Thank you.
Good morning.
I am pleased to be here with you. I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you from Canadian researchers to this committee.
Your work has enabled the historic investment in research and graduate students that was announced yesterday, so thank you.
Canada's universities play an integral role in our national research ecosystem, supporting the development of highly skilled talent, the production of new ideas and technologies, and the transfer of new knowledge and innovations to industry and everyday life.
Canada's research-intensive universities, including Dalhousie, are foundational contributors to the pan-Canadian research and innovation ecosystem. We not only cultivate academic excellence and robust collaboration but also act as vital connectors between academia, industry and the international knowledge community.
Research funding from the federal government is awarded to researchers across post-secondary institutions through a competitive, impartial granting process. These funds support research and talent development at institutions large and small across the country. Research-intensive universities act as research hubs, housing crucial research infrastructure, such as labs and highly specialized equipment, that supports critical research initiatives. By facilitating the development of robust research networks, we ensure Canada's prominent position in global innovation and research, while also enhancing domestic capacity.
A larger proportion of funding flows to larger universities, in part because of the higher number of professors, the availability of critical infrastructure and equipment, and the access to talent through graduate and post-graduate programs. The combination of specialized infrastructure and research-focused programming creates the conditions for research intensiveness. As a research hub, Dalhousie University has research projects that involve researchers and students across multiple institutions and organizations locally and globally.
I'd like to highlight two examples of significant Dalhousie-led research initiatives that, through collaborations with other institutions, industry and communities, contribute to Canada's economic well-being.
The “transforming climate action: addressing the missing ocean” project, TCA, serves as a standout illustration of how the Canada first research excellence fund, CFREF, underpins significant research initiatives by leveraging institutional capabilities.
Supported by a $154-million grant through CFREF, the TCA activates a total investment of nearly $400 million in cash and in-kind contributions. The TCA research program is a collaborative effort involving more than 170 researchers from diverse academic disciplines, institutions, provinces and languages.
This endeavour, led by Dalhousie University, in collaboration with the Université du Québec à Rimouski, Université Laval and Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, showcases the strategic use of CFREF to foster a world-leading research network. The project focuses on the ocean's critical climate role, leveraging extensive collaborations with indigenous communities, government, industry and international partners.
I'd also like to speak about the common ground Canada network project. Funded by a $2-million SSHRC network on sustainable agriculture grant, this initiative brings together social scientists to share, grow and apply knowledge about the relationships necessary to transition Canada's agriculture and food systems to net zero. It enables multidisciplinary engagement to ensure that the costs and benefits of net-zero transition are equitably shared.
The network is led by Dalhousie and includes 49 academics and 22 not-for-profit organizations. Our partners are Carleton, Lakehead and Wilfred Laurier universities, and the universities of Victoria, Alberta and British Columbia.
I'll close by noting that research is a resource-intensive enterprise. It requires ongoing investment in people, infrastructure, robust academic programming that supports a steady pipeline of learners at the graduate and post-graduate level, as well as technical and operational expertise to manage unique facilities and processes. Canada's larger research-intensive universities are particularly well positioned to lead major research initiatives and to act as research hubs, engaging many collaborators from other institutions.
Thank you.