Invitation to write to the Minister of Finances

We invite you to write to the Minister of Finances, the Honourable Chrystia Freeland, to remind her and her team of the importance of investing in scientific research as they work on the 2024 Canadian budget.

CAN has drafted a sample letter, you can dowload here: CAN letter to Freeland (more…)


Urgent appeal to recapitalize the Canada Brain Research Fund

We invite you to read a letter calling for urgent recapitalization of the Canada Brain Research Fund we recently sent to

The Honourable Ya’ara Saks, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions of Canada
The Honourable Mark Holland, Minister of Health of Canada
The Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Finances of Canada
The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada

Read the letter here: CAN-Brain-Canada-support-letter-2024


Read CAN’s submission to the 2024 Pre-budget consultations

Investing in science will create new jobs and build a greener, more competitive, more innovative, more inclusive, and more resilient Canada.

Read our main recommendations here:

(more…)


2023 CAN Parliament Hill Day

CAN held its second in-person Parliament Hill Day in Otttawa on November 7, 2023. This presented an exceptional opportunity for a team of CAN advocates to meet face-to-face or virtually with members of Parliament, Senators, Parliamentary staff members and important senior civil servants to advocate for a increased support for the major federal funding agencies in Canada (Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and graduate student and postdoctoral fellowships and for making research on Brain and Mental Health a national priority. (more…)


ThinkSci Outreach Program wins a CAN Advocacy Award

The Canadian Association for Neuroscience is proud to announce its support of the ThinkSci Outreach Program with a 2023 CAN Advocacy and Outreach award.

The “ThinkSci Outreach Program” is a workshop-based initiative organized and led by undergraduate and graduate students, with the goal of immersing high school seniors and 1st year CÉGEP students into the world of neurophysiology. Its long term goal is to reach local, regional and national underrepresented student communities in Canada. (more…)


Investing in science will benefit all Canadians.

CAN is sharing with you the brief we have submitted to the House of Commons Finance (FINA), which is currently holding its consultations in advance of federal budget 2024. – our three recommendations are

The Canadian Association for Neuroscience recommends the following:

Recommendation 1: That the government double the budgets of the three main federal funding agencies: Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) for the benefit of all Canadians. This recommendation aims to bring Canadian investment in scientific research to a level commensurate to that of other G7 countries.

Recommendation 2: That the government of Canada double support for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows by increasing both the value and number of fellowships awarded in the next budget. In conjunction with Recommendation 1, this recommendation will ensure our next generation of scientists have the means to participate fully in Canada’s knowledge economy.

Recommendation 3: That the government of Canada make research on the Brain and Mental Health a national priority by investing in research to understand the brain through well-established and trusted organizations in the field.

Read our full submission for the FINA pre-budget submission here: (more…)


Brief submitted to study on Government of Canada’s Graduate Scholarship and Post-Doctoral Fellowship Programs

Read the brief submitted by the Canadian Association for Neuroscience to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Science and Research study on “Government of Canada’s Graduate Scholarship and Post-Doctoral Fellowship Programs”.

Canada needs to stop the brain drain

 


Advocacy opportunities – June 2023

Please find below several opportunities to provide written submissions to various studies being undertaken at Committee’s in the House of Commons. Providing a written submission to a study is a great opportunity to build awareness for the important work you are doing, and the need for the government to continue investing in science and research. Submissions should be no more than 2,000 words, including footnotes, graphs, and images. While CAN provides written submissions on behalf of the organization to many of these studies, individual scientists and researchers are welcome to do the same. (more…)


CAN-ACN’s response to the 2023 budget

Response to the budget tabled March 28, 2023

The Canadian Association for Neuroscience joins its voice to the rest of the scientific community in expressing disappointment in the lack of support for science, research, and students in Budget 2023.

There are some questions left unanswered following this budget:

How can the government fail to recognize that fundamental research drives innovation and economic growth?

(more…)


Two Members of Parliament visit the Trudeau lab at Université de Montréal

Dr. Louis-Eric Trudeau, neuroscientist at the Université de Montréal and his research team hosted on April 4 two federal MPs, M. Yves-François Blanchet, leader of the Bloc Québécois, and M. Maxime Joncas-Blanchette MP for the Rimouski region and in charge of science issues at the Bloc. The goal was to discuss the funding of neuroscience and biomedical research in Quebec and in Canada and also the challenges of sharing research discoveries in French. Both expressed strong support for increased federal funding for research.

Lab visits are a great way to engage with elected officials and promote science in Canada – Congratulations Dr. Trudeau!