Money was disbursed quickly, researchers stepped up, but some adjustments had to be made along the way. When the COVID-19 pandemic struck Canada in early 2020, the country’s major federal research funding agencies knew they would have a big role to play in the response, and they moved quickly to coordinate their efforts through the […]
policy
Why are Canada’s scientists getting political?
Erratic funding for basic research, coupled with concerns that science has fallen down the priority list for politicians, has contributed to a shift in researchers’ attitudes to lobbying. Just a few days into her job as Canada’s new science minister, Kirsty Duncan found herself receiving a hero’s welcome when she took to the stage at […]
Canada budget overlooks basic research
Small spending bumps for genomics and physics stand in stark contrast to the funding windfall across basic research in last year’s budget. What a difference a year makes. Canada’s 2019 budget, released on 19 March, includes modest increases for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government priorities including neuroscience and genomics research ― nothing like the historic five-year, […]
Researchers scramble to meet deadline for New Frontiers research fund
Final applications are due February 7, just weeks after inaugural competition was launched. While many Canadian academics were enjoying a bit of time off over the holidays, some early-career researchers were scrambling to put together applications for the New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF), the new funding program designed to support risky interdisciplinary research. Read more […]
Ontario doctors angry over government’s proposal for primary care
Primary care physicians reacted with shock and anger when they saw the Ontario government’s final arbitration position on primary care in the new Physician Service Agreement. The proposal, identical to the one under the previous Liberal government, would require more work for less pay from family doctors. The proposal is “devastating to practitioners’ morale and […]
Europe’s Nobel laureates step up warnings about Brexit’s effect on science
Leading scientists and mathematicians urge UK and European Union leaders to strike a deal on research amid stalling negotiations. Nobel-prizewinning scientists from across Europe have called on UK and European Union leaders to maintain the “closest possible cooperation” on science after Brexit, and warn that any barriers to research collaboration in the EU will be […]
How many doctors do we actually need?
In many parts of Canada, there is a shortage of doctors. The New Brunswick Medical Society, for example, says the province has 39 vacancies for family physicians and 50 new positions are needed to meet demand. In British Columbia, family medicine is in “crisis mode” with shortages across the province, says Dr. Shelley Ross, cochair of Doctors […]
Canadian scientists welcome new research integrity policy
The government says it will do more to protect federal scientists from political interference. The Canadian government has introduced a new model scientific integrity policy to protect its public sector scientists from political interference, and the country’s research community, including high-profile chemists, applaud the development. ‘The government is committed to science and evidence-based decision-making,’ said Canada’s science […]
Golden Rice is safe to eat, says FDA
Golden Rice, the staple food genetically designed to contain beta carotene, a precursor to vitamin A, has been judged safe to eat by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A letter from the FDA on May 24 stated that the agency had no further questions about the safety of the rice, originally developed to […]
Concern over future of science in Ontario
Province’s new premier cancels media subscriptions and revokes carbon tax. Scientists in Ontario, Canada’s most populated province, are concerned about the future of government science in the province following the election of Doug Ford as premier. Ford, brother of the late Toronto mayor Rob Ford, has a populist streak and has shown little interest in […]