Canada Delivers Its Science Budget. (February 28, 2008)

Canada's Conservative minority government led by Stephen Harper has brought down a science budget in keeping with its promise to target  the best and the brightest in designated areas rather than spread funding across the nation's scientific activity.

The 2008-2009 budget has set aside funding for 20 scientific superstars from within Canada and abroad. Each recipient is to receive CAD$10 million apiece over 7 years.

According to ScienceNow: "Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said that the government hopes the new program, called the Canada Research Chairs Program, will attract some of the world's 'keenest minds' to migrate to Canadian universities. They will fill slots in the four disciplines designated as priorities in the government's May 2007 science blueprint: the environment, natural resources and energy, health, and information and communication technologies."

Just who, research councils or government departments will vet the applications hasn't been disclosed. "It's still possible that the councils will run the program, but Industry Canada wants a say. None of this has been determined yet," said an official at a background briefing on the budget.

The three Canadian granting councils (The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, The Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council) will receive increases of about 5% (CAD$34 million, to CAD$709 million, CAD$34 million to CAD$733 million and CAD$12 million, to CAD$249 million respectively).

However, the monies come with strings attached; each is "directed" to spend the new cash in select areas. "The government has made it clear that they want this money to support the kind of research that should be supported," says one official. "And the councils will have to answer to the Treasury Board if they don't."

In addition the government intends to attract 500 of "the best doctoral students from here and around the world to study in Canada" each year who will be eligible for CAD$50,000 per year for up to 3 years.

ScienceNow also reports: "Among other research measures was a CAD$15 million increase, to CAD$330 million, in the annual allocation to universities to cover the indirect costs of research; a CAD$140 million outlay for new competitions at Genome Canada, including "a major collaborative international genomics project"; and the creation of new international study stipends of up to CAD$6000 for 250 graduate students to spend a semester at universities abroad."