Laurentian University was thrilled to see that the latest federal budget contains the biggest investment in science and university research in Canadian history.
As interim president at Laurentian, I can tell you firsthand that recent investments we have seen have helped our university and our city take a giant leap forward.
Last summer, we announced that through the federal government’s Strategic Investment Fund, Laurentian received $21.07 million toward the $60-million Cliff Fielding Research, Innovation and Engineering building project.
This fall our students will enrich their learning experience because of this brand-new, state-of-the-art facility made possible by this investment with collaboration from the Province of Ontario.
In our new strategic plan, Laurentian has committed to build its fundamental research base, to influence worldwide audiences with our research and expertise in environmental stewardship of water and land, to being a global leader in mineral exploration research and education, and to be leaders in sustainable community development because of our contributions to social innovation and policy research.
Curiosity drives our research, but we need resources to deliver.
Laurentian leads the way this year among Canadian undergraduate universities in terms of research income. Much of that income comes from three main funding councils, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, Canadian Institutes of Health Research and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.
Grants awarded from these funding bodies, further builds capacity in research to assist with institutional costs of research. The recent federal budget builds and improves on the government’s investment in granting councils by providing an increase of $354.7 million each for the NSERC and the CIHR over the next five years, and $215.5 million for the SSHRC. An additional $231.3 over five years is targeted for the Research Support Fund – a critical program that assists universities with the institutional costs of research, such as facility costs and technology transfer supports.
Furthermore, Laurentian applauds the fact that granting councils will be required to increase collaboration among themselves, support for interdisciplinary research and diversity among funding recipients – including women, early-career researchers and other underrepresented groups.
Last fall, Laurentian welcomed Science Minister Kirsty Duncan as she announced more than $52 million in Canada Foundation for Innovation John R Evans Leaders Fund grants of which Laurentian researchers received more than $500,000. This new budget allocates $763 million for cutting-edge research infrastructure through the CFI over the next five years, reaching a stable base of ongoing funding at $462 million per year by 2023-24.
We believe this budget will help increase diversity in science and develop Canada’s next generation of research leaders. Much of this is due to the hard work of our Sudbury-area members of Parliament, Paul Lefebvre and Marc Serré.
The success Laurentian University has realized is due in large part to their advocacy and leadership.
Dr. Pierre Zundel
Interim President and Vice Chancellor
Laurentian University