Release of the Report of the Standing Committee on Finances (FINA)
Use this link to view the report of the FINA committee, released after the budget consultations of the Fall 2017.
http://www.ourcommons.ca/DocumentViewer/en/42-1/FINA/report-21/
Recommendation 50
Use the Fundamental Science Review (the Naylor Report) as a framework for long-term support of science and research. In particular, the government should invest in investigator-led research, the Canadian Foundation for Innovation, applied sciences research institutions, as well as in agricultural research. The government should also expand access to the Canadian Graduate Scholarship program.
Call to action: Budget 2018
Read our latest Call to action to encourage increases tri-council investments in Budget 2018:
Budget 2018
The Minister of Finance, Bill Morneau, has launched a new consultation for the 2018 budget, which is currently being drafted. We encourage you strongly to participate in this initiative, to convince the government that science funding can’t wait.
Consultation website:
Read our latest advocacy reports
CAN-Advocacy-Report-SfN-2017-09_final
CAN-Final-Advocacy-Report-SfN-2016-2017-FINAL-2
#SupportTheReport
Visit the SupportTheReport.ca website to find resources and calls to action to support the implementation of the Naylor Report.
CAN participates in Canada’s Standing Committee on Finance pre-budget consultations
CAN representatives and members participated in the pre-budget consultations of Canada’s Standing Committee on Finance (FINA) in Montreal and Toronto on October 18th and 20th 2017.
CAN advocacy officer Jason Tetro, CAN member Melanie Woodin, and CAN Chief Operating Officer Julie Poupart all made statements to the committee, which can be viewed here: CAN participates in Canada’s Standing Committee on Finance pre-budget consultations
Canada’s Fundamental Science Review
Have you read the Naylor report yet? It is available on the sciencereview.ca website. We will work, with partners, to ensure it is implemented in policy.
#SummerOfScienceCAN
A step-by-step guide for researchers connecting with Members of Parliament, by the Association of Canadian Early Career Health Researchers
Read it here: http://www.acechr.ca/summerofsciencecan.html
Plan a visit to your MP to talk to them about the importance of implementing the Naylor report.
Canada-wide Brain Research Strategy Development
Canada needs a national brain research strategy, which could be implemented with additional government funding, in order to drive transformative outcomes in neurological and mental health for Canadians.
A presentation of the Canadian Brain Research Strategy (CBRS) was made at CAN2017 by Lynn Raymond and Yves DeKoninck, partnered with presentations from the Neurological Health Charities Canada (NHCC), the Canadian College of Neuropyschopharmacology (CCNP), and Brain Canada.
View the CBRS fact sheet here (PDF)
We are seeking feedback from the community on this proposal.
The CBRS website has been launched: http://www.canadianbrain.ca/
View the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/canadianbrain
March for Science, April 22 2017
The Canadian Association for Neuroscience is proud to endorse the March for Science, which is a call to support and safeguard the scientific community, and to reaffirm that science is a non-partisan, fact based endeavour that benefits the whole of humanity. (read our full statement here: March for Science, April 22 2017 )
CAN Presenting Canadian Neuroscience to MPs in Ottawa in February 2017!
CAN participated in a Neuroscience luncheon, organised with Research Canada for the Health research caucus on Parliament Hill on February 13th 2017. During this event, Beverley Orser and Charles Bourque delivered lectures to showcase great examples of how investment in basic research can and does lead to improved treatment strategies.
View a short report about the event here (with link to pictures)
View the event flyer: Neuroscience Research in Canada luncheon. Sponsorship opportunities are available for this event – reach out to us if your institution would like to participate.
If you would like to inform your Member of Parliament about our event, you can
Use this tool to find your MP.
Read our statement from January 31st 2017:
Science as a uniting global force: A statement by the Canadian Association for Neuroscience
Letter from January 4th 2017
Dear CAN Members,
The federal budget for 2017 is being finalized right now. We encourage you to send an email to Prime Minister Trudeau and Finance Minister Bill Morneau to urge them to increase the CIHR budget. As you know, Project Grants are expected to have a 7-8% success rate unless the CIHR budget is significantly increased by the current government. It is very important to let the government know about the dire situation our labs are facing. These emails do matter! Please, send your letter and encourage your colleagues to do the same.
You can use this model letter that you can modify and send.
Please, send your email to these addresses:
Prime Minister’s) email:
The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau
justin.trudeau@parl.gc.ca
http://www.parl.gc.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/Justin-Trudeau(58733)
Finance minister’s email
The Honourable William Francis Morneau
Bill.Morneau@parl.gc.ca
http://www.parl.gc.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/Bill-Morneau(88992)
Please also consider signing the petition launched by the Canadian Society of Molecular Biosciences:
The double-double: Investment in scientific excellence and job creation
After the important investments into infrastructure and equipment we now encourage the federal government to take the third and most important next step: enable our researchers to use their equipment and facilities by providing them with the necessary operating funds. On behalf of Canadian scientists, we request a doubling of the budgets for open operating grants of CIHR and NSERC by the end of the first mandate of the Liberal government.
View the petition on the CSMB website, and add your name:
https://www.csmb-scbm.ca/advocacy/Petition.aspx
Happy New Year!
Katalin Toth, Chair of the CAN Advocacy Committee and
Freda Miller, President of the Canadian Association for Neuroscience.
