February 26, 1999
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The 1999 federal (research) budget
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Dr. Bill McBlain
associate vice-president, research
"The one time which I remember from my research career at the University of Alberta was a day in the late '90s when the federal government finally responded to our pleas for increased research funding so that we were able to."
Memories of select events stay with us for our lifetime. We remember a first day of school, or university, or work. We readily recall a special journey, birthday, or examination. For researchers in Canada, Feb. 16, 1999 will ultimately prove to have hosted just such an unforgettable event. Years from now, our researchers may not remember the exact date, but they will remember that just before the new millennium, the Canadian government demonstrated a carefully considered commitment to research and thereby affected the lives of all Canadians.
That may sound like exaggerated text, edited from Finance Minister Paul Martin's budget speech. However, consider the following facts taken from that budget:
- The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) have been created and have a budget of $65 million in 2000-01 and $175 million in 2001-02.
- Building on the initiative of the 1998 federal budget, more money will be provided to the three federal granting councils as follows:
- Medical Research Council (MRC): Additional $27.5 million per year for the next three years.
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC): Additional $32.5 million per year for the next three years ($7.5 million for health-related research).
- Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC): Additional $12.5 million for the next three years ($7.5 million for health-related research).
- The Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), established in the federal budget of 1997, will receive an additional $200 million.
- The Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCEs) will receive an additional
$30 million per year for the next three years with new networks to be added.
- Biotechnology research and development, including Canada's participation in genome research, will receive $55 million over the next three years.
- The National Research Council (NRC) will receive an additional $5 million and the National Health Research and Development Program (NHRDP) an additional $2.5 million per year for the next three years.
- Additional one-time endowments for 1998-99 will go to the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation (CHSRF) ($35 million) and the program, Nurses Using Research and Service Evaluations (NURSE) ($25 million to create a 10-year program), for research into the many facets of the delivery of health care.
- An investment of $60 million over the next three years will establish "Smart Cities" for demonstrations of the use of information and communications technologies. And, a further $60 million over the next five years will establish "GeoConnections" whereby Canadian geographic information will be made available on the World Wide Web for mapping, search and rescue, and studies of climate change. As well, the Canada Space Agency (CSA) will receive an additional $430 million over three years with a subsequent budget stabilization at $300 million per year.
These are all items relating specifically to the 1999 federal budget's support for research. Also important, of course, and complementary to the research support, was the announcement of the Canada Health and Social Transfer (CHST) funds to the provinces (a total of $11.5 billion over the next five years; this amount, even corrected for inflation and population growth and aging, should bring stability to this sector). Overall, this is a health and innovation budget and, hopefully, contains only the first steps in moving Canada towards the forefront of nations seeking pre-eminence in knowledge-based economies.
Why will University of Alberta researchers always remember this budget? The University of Alberta is potentially uniquely poised to be a major recipient of a well-deserved portion of the funding increases. This university had representation and direct input into the establishment of the CIHR. The U of A is ranked third in the country in NSERC and SSHRC funding and fifth for MRC support (second-ranked in the September 1998 MRC grant competition). We participate in all fourteen current NCEs and are headquarters for two of them. We have researchers working on aspects of the majority of the other initiatives listed above.
We will be able to benefit in a major way from this 1999 federal budget. It may be obvious our researchers will find more funding available to support their research. In turn, this will make the U of A more attractive when recruiting or retaining researchers (the so-called "brain-drain" may be inhibited). The achievement of the U of A potential pre-supposes the core operating budget will receive the needed support requested from the provincial government.
However, we are really going to have prepare quickly if we are to realize our full potential and take maximal advantage of the challenges and opportunities afforded by this budget. Don't worry - our planning process has begun!
