Budget 2019
Canada’s research and innovation ecosystem has benefited from recent historic investments that ACCRU, like the vast majority of players in higher education and research, has warmly welcomed. In this submission, ACCRU wishes to highlight some dimensions of Canada’s training and research ecosystem for consideration in Budget 2018 that have tremendous potential for the country’s competitiveness.
Support the next generation in acquiring the skills required by the knowledge economy by providing Canada’s granting councils (SSHRC, CIHR and NSERC) with a budget to award or enhance Undergraduate Student Research Awards in all disciplines; and by providing MITACS with the necessary budget to open its Accelerate internships to applications from undergraduate students who are currently excluded from the program.
Stimulate innovation and growth across Canada by strengthening diversity, equity, and inclusion by providing financial incentives and enhancing the federal government’s requirements for equity, diversity and inclusion in the distribution of Canadian granting Councils’ (SSHRC, CIHR, and NSERC) award budgets to include, among the target groups, faculty and students and trainees working in small- and medium-sized institutions or located in regions or communities outside major Canadian urban centres.
Strengthen university research environments by increasing the amounts allocated to the Research Support Fund program to align with the Naylor Report.