New cabinet, old fears, what does it mean for Canadian research and science?

On Nov. 20, the Trudeau government announced its new cabinet and House leadership appointees. Surprising many in the research community, the minister of science was eliminated, with the science portfolio being absorbed by the renamed ministry of Innovation, Science and Industry. What could this mean for the next generation of Canadian scientists and for the entire Canadian science community, and does it signal that the government has de-emphasized science? It is critical that science retains a place in the national conversation. The Harper government was notoriously complacent to science, evident from their dissolution of the national science adviser office, their focus on priority over discovery research, and the muzzling of government scientists. This began a surge of support and advocacy for science that included the Death of Evidence March in 2012 and the birth of science advocacy groups like Evidence for Democracy, as well as many promises to restore the place of science in policy by a campaigning Justin Trudeau in 2015. In their majority government, the Trudeau government named Kirsty Duncan as minister of science. Duncan’s achievements included significant work to unmuzzle government scientists, commissioning a fundamental science review (FSR), and establishing the office of chief science adviser. The FSR report released in 2017 breathed renewed life into science advocacy, and many scientists, including young researchers, aligned with this report to champion the reinvigoration of federal support for research. Accordingly, significant strides were made on governance, oversight, and advice for Canadian science, as well as for federal funding of science and investment into federal laboratory infrastructure in budgets 2018 and 2019. The appointment of Dr. Mona Nemer as Canada’s chief science adviser in 2017 was particularly acclaimed, with her office developing a scientific integrity policy and establishing a growing network of departmental science advisors with members at Health Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada, the Canadian Space Agency, the National Research Council, and Natural Resources Canada. Recent signals from the government suggest that they believe they have completed their work on strengthening support for fundamental research to support new discoveries and have achieved the goals of their science vision. The investments of 2018 and 2019, however, paled in comparison to the recommended increase from the fundamental science review, and the Canadian vision for science must look further ahead. Canada is still behind on funding federal research, and we are playing catch-up after years of inattention. The science portfolio needs continued attention to address these ongoing issues. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mona Nemer, Canada's government's new chief scientist, pictured Sept. 26, 2017, on the Hill. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade However, Duncan’s mandate was split in two last year, to include sport and persons with disabilities alongside her portfolio for science. The recent 2019 elections featured much less public acknowledgement of science and research from the candidates compared to 2015, despite the mobilization of researchers and science advocates, including via a pan-Canadian #VoteScience campaign. Today, the dedicated position of minister of science is no longer. In this new cabinet, it would appear no one is in charge. So, what can we expect moving forward? First, and foremost, the public support for science and research must continue. Science and research touches all parts of our society and are critical to addressing grand challenges in climate change, in public health and social issues, and for new technologies like AI. This will hopefully be reflected in the new Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Industry given that research is the engine of innovation, not only through discovery but also by providing advanced training across all sectors and helping to foster international collaborations and expand Canada’s influence worldwide. Perhaps the shuffle of the previous ministers of science and of health into leadership positions in the House (Duncan is now deputy House leader and Petitpas Taylor is deputy whip) will also mean gaining champions for science at the centre of the new government. Second, a key priority for the new government should be to ensure the perennity of the chief science adviser position. The greatest impact of such a position is seen in the long term, and this impact is limited by the ease at which the position can be dissolved. Indeed, Nemer’s role has the potential to become more instrumental than ever in the coming years, to help keep science at the forefront of decision-making even during changes in government. It will also be important to ensure that both the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Industry and the Chief Science Adviser’s Office have the resources to take on the task of overseeing science, in the absence of a dedicated minister of science. Expanding the mandate of the chief science adviser as a strong figure for science at the heart of the government could further lessen the effect of losing the minister of science and strengthen the position of science in government. The role of the new, but yet-unnamed Council on Science and Innovation in this landscape also remains to be seen. Finally, Canada needs to support its research ecosystem to keep it healthy and thriving. This means following through on the commitments made in the 2018 and 2019 federal budgets, as well as further investing in research to the level of international leaders. As recently noted by Nobel Laureate Donna Strickland, “Canada should be spending a bigger portion of our GDP on science and research. The economy of the future is going to be explored using science.” At last count, Canada’s investment in research and development stood at 1.6 per cent of our GDP, while the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) average was 2.4 per cent. This investment must also include support for graduate students and post-doctoral researchers, who make up the largest portion of the workforce in academic research. As highly qualified personnel at the start of their careers, which extend beyond the lab into all sectors of the Canadian economy, the next generation of Canadian leaders are valuable assets that are greatly affected by the decisions made by the Government on support for science. Broadly, getting both governance and strategy for research right, with sustainable funding, will be key. The scientific community at large has become more engaged than ever, and both the current and next generation of scientists are looking forward to the upcoming mandate letters and the Speech From the Throne. They will continue to hold the government accountable to science and to the future of Canadian innovation; after all, great science drives Canada’s present and its future. Sam Garnett is a co-president of Science & Policy Exchange, and is currently finishing a PhD in the Department of Biology at McGill University. Tina Gruosso is an internal director on the board of directors of Science & Policy Exchange, and a member of the Global Young Academy. The Hill Times

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New cabinet, old fears, what does it mean for Canadian research and science?

The science portfolio needs continued attention to address these ongoing issues.

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