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The election of the Liberal government has sparked a much-needed revival of interest in Canadian science. Government scientists are now free to talk openly about their work, the position for a Chief Science Advisor has been created, and investments via the post-secondary institutions Strategic Investment Fund (SIF) and the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) will provide researchers with upgraded facilities and cutting-edge equipment. We applaud these initiatives, which represent two of the three necessary ingredients for increased research capacity in our country. But realization of the full potential of these investments is currently limited by the availability of operating funds, which are the resources required to carry out the actual research. We now encourage the federal government to take the third and most important next step: enable our researchers to use their new equipment and facilities by providing them with the necessary operating funds.

On behalf of Canadian scientists, we therefore request a doubling of the budgets for open operating grants of CIHR (Project and Foundation schemes) and NSERC (Discovery grants) by the end of the first mandate of the Liberal government. Supporting the open operating grants programs is the only way to efficiently foster high level research and scientific discovery across all areas. Typically, about 70% of an operating grant support the salaries of the creative minds that drive Canadian discovery and innovation, most notably the young and highly-qualified technicians, research assistants, graduate students, and post-doctoral fellows who represent the next generation of high-tech employees.

In 2017 we celebrate the 150th birthday of our country, and a history that is rich in scientific and engineering landmarks. Let’s ensure that Canada’s scientists have all the essential ingredients for their work: cutting-edge facilities and equipment as well as the operating funds necessary to carry out their research at internationally competitive levels. The investment we are requesting, beginning with the 2017 federal budget and sustained through to the end of the first Trudeau mandate will support discovery and applied research that will promote advances in healthcare, technology and industry. Doubling the open operating grant programs at CIHR and NSERC will create thousands of excellent jobs across the country, and will position Canada as a leading force of the knowledge economy at the global scale.

The double-double: Investment in scientific excellence and job creation

The election of the Liberal government has sparked a much-needed revival of interest in Canadian science. Government scientists are now free to talk openly about their work, the position for a Chief Science Advisor has been created, and investments via the post-secondary institutions Strategic Investment Fund (SIF) and the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) will provide researchers with upgraded facilities and cutting-edge equipment. We applaud these initiatives, which represent two of the three necessary ingredients for increased research capacity in our country. But realization of the full potential of these investments is currently limited by the availability of operating funds, which are the resources required to carry out the actual research. We now encourage the federal government to take the third and most important next step: enable our researchers to use their new equipment and facilities by providing them with the necessary operating funds.

On behalf of Canadian scientists, we therefore request a doubling of the budgets for open operating grants of CIHR (Project and Foundation schemes) and NSERC (Discovery grants) by the end of the first mandate of the Liberal government. Supporting the open operating grants programs is the only way to efficiently foster high level research and scientific discovery across all areas. Typically, about 70% of an operating grant support the salaries of the creative minds that drive Canadian discovery and innovation, most notably the young and highly-qualified technicians, research assistants, graduate students, and post-doctoral fellows who represent the next generation of high-tech employees.

In 2017 we celebrate the 150th birthday of our country, and a history that is rich in scientific and engineering landmarks. Let’s ensure that Canada’s scientists have all the essential ingredients for their work: cutting-edge facilities and equipment as well as the operating funds necessary to carry out their research at internationally competitive levels. The investment we are requesting, beginning with the 2017 federal budget and sustained through to the end of the first Trudeau mandate will support discovery and applied research that will promote advances in healthcare, technology and industry. Doubling the open operating grant programs at CIHR and NSERC will create thousands of excellent jobs across the country, and will position Canada as a leading force of the knowledge economy at the global scale.

Sign our petition for investment in scientific excellence and job creation by entering your name, affiliation and email address to the field below. Once you click submit, the following will happen:

  1. Your name and affiliation will appear in the list of signatories on the right hand side.

  2. The petition including your name, affiliation and email address will be sent to the following recipients after the petition closing day:

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Minister of Finance Bill Morneau, Minister of Science Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Health Jane Philpott, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Navdeep Singh Bains, Interim Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada Rona Ambrose, Leader of the New Democratic Party Thomas Mulcair and Leader of the Green Party of Canada Elizabeth May.

Thanks for your support.

The board of the CSMB

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