Report warns Canada's science infrastructure lacks coordination, misses opportunities

A lack of federal coordination is preventing Canada's world-class science capabilities from being used effectively, according to a new expert panel report.

The report, released Tuesday by the Council of Canadian Academies, highlights the absence of strategic planning in how Canada's research infrastructure is governed.

"We're muddling through at best," said Janet King, a former associate deputy minister who chaired the expert panel. "We're not aiming for success."

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The government-commissioned report notes that while Canada enjoys a strong reputation for high-quality research, it lacks a guiding vision to ensure that performance translates into meaningful impact.

The cost is a research ecosystem that is difficult to harness for national priorities and that misses out on beneficial international collaborations, the report says.

It covers federal investments in science larger than those for a single lab, such as major facilities like the Canadian Light Source in Saskatchewan or Ocean Networks Canada in B.C., as well as mobile facilities and digital infrastructure.

The panel found the current system is fragmented and often dependent on funding focused on specific, short-term projects.

This has created a situation where scientific opportunities can be missed, particularly when Canada is in the running for large international projects.

For example, despite decades of involvement by Canadian scientists, Canada did not join the Square Kilometer Array, a large international radio astronomy project, until April 2024, more than two years after construction began.

The report states that "stronger national-level co-ordination and a central authority to guide planning" is needed to optimize Canada's research enterprise.

This is not the first time Ottawa has received such a message. Similar calls were made in a 2017 review led by former University of Toronto president David Naylor and a 2023 report from an advisory panel chaired by Frederic Bouchard of the University of Montreal.

In 2024, the Canada Foundation for Innovation was directed to develop a new framework for running Canada's major research facilities, but the government has yet to approve or make it public more than two years later.

"One would hope that, at least, can go through soon and be a prototype for other things that are needed," said Art McDonald, a professor emeritus at Queen's University and Nobel laureate.

McDonald said even if a new framework is adopted for large facilities, it will not be enough to address the need for a broader strategy covering the full range of federally supported science.

Federal Industry Minister Mélanie Joly, who oversees a large portion of research funding, told The Globe and Mail she has been briefed on recommendations for an overarching co-ordinating body.

But she added that she is more preoccupied with the need to tie research efforts into economic development. "In Canada we have an issue with commercialization. We need to address that," Joly said.

King said more federal co-ordination would aid commercialization by ensuring the output of Canadian science is relevant and competitive.

"Science is changing," she added. "Canada needs to be extremely deliberate, bold and assertive in succeeding in this current global environment."

With files from The Globe and Mail