President Hamdullahpur, U15, herald new research funding - February 2014

Thank you for the introduction.

Minister Rickford, Chancellor Wilson, MP Adler, colleagues and friends:

As vice-chair of the U15, Canada’s national association of research-intensive universities, and on behalf of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC) I am delighted to thank Minister Rickford and the Government of Canada for their visionary investments in research excellence.

Canada First Research Excellence (CFRE) Fund

The Government of Canada, the U15, and AUCC all know that post-secondary education and research are key to Canada’s economic and social future, and to sustaining Canada’s world-renowned economic advantage.

The research support announced today, as part of Economic Action Plan 2014, is an investment in the research, technologies, and commercialization opportunities of today and tomorrow.

The Government of Canada’s investment of $1.5 billion dollars over ten years into the new Canada First Research Excellence Fund is dramatic and decisive.

As my colleague Amit Chakma, chair of the U15 commented when the news of the investment was announced: This will enable Canada’s universities to make new discoveries, and mobilize them for the benefit of all Canadians.

Paul Davidson, CEO of the AUCC and I completely agree.

Minister, your government’s investment in the Canada First Research Excellence Fund deepens and broadens Canada’s capacity for innovation, further strengthening Canada’s global economic advantage. And it will indeed help enable Canadian post-secondary research institutions to leverage their key strengths into world-leading capabilities.

I am delighted to sound the U15’s acknowledgement and appreciation for this visionary undertaking — and to note that the support does not end there.

Tri-Council and Other Strategic Investments

As Minister Rickford has identified, Economic Action Plan 2014 does even more to make broad-based university research a key economic priority for Canada.

It does this in a number of ways:

  • by investing $46 million dollars of new money for the Tri-Council granting agencies;
  • by investing $224 million dollars in TRIUMF – Canada’s national laboratory for particle and nuclear physics
  • by investing $8 million for Mitacs Industrial R&D fellowships.
  • and by investing $15 million over three years for the Institute of Quantum Computing (IQC) at my own University of Waterloo.

Diversity and differentiation

IQC, as we refer to it, located at the Mike & Ophelia Lazaridis Quantum-Nano Centre at the University of Waterloo, is one of the world’s largest concentrations of quantum information research. Innovations developed there have the potential to disrupt whole industries and revolutionize computing capacity and security in our lifetime.

Waterloo’s leadership in quantum science research, as well as in key areas such as nanotechnology and water research, are no accident. Just as our peer institutions across the U15 make their mark in their own unique ways.

While Canada’s universities seek strong support and research investment from our government partners, so do our partners expect hard work, and high-value results from us.

In fact, partly due to these new investments, as well as to a strong policy environment in our provinces, Canada’s post-secondary research sector is primed for success.

The Government of Canada’s commitment to keeping our country on the leading edge of research and innovation - coupled with provincial governments’ commitment to diversity and differentiation among their respective university systems - provides a strong and strategic basis for continued research excellence in Canada.

Today marks the culmination of much work and much dialogue, as you know so well, Minister Rickford.

Since 2013, Canada’s research-intensive universities, through the U15, have been engaging with our government partners to find ways to ensure Canada continues to reap the benefits of world-class research excellence, and build a stronger, more innovative country.

Today those mutual efforts have been realized, dramatically increasing Canada’s capacity for research and innovation.

Broader educational efforts

I would also like to mention, if I may, that today’s announcement builds on a number of recent Government of Canada announcements and achievements pertaining to education.

In recent months, the federal government’s International Education Strategy, Canada’s Space Policy, and the First Nations Control of First Nations Education Act have all been developed and announced.

Taken together these announcements represent the Government of Canada’s recognition that education is absolutely critical to our nation’s prosperity and wellbeing.

That is a sentiment firmly held and shared by the U15.

Conclusion

Both as an essential source of social and economic opportunity here at home, and as an instrument of the national interest in a rapidly globalizing world, education and research are central to Canada’s competitiveness and success.

On behalf of the U15 group of Canada’s research intensive universities, and in partnership with the AUCC, I thank the Government of Canada for the announcements made today, and look forward to the partnership and work that lies ahead.

Thank you.