Thanks, Mary. I am a former researcher myself. I spent 25 years fighting for more diversity in the research system. Our government understands that equity and diversity go hand in hand with excellence. We want more women, indigenous people, people from minority backgrounds, and persons with disabilities in the research system.
That is why I brought back the university and college academic staff survey. It was cancelled by the previous government after being in existence since 1937. That gives us the data. Are women and men progressing through the ranks at the same rate? Are they making equal pay?
We've put in place new equity and diversity requirements for our Canada excellence research chairs and our Canada research chairs. For the excellence research chairs, it is $10 million over seven years. During the first rollout of the program under the previous government, not one woman was nominated. During the second rollout, one woman was nominated. Today, we have 27 Canada excellence research chairs, whom we are enormously proud of—one is winning an award today—but only one of them is a woman.