Canadians support increased public funding for science and research: EKOS poll

Nearly three quarters of Canadians believe that more money should be spent to strengthen the nation’s science and research capacity, with most making a positive connection between science capacity and our standard of living and quality of life. The federal government is viewed as a critical partner in strengthening capacity but it gets low marks for its role in helping universities attract and retain quality students and researchers.

The findings are part of a wide-ranging poll conducted by Ottawa’s EKOS Research Associates Inc. EKOS conducted 2001 interviews with Canadians in September, generating results with a margin of error of +/- 2.2%, 19 times out of 20. The resulting report — obtained by RE$EARCH MONEY — will be released in the coming months. But the findings have already been the subject of a roundtable of senior decisions makers and policy to gauge reaction.

“The public seems to feel we should invest more in science and research,” says Derek Jansen, EKOS VP syndicated products. “We hope to follow up in the spring and track some of the data and cover new areas.”

WARM AND FUZZY

The poll found that respondents had a warm and fuzzy feeling about science, although their knowledge is largely superficial and most find it difficult to understand. They also have little comprehension for how much the federal government actually spends, with just 12% choosing the right funding range ($1.1-10 billion).

But a majority of Canadians appear eager to learn more about science and research, and most generally hold favourable impressions, both in terms of the need to engage in such activities and the benefits flowing from them. The survey found that 84% of respondents agree that Canada needs to invest more in scientific research, with solid majorities agreeing that scientific discoveries and advances will help to solve problems like pollution and disease, and use natural resources sustainably.

The survey sought views on specific areas of science such as genomics, health, environment and food safety, as well as trust levels for information sources, various institutions and individuals and government versus private sector research facilities. The latter area showed that 58% of Canadians have more confidence in information from a government-run institution, compared to just 36% for a privately owned research facility.

At the same time, slightly more than half of respondents think the federal government should be an equal partner in science and research funding along with provinces, universities and the private sector.

More than three quarters of respondents were supportive of federal funding to universities to assist them in the commercialization of research, additional funding for university research facilities and more student scholarships.

In terms of spending allocation, 58% of respondents think the highest priority should be health sciences, followed by environmental sciences (23%), engineering and natural sciences (11%) and social sciences and humanities (7%).

The issue of brain drain elicited a response that is at odds with the accepted reality that Canada has transformed itself into a magnet for research talent.

“Findings suggest that this message is not getting through,” states the report. “More than eight in ten feel at least somewhat concerned ... that skilled Canadians are leaving Canada for higher paying jobs in the US.”

For genomics, the survey found that residents from British Columbia and Ontario are more aware with this area of science, and a majority of Canadians are supportive of work in the field. Support for genomics tends to increase with age and income and education levels.

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