Organized by: University of Toronto, Emina Veletanlic and Creso Sá, PhD Canada’s research enterprise crosses federal-provincial borders. Provincial and federal agencies together fund over 30% of R&D activities in higher education across the country (Statistics Canada, 2017). However, federal-provincial coordination in this area has been largely a “reactive” and “ad hoc activity without a clear organizational structure or mechanism to support it” (M. Tamtik in Science and Public Policy, 2016). This panel will clarify areas of stress as well as opportunities for improvement in policy coordination.
BACKGROUND:
Historically, the federal and provincial governments have both wielded significant influence on research and innovation funding, but intergovernmental cooperation has been described as weak. This has resulted in a patchwork of programs and co-matching requirements at different levels of governments targeting the same communities with incentives that have conceptual and structural similarities. Researchers navigate a complex system of funding streams, seeking opportunities to help shoulder the costs of research.
These issues are at the forefront in current policy debates. The 2016 Fundamental Science Review recognized that research supports are “an area where close cooperation and shared planning would make sense, but that is not what the Panel found” (p. 67). A recent Council of Canadian Academies report highlighted this coordination gap as “both a risk and opportunity”, particularly for provincial governments (Science Policy: Considerations for Subnational Governments, 2017). Although the expert committee cautions against the risks associated with weak policy implementation, there are significant benefits to be derived from a closer connection between provincial and federal programs—if successfully translated into practice.
In light of the creation of the Canada Research Coordinating Committee (CRCC) to harmonize activities horizontally across the main federal agencies, mechanisms for vertical coordination with the provinces and territories must also be examined.
FORMAT:
Our proposed panel will spark new thinking about the coordination challenge and means to overcome the vertical coordination gap that has been endemic in Canada. Our Panel will harness the collective thinking of our expert panel and the CSPC participants to address questions such as:
- How can past examples of federal-provincial initiatives inform the present?
- What are potential models for intergovernmental coordination?
- How can the federal research councils work with their provincial/territorial counterparts to avoid policy duplication and inconsistencies in research support programs?
- What could be some short- and long-term coordination targets? What is success?
The following Green Paper will be discussed: https://www.impactcentre.ca/research/a-delicate-balance/
