Thank you very much, Madam Chair.
I am very pleased to see you again and to be here tonight.
All things related to science and research in Canada have been close to my heart for some 40 years. I worked at McGill University for about 30 years and I have been the Chief Scientist of Quebec for about 10 years. Recently, I have also become the president of the International Network for Government Science Advice, which is an international network present in more than 30 countries.
Today, my remarks will focus on four themes: basic research, talent, scientific literacy, and the Canadian science and technology ecosystem.
The pandemic has demonstrated the importance of basic research. If we are to respond to the major challenges facing our society, whether it be pandemics, climate change, floods or cyber attacks, we need basic research. Where would we be today if we did not have mRNA vaccines? Some may think these vaccines were a bit expensive, but where would our economy and society be if we didn't have them?
These vaccines were developed through investments in basic research, investments that have been made for over 30 years. Investing in basic research always pays off, even if it sometimes takes a little time.
In Canada, the peak was 2% of GDP in 2001. In other words, 2% of Canada's GDP was invested in research and innovation. In 2017, it dropped to 1.67%. Since then, the total has risen a little. Indeed, in 2020, the peak was 1.84% of GDP. This means that we are trailing far behind the big leagues.
In 2019, the average for OECD countries was 2.5%. More than a dozen countries invest more than 3% of their GDP in research. Finland, a small country, has just announced that it will invest 4% of its GDP in research and innovation. Surely, Canada can do the same. What we see is that the gap is widening between Canada and several OECD countries. Canada is becoming less competitive internationally in terms of research and innovation.
I was part of the Fundamental Science Review Panel, the Naylor committee, created by the chair of the Standing Committee on Science and Research over five years ago. In the Naylor report, we recommended significant reinvestment in basic research across the three Canadian granting councils. This has been done to some extent, but not enough. It is now estimated that the shortfall is about $1.3 billion if we are to be internationally competitive. This is a significant shortfall.
The good news is that in the last federal budget, the government committed to supporting 1,000 more chairs to attract young researchers from around the world and, of course, Canadians. They are going to need research grants. This will put even more pressure on the whole network. Currently, about two out of ten grant applications are successful. This means that eight out of ten grant applications are rejected, because our granting councils don't have enough money.
Another very important issue is the workforce. There is a labour shortage across Canada, whether it's college or university level labour. We need to find ways to convince young people from Canada and from all over the world to come here to receive training in research and innovation.
As far as training grants are concerned, they are not competitive enough. Excellence grants are around $18,000 per year for a master's degree and $25,000 per year for a doctorate. This is half of what many European countries offer. It was a very competitive field before the pandemic, and it's going to be even more competitive after the pandemic.
I have worked in the mental health field. In my opinion, brains are grey gold. That's where Canada's future competition lies. We must have the best brains to be sure to create wealth through new products and social innovation. We need to promote all scientific careers and leave no one behind.
We have made good progress in this area, but more needs to be done. The development of scientific literacy, that is to say, providing training and imparting knowledge about research and science from primary school onwards, as well as at secondary school, college and university, is probably the best way—