canada Foundation for Innovation is contributing another $5.2 million…