Canada’s research ecosystem makes recommendations ahead of the upcoming federal budget, part 2

On August 7, the deadline closed for submissions to the pre-budget consultations process ahead of the 2021 federal budget, and Canadian organizations have been publishing their recommendations and suggestions. Here are selected highlights from the submissions by members of Canada’s innovation ecosystem, with more to come as they are made public.

1. The Stem Cell Network (SCN) is asking for stable, long-term funding at the levels required to drive globally competitive research for Canada's health research ecosystem, to further enable the stem cell research community to develop Made in Canada solutions that would benefit the whole economy. SCN wants the federal government to make good on the 2018 federal Economic Strategies Table Report, which recommended doubling the size of the health and biosciences sector. Canada has been a leader in stem cell research since the 1960s and is among the top three contributors to the field. The regenerative medicine market is projected to grow to US$77 billion in the next years; capturing just five percent of that market could represent over $5 billion in potential growth for Canada. SCN insists that developing a commercial-scale manufacturing sector must be a national objective, along with the training of highly qualified people and the standardization of therapy delivery practices.

2. Mitacs is seeking continued federal funding and proposes to enhance its current programming across five areas: 1) Increased access to internships by extending eligibility to recent college grads (a step that has already been taken during the pandemic); 2) Expanded delivery of its research-focused work-integrated learning program Mitacs Accelerate; 3) Extended discounts for SMEs to participate in Mitacs programs; 4) Aid for R&D workers displaced by the economic downturn; and 5) Business Strategy Internships for business, marketing and law students with host companies. Pointing out that "the COVID-19 crisis threatens to undo important, long-term, and recent investments made to improve our innovation performance and reduce the widening productivity gap between Canada and peer nations," Mitacs argues that "Canada must fully leverage its world-class education and research ecosystem" and "ensure that PSE students and graduates today avoid becoming a lost generation."

3. The number one recommendation from Evidence for Democracy (E4D) is to increase funding and expand the mandate for the Office of the Chief Science Advisor, whose term is set to expire in September 2020, with no announcements to protect the position. Since 2017, Canada's first CSA Dr. Mona Nemer has implemented Scientific Integrity Policies, a youth council, and a

roadmap for open science. Her office has also taken a leadership role in the pandemic, by assembling a multidisciplinary expert panel to advise on the science of COVID-19, leading the development of the CANCovid research network, calling on scientific publishers to open access to COVID-19 publications, and working with the Departmental Science Advisors. E4D also recommends the federal government to further its investments in science literacy and digital citizenship; open access to government science and data; support fundamental science through continued investment in the granting councils and scientific trainees; and provide more funding for agencies collecting critical data on COVID-19.

4. In its pre-budget submission, Technation (formerly ITAC) focused on the failure of government procurement to reach tech startups, who "do not bid for the more than $6.8 billion spent annually on technology projects, because processes are too long, costly, complex, and onerous for their business." Technation argues that the COVID-19 crisis compels the government to pursue rapid digital transformation, and this requirement provides an opportunity to stimulate the economy while adopting agile solutions to challenges related to supply chains, public service delivery, cyber security, and the need to capture and leverage data. Technation estimates that every 1% increase in digital adoption could have a $2.5 billion impact on the economy. They propose reforming ICT procurement and adopting a national Innovation Adoption Program as a pillar of the recovery plan. One key component of the plan would be to use Technation's new national TECH2GOV Digital Marketplace for tech procurement.

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