CAUT calls on federal government to safeguard scientific research

CAUT has written an open letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper urging him to increase funding for Canada’s research granting councils by matching, proportionally, what the Obama administration is investing in the American granting councils.

“We've been hearing from members across the country who are very concerned that the budget didn’t provide new funding for Canada's granting councils,” says CAUT executive director James Turk.

Buried in January’s federal budget was the announcement that granting councils will see a funding cut of $147.9 million over the next three years through “streamlining operations” and “aligning programs” with government priorities.

Meanwhile, the Obama administration has pledged $11.5 billion in new research funding for the American granting councils – the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation.

“We’d like to see our government match that proportionally with an injection of at least $1 billion to the granting councils for research,” said Turk.

The letter also calls on the government to let researchers, not politicians, decide where research funding should be spent. The 2009 budget specifies that new money directed at SSHRC scholarships “be focused on business-related degrees,” and also stipulates that the bulk of infrastructure money given to the Canadian Foundation for Innovation is for future priority projects identified by the Minister of Industry (in “consultation” with the Foundation).

CAUT representatives will be pressing the government to take action in a meeting with Gary Goodyear, the Minister of Science and Technology, on February 25, and, in the meantime, is calling on faculty associations across the country to raise their concerns with their local members of parliament.

Elaine S. Berman, M.A.
Administrative Officer
Queen's University Faculty Association
9 St. Lawrence Avenue
Kingston, ON K7L 3N6

2009.02.25