Universities furious over poor budget for basic research

Canada’s universities are furious that last week’s federal budget included no new funding for basic research, warning that the country is squandering its leadership in cutting-edge fields, writes David Reevely for the Calgary Herald.

“When it comes to investment in discovery research, the government is currently harvesting the success of previous research investment, harvesting the success of previous governments,” said Paul Davidson, the president of Universities Canada. “This government needs to pay attention to investing in young talent, new talent, attracting talent, retaining talent.” Instead, he said, he’s heard members calling this the “bupkis budget”. No additional money for research grants, no follow-through on 2021 election promises of funding for 1,000 more Canada Research Chairs and a CA$500 million (US$370 million) fund for student mental health.

Academic research is not something the federal government sees as a problem area. Last year’s federal budget, which focused explicitly on promoting innovation to spur economic growth, cited Canada’s basic research capacity as a strength.
Full report on the Calgary Herald site