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Cash concerns for Canadian scientists : Nature News (this link works for people on Ryerson computers. Search under doi:10.1038/457646a for your local access.):
The Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), which invests in research infrastructure, won an additional Can$750 million. This allows the organization to add Can$150 million to its current Can$400-million funding round, and to launch at least one additional round before the end of 2010.
the research community is perplexed by the government’s decision to cut funding to Canada’s three federal granting councils. Over three years, the budgets of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council will be reduced by almost Can$148 million. “It’s an unfortunate consequence of getting poor advice or not listening to good advice,” says Aled Edwards…. He argues that the most efficient way to invest in research is through the funding councils, where peer review determines where the dollars are spent.
This is interesting. The CFI more directly controls which projects will get funded. SSHRC uses more scholarly peer review. My guess is that this is how Harper’s trying to control the research agenda, and remove it from academics. His government. People voted for him… at least voted enough for him to stay in power. So I’ve got nothing to say on that matter. However, I’ve submitted both CFI and SSHRC grant proposals for this upcoming year, and I have a sneaking suspicion that I now have a greater likelihood of one getting funded over the other, though that’s not to say that either of them will… just that the balance has changed.
