OTTAWA, April 16, 2024 – Federal Budget 2024, Budget 2024: Fairness for Every Generation, makes critical investments that will strengthen Canada’s health research and innovation ecosystem and ensure that graduate students and postdoctoral fellows are able to succeed and continue to advance innovative health research in Canada. This is an important move for the health and wellbeing of all Canadians and Research Canada and its Members look forward to working with the government on the proposed federal research funding governance changes and the Council on Science and Innovation.

“Research Canada is pleased to see the Government of Canada investing in the federal granting agencies and renewing its commitment to Canadian research and talent,” says Dr. Tarik Möröy, Chair of Research Canada, Professor at the Université de Montréal, and Director of the Hematopoiesis and Cancer Research Unit at the Montreal Clinical Research Institute (IRCM). “Today’s investments in health research and research talent will help bring forth the ground-breaking scientific discoveries that improve Canadians’ health and wellbeing, improve the efficiency of our health care system, and safeguard Canada’s position as an economically competitive country.”

Budget 2024 proposes:

• $1.8 billion over five years, starting in 2024-25, with $748.3 million per year ongoing to SSHRC, NSERC, and CIHR.
• $825 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, with $199.8 million per year ongoing to raise master’s and doctoral scholarships to $27,000 and $40,000, respectively, and post-doctoral fellowships to $70,000. The allotment will also help approximately 1,720 more graduate students or fellows each year under a new streamlined talent program.
• Budget 2024 proposes about $600 million for major research and science infrastructure investments.
• A new capstone research funding organization, under which the granting agencies will continue to support excellence in investigator-led research, to improve coordination across the federal research funding ecosystem.
• $30 million to support Indigenous researchers and their communities, with $10 million each for First Nation, Métis, and Inuit partners.
• A new advisory Council on Science and Innovation with leaders from across the academic, industry, and not-for-profit sectors, to help set priorities and increase impacts of these federal investments.

“Canada’s health and broader research and innovation ecosystem has pressed for investment to address our competitiveness, productivity, and ability to advance health innovations, retain talent, and proactively prepare for future pandemics and other health emergencies,” says Alison Evans, President and CEO of Research Canada. “While there is still much to be done, and the need to strengthen the inextricable links between health research and innovation and the health care system and outcomes for Canadians remains essential, the investments made today will go a long way to rectifying the dire situation our ecosystem has faced in recent years.”

Other measures announced that are important to the health and wellbeing of Canadians and the ability of Canada to attract and retain the best and brightest include:

• $10 million for the CIHR to support an endowment to increase prize values awarded by the Gairdner Foundation for excellence in health research.
• $80 million over coming years for Health Canada to support Brain Canada Foundation in its advancement of brain research.
• An industry-led pilot to attract, train, and deploy top talent across four key sectors including bio-manufacturing; clean technology; electric vehicle manufacturing; and microelectronics, including semiconductors.
• Reductions in regulatory burden, red tape and interprovincial trade barriers, and increases in regional economic development, and investments in Canadian start-ups and businesses.
• $4 million for the Public Health Agency of Canada to continue supporting initiatives through the Mental Health of Black Canadians Fund that aim to increase health equity and address mental health and its determinants for Black Canadians.

Research Canada looks forward to continuing to work with the Government of Canada to ensure that these and future investments support Canada’s health research and innovation ecosystem and the diverse research talent that are critical to achieving a healthier and more economically prosperous future for Canadians.

About Research Canada
Research Canada is a national alliance dedicated to increasing investments in health research and innovation through collaborative advocacy and engaging government, academia, industry and non-profit sectors to build support for long-term health research funding. For more information, visit rc-rc.ca.

 

For inquiries:
Christie Tomkins
Manager of Policy and Public Affairs
613-234-5129
ctomkins@rc-rc.ca