Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
I was certainly happy to hear about the universal broadband fund because, in my own community, the regional municipality used those funds to put a fibre optic backbone throughout the entire region. That made access to fibre optic broadband a lot more palatable in terms of pricing, because the suppliers of the last mile didn't need to put the backbone in—but I digress.
In the 2024-25 estimates, the National Research Council is requesting a total of about $1.6 million. I see that its responsibility includes science innovation, which, according to the departmental plan, comprises scientific and technological knowledge advancement, innovative business growth and evidence-based solutions to inform government decisions. What are the priority research areas for this year, and can you expand on the NRC's progress in those areas?
I ask Mr. Kennedy to direct that to whoever is appropriate.