Research funding outlined in new 2007 federal budget

Ottawa, ON – The federal government released its budget for 2007 today, which earmarks $1.3 billion for what the government calls “an ambitious new direction in science and technology”.

Proposed funding includes:

– $350 million over 2006-07 and the next two years to support Centres of Excellence in Commercialization and Research.

– $510 million to support the Canada Foundation for Innovation to undertake another major competition before 2010.

– $120 million to CANARIE for a next-generation research broadband network. CANARIE is a not-for-profit corporation that manages CA*net, a research broadband network that links Canadian universities, research hospitals as well as other science facilities in other countries. This money will allow CANARIE to maintain the CA*net network for the next five years and to develop the next generation CA*net5.

– $85 million a year through the federal granting councils for research targeted on key priorities: health sciences, energy, the environment, information and communications technologies and management, business and finance.

– Providing $10 million over the next two years to the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research to help Canadian students and researchers participate in and lead groundbreaking research on the international stage.

– Providing $6 million in 2008-09 towards the relocation of Natural Resources Canadas CANMET Materials Technology Laboratory to the McMaster Innovation Park in Hamilton.

– Providing an additional $15 million per year to cover the indirect costs of research, including the operating and maintenance of research facilities.

– $100 million for Genome Canada.

– $30 million to the Rick Hansen Man in Motion Foundation for spinal cord research.

– $11 million over two years to accelerate the creation of new business-led Networks of Centres of Excellence.

The budget also outlines a new proposed National Water Strategy, which will include $39 million for fisheries science research programs to strengthen management and conservation, and $324 million over 10 years to the Canadian Coast Guard for six new large vessels to support its role in fisheries science and enforcement.

The strategy also includes close to $50 million to support clean-up of various lakes and to advance water pollution prevention, surveillance and enforcement along coastal areas.