Ontario steps up to save the Experimental Lakes Area

This morning the Ontario government announced it will provide financial support to ensure the Environmental lakes Area is sustained for "long term operations".

The Experimental Lakes Area, which had continuous data on 58 protected lakes since the 60s, was one of several research funds cut in the federal budgets of 2012 (previously on this blog). The Area was previously funded through the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

The Globe & Mail reports the exact nature of the funding commitment remains unclear.

CBC story is here, quoting Ontario Premier Wynne saying: " I don't believe that either provincially, regionally, or nationally and internationally we can afford to let it go." (Hear hear!)

Learn more about the Experimental Lakes Area  on their site.

Enjoy Rick Mercer's rant about the original cuts here. "In the world of science, they are rock stars! ... [ELA scientists] up there living in tents and shacks, with their big bushy bears, eating mung beans out of mason jars, trying to figure out what different chemicals will do to our drinking water...". :)

The long reach of Budget 2012, and it's impact on Canadian research

Is there an aspect of Canadian research that is not impacted by the 2012 federal budget?

 

As implementation of the 2012 Federal budget begins, researchers across the country are raising the alarm about resulting cuts to a variety of research programs in Canada. Marine research, climate research, archaeology, archives, and the fund for purchasing scientific equipment are all subject to cuts. 

Researchers are calling the cuts a disaster for Canadian Science

Over the past few weeks I have attempted to collect information on cuts to research programs resulting from the 2012 federal budget. What follows is what I have found – please add to the list, if you know of more.

ARCTIC RESEARCH
37 northern research facilities have been cut due to cuts to the federal science research funding agency, NSERC. This article discusses cuts to arctic research, notably Kluane research station.

Ontario’s Experimental Lakes Area, famous work that removed phosphates from cleaners, will also face cuts.

Some scientists say budget cuts are causing dispersal of Canada's ice core library, but the government is contesting this.

[In case you, like me, are unaware of the ice cores, here is a description from the article:
The collection of ice-cores was drilled from ice caps and ice fields throughout the Canadian Arctic. It comprises more than 1,000 metres of ice cylinders documenting thousands of years of climate history. Most of the cores contain ice dating back to the end of the last glaciation, about 12,000 years ago, but some may contain ice up to 80,000 years old. The longest of the cores, extracted from the Agassiz ice cap on Ellesmere Island, is longer than 330 metres.

Cores are important sources of data on past climate change, because they can contain dust, gas bubbles and chemical isotopes that give clues as to atmospheric and temperature conditions when the ice was laid down. The resolution of the information is often sharper than that in other proxies, such as ocean sediments.]

I have heard from faculty that the ice cores are valued world wide, and cost a hefty amount to collect and set up storage -- money that will be wasted if they are indeed lost to budget cuts.

FUNDING FOR EQUIPMENT

I’ve also heard from people in the sciences that the NSERC fund Canadian scientists in universities use to purchase their equipment will end in one year -- meaning that right across the country, all labs will have to make due with whatever they have now and can obtain in the next twelve months.One casualty of this cut is the Neutron Beam Centre at the Chalk River Nuclear Plant and another is Canadian meteor research.

BAMFIELD RESEARCH STATION

Bamfield's world renowned marine research centre (near Tofino) is also facing drastic cuts. The Pacific Marine Analysis and Research Association (PacMARA) blog has attempted to catalogue cuts that will impact marine research, but says they are “surely incomplete”.

ARCHAEOLOGY

Parks Canada cuts are described as “draconian” by the Canadian Archaeological Association because of their on archaeological research. Archaeologist and blogger Tim Rast has catalogued cuts to archaeology here. In many cases, regional labs will see their artefacts transferred to central storage in Ottawa.

ARCHIVES

The sciences are not the only researchers feeling the pinch in this budget.

You may have heard archivists speaking out about cuts to an archival program that ensures support to small community archives, and development of online access to archives. UVIC’s archivist, Lara Wilson, joined an “Ottawa trek” of archivists modeled on Canada’s historic “On to Ottawa Trek”. The campaign, and the reasons our archives are important to more than historians, are featured in this CBC radio story. One estimate says the cuts could close 800 of Canada's smaller archives.

CAUT’s RESPONSE

CAUT has harshly criticised cuts to research in the recent federal budget, noting cuts to funds that make it possible for professors to take research time. CAUT raises concerns about government interference in research areas, funding “bricks and mortar” while cutting the programs that fund the use for these facilities. They also state they were told to “shut up” by the policy advisor to Gary Goodyear, Minister of State for Science and Technology, when they met to raise their concerns.

Federal budget consultations: making the case for grad students

The federal government is hosting budget consultations, and have a simple online form where citizens can submit their comments.


These consultations are a simple way to let the federal government know what you think of federal funding for graduate study and the role of graduate study in the economy.

 

Not sure what to say? Check out the following information sources... they spark a lot of ideas about the role of graduate school, and the impact it has on our society.

 

The Canadian Association for Graduate Studies has this letter to the Federal Government on how to better support graduate studies and Canada's low (2nd last by OECD ranking) investment in graduate education:

 

1. Investing in the granting councils
2. Investing in international grad students in Canada
3. Invest in innovative skills training for grad students and post docs
4. Invest in post docs.

The budget consultation is a venue for supporting this ideas.

 

Perhaps you are interested in your field of research and its role in the economy...

The OECD has all manner of statistics on the impact of education, research and development and how Canada's funding ranks compared to other OECD nations.

 

OECD study on education funding. (Tertiary education is post secondary education, but doesn't break down between a bachelors, masters and PhD).

The OECD database is searchable on many subjects, so you can search for data on our priorities in science and engineering, health, environment, business, education, and doctoral graduates, depending on your interest.

 

For example:

 

In 2011 Canada is below average in OECD for doctoral graduate rates (but is close to average at PhDs awarded to women: 44% of Canadian PhDs - OECD average is 46% -- Canada's rate hasn't changed since 2009, but OECD has gone from 43% to 46% average between 2009 and 2011):

 

 

Direct funding of Research and Development (2011 stats) includes this amazing chart, which shows how those R&D dollars are spent - are they going to defence or universities or health?

 

 

Here is Canada (2009) vs OECD breakdown (2008) by % of direct Research and Development spending:

  

• Defence: Canada 3.2% OECD 31.8%
• Health & Environment: Canada 22.7% OECD: 17.5%
• Economic Development: Canada 25.8% OECD 15%
• General University Funds: Canada 33.3% OECD 16.1%
• Non-oriented: Canada 7.7% OECD 11.3%
• Other Canada 7.3% OECD 8.4%

... but remember that Canada spends less than the OECD average (govt appropriations as % of GDP) on research and development:

 

Spending on R&D as % of GDP (2010): Canada .61% OECD average .75%