Science and Research Committee on Sept. 22nd, 2026

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

Thank you.

With that, we will now proceed to Mr. Daigneault, acting vice-president for research, creation and planning.

Please go ahead. You will have five minutes for your opening remarks.

[Réal Daigneault, Acting Vice-President for Research, Creation and Planning, Université du Québec]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I would like to thank the committee for this invitation and for the work it does to support research in Canada, particularly research in French.

I also want to acknowledge the quality of the work accomplished by the external advisory panel on the creation and dissemination of scientific information in French. The diversity and expertise of its members, as well as the rigour of its approach, give it a lot of weight.

The Université du Québec is one of the country's main research centres with 10 institutions, 100,000 students and a presence in nearly 40 municipalities across the province. One of the hallmarks of our research is its proximity to small and medium-sized businesses, municipalities, schools, health institutions and community organizations. Its research is high-level, rooted in the needs of society and conducted in a fully francophone environment.

This is a very real issue for us. It is easier for francophone businesses, municipalities, schools and health institutions to take ownership of the research when it is conducted, disseminated and centralized in French. Therefore, the language of science has an impact on the environments' ability to use this knowledge.

The advisory panel's report reveals some important findings.

First, research in French is not a peripheral identity issue; it is a matter of substantive equality, a vector of economic prosperity and a strategic value for Canada.

Second, the barriers are systemic. The question is no longer whether these barriers exist, but how to remove them.

Scientific recognition mainly follows paths where English is predominantly used, and these paths also influence the allocation of resources. These mechanisms produce a well-known cumulative and concentration effect known as the Matthew effect: the more resources an institution has, the more it can recruit talent, develop infrastructure and increase its visibility. This recognition then makes it easier to receive new funding, and the cycle continues.

This high concentration doesn't necessarily translate into a net gain for Canada. It mainly serves to strengthen the same clusters, while the diversity of fields and perspectives also contributes to the country's scientific wealth. In the Canadian context, this dynamic comes at the expense of francophone institutions and their ability to develop research rooted in the realities of more than 20% of the population.

The data reveals that this dynamic has been ongoing. In the early 2000s, francophone universities received about 20% of the federal funding allocated to Canadian universities. Today, it is less than 15%. It is a serious slide: in 25 years, their share has decreased by about a quarter and is now well below the demographic weight of francophones.

Obviously, this decline in funding is not a reflection of a scientific talent deficit. It reveals instead an issue with the circumstances that allow this talent to develop, be recognized and be funded.

Recent investments also show that this trend won't be automatically reversed. The Eddie Goldenberg research chairs of Canada program will provide approximately $1 billion. In its first cohort, only eight of the 64 research chairs were awarded to francophone institutions. If the mechanisms remain unchanged, new investments will continue to strengthen primarily institutions that already have the best staff.

Therefore, we support several of the measures proposed by the advisory panel, including better federal coordination of research in French and increased support for partnership-based research. However, after a 25 year slide, we believe a foundational change in resource allocation is needed.

Consequently, the Université du Québec recommends that 25% of federal funding of academic research be reserved for francophone institutions. This target uses the demographic weight of francophones as a reference point, while incorporating a catch-up logic, as a number of people have talked about this morning. This target does not call into question scientific excellence or peer review. Its purpose is to ensure the means to develop it are provided in an equitable way.

Why only fund institutions rather than individuals or publications? Because that's where real research capacity in French is being built: researchers, support services, graduate and postgraduate programs, scientific life and partnerships with communities that work in French.

It's also a matter of equity for the next generation of francophones. Francophone students must attend institutions with strong research capacity to have the same opportunities to learn about research and pursue graduate studies.

Substantive equality is not just about—

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

Can you quickly wrap up in the next 15 seconds?

[Réal Daigneault]

Okay.

In conclusion, we believe the federal government should adopt the proposed measure of reserving 25% of federal funding of academic research for francophone institutions.

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

Thank you.

Thanks to all the witnesses for their opening remarks.

We will now begin our first round of questioning with MP Godin.

Please go ahead. You have six minutes.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you to the witnesses. We regularly meet some of them at the Standing Committee on Official Languages. It's a pleasure to see them here. They were probably surprised to see me here.

First, I have some questions for Mr. Normand, from the Association des collèges et universités de la francophonie canadienne.

Mr. Normand, I can hear your optimism and enthusiasm. This is a good report and the panel did a good job.

You also talked about artificial intelligence. While I think it's a hot potato we're avoiding, it's also a very important factor to take into consideration for the future of the French language.

How does this report give you the tools to ensure the French language is more widely disseminated, which would then feed the beast that is AI?

Can you shed some light on the report, on your enthusiasm and on AI?

[Martin Normand]

Absolutely.

As I said in my opening statement, AI could certainly be one of the francophone missions the new investment in research in French could support. There's no question. Francophone communities are currently thinking about these specific AI needs. At the same time, some of our network institutions are creating research centres that could receive equivalent support to meet those needs.

The report takes us a step further regarding the consideration that must be given to the substantive equality of official languages in all federal institutions that have scientific or data production responsibilities, and not just the granting councils.

After the publication of the “AI for All” strategy a few months ago, we quickly noticed that substantive equality seems to be the blind spot in that strategy, and this blind spot needs to be corrected very quickly. This strategy has already led to investments, but we don't always see how francophone communities will benefit fairly from new AI investments.

As far as the normative aspect of this report is concerned, we need to think about how to properly use the new funds set out in such a strategy to support research in French, increase its impact on communities and build confidence in AI tools in French.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

You understand that the more content you put into an AI tool, the more it automatically disseminates it. This means we have to feed the beast. How will your members contribute to that?

[Martin Normand]

Many of our members are developing AI research centres, whether for applied or basic research.

The efforts everyone is making to develop new tools and innovative solutions for businesses is one thing, but AI research investment must also allow these tools to explore existing information in French, and not just provide for equivalent performance in French, as the AI strategy does. I don't believe an equivalent performance in French compared to AI tools developed in English is substantive equality.

It is in this sense that the investments and strategies being deployed and based on the normative findings in this report must also lead us to an equivalent development of AI strategies in French.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Should parameters be set to require equity and equality between French and English?

[Martin Normand]

Absolutely. The Official Languages Act calls for these principles. We agree on that.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

We agree.

Since we're talking about the Official Languages Act, I'll turn to Ms. Roy, from the FCFA. We had a chance to work together. I like it when you say that we need to put words into action. We're hearing here today that the report is positive and wonderful, but we want action.

From a socio-economic standpoint, how will the dissemination of the French factor and research in French help official language minority communities? Is there a positive impact? Is there interest? In the socio-political context, is this a good opportunity for us?

[Liane Roy]

Absolutely. I think the quick answer to your question is access to evidence. Data needs to be disclosed and communicated so research, in particular, can continue. You talked about the Official Languages Act. We need conclusive data to participate in the consultations that are now required by the new Official Languages Act. Evidence is also important, because that's where we can find elements of substantive equality in everything related to public policy. However, we have to develop these public policies based on the information we can gather.

That's not currently the case. There's a big gap in terms of access to evidence. We see it in our communities. It's very difficult to give advice or participate in consultations without that data.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

What I understand is that disseminating research in French is a tool for economic development in official language minority communities.

[Liane Roy]

Absolutely.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

In terms of the data, is it estimated or listed data?

[Liane Roy]

It's both.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

That was a nod to the work we did at the Standing Committee on Official Languages.

I'm going to turn to Mr. Daigneault, from the Université du Québec.

Mr. Daigneault, do you have anything to add quickly? You praise the report and recommend that we go further and implement the recommendations. Is there anything missing in this report?

[Réal Daigneault]

I couldn't answer that question, actually. Instead, I'll focus on something that I would say hasn't been considered so far, in terms of the language of institutions, which becomes a vector for really doing research, training—

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

Time is up, so can you quickly wind up?

Thank you. We will come back in the second round.

We will now proceed to MP Eyolfson for six minutes.

Please go ahead.

[Doug Eyolfson, Liberal, Winnipeg West, MB]

Merci to all the guests who have come. My French is.... I'm learning, but I'm not yet at the level where I can competently use it in these meetings.

Mr. Gagnon, you were talking about the valuable contribution of the Université du Québec and the amount of research and the number of publications in the French language that are coming out of it. It sounds like this is a very good initiative and a very good resource for promoting the French language in science and research.

In general, when it comes to policy and education, of course, these are provincial matters. In this respect, Quebec is not the issue because Quebec is, of course, promoting science and research publications in French. How would you recommend that the federal government work with the other provinces to help ensure that their universities will also increase the amount of research and the number of publications that they produce in French?

[Ghyslain Gagnon, Senior Consultant in Strategic Research Development, Université du Québec]

Thank you very much for the question.

I would say that one of the very strategic initiatives, which we discussed in the first hour, is the Service d'aide à la recherche en français, which is currently supported by Acfas. This service helps researchers who do research in French outside Quebec write grant applications in French and offers to revise them. This is a very important measure.

Also, the evaluation criteria should continue to include the impact on society and communities.

[Réal Daigneault]

If I have time, of course, I would add that research in French is a process. It doesn't just involve publications or grant applications. It's a process that includes training the next generation, establishing relations with the communities, and passing on knowledge to the communities, the contributors and the sector in general. When it comes to publications, we are ultimately achieving one of the objectives whether those publications are in French or in English.

What's important is the entire process that organizes research, such as training students and understanding the issues and needs of the communities. Basically, it has to lead to research projects and research results that are usable and transferable and that the various sectors can understand.

Scientific publication is a vector. Of course, it's not the only one.

[Doug Eyolfson, Liberal, Winnipeg West, MB]

Thank you for that. I agree with you completely.

What I'm trying to get at is how we can best work with the provinces. As you know, we sometimes get push-back from the provinces if the federal government tries to encourage things under their jurisdiction. How can we help facilitate these things in provinces that would claim we're stepping on their jurisdictional toes?

How can we do in other provinces what you're doing in Quebec, depending on which provinces might not have the same interest at the provincial level in doing this? How do we work with them to further expand these initiatives throughout universities in Canada?

[Ghyslain Gagnon]

There is one area where the federal government has control, and that's in the way funding is allotted to the three granting agencies, in addition to the Canada Foundation for Innovation and the Canada Research Chairs. The main measure we recommend is that a 25% share of federal research funding be allotted to francophone universities, including those outside Quebec.

When francophone universities, including those outside Quebec, receive their fair share of federal funds for research, research in French at those universities will increase, and that momentum will lead to more projects and more research.

This is one of the direct and tangible ways in which we can improve the situation without encroaching on areas of provincial jurisdiction.