Science and Research committee  Just as an observation, I think the more that you can connect knowledge.... The knowledge mobilization in both official languages is very effective. Enhancing the connections between researchers who work in English and who work in French means that there's a greater appreciation of the connections between what they do, and those synergies do pay off, so I think—

Science and Research committee  I don't believe there's anything specific to that effect.

Science and Research committee  I'm not aware of any commitment to do so.

Science and Research committee  Certainly. We could do that. I will say that we have provided support to Acfas activities, but with respect to that specific initiative, I don't have that information.

Science and Research committee  I don't think we've looked at specific measures in that regard. I think we've focused a lot on the range of issues around ensuring equitable review. We generally don't, except through the grants that are provided through the councils, fund publication in either official language, so we don't normally have such a policy.

Science and Research committee  When it comes to the data, I think our colleagues at NSERC and SSHRC would be well positioned to provide it. I don't know if you have the full time series of data, but they would be well placed to provide that. The ministry itself doesn't actually hold that information. It would be with the councils.

Science and Research committee  You did say "in free fall"?

Science and Research committee  I don't understand what that means.

Science and Research committee  I'm sorry, I haven't seen those figures and I'm not familiar with this.

Science and Research committee  I have some statistics here that I could give you, if I can find them. I don't know whether Ms. La Traverse might have some of her own.

Science and Research committee  I think so. I find that the average success rate for applications in French is approximately equal or even better, in some cases, than the rate for applications in English. It depends on the number of applications submitted in the two languages.

Science and Research committee  If I may, I am going to answer in English, because it will be easier for me. I apologize. Sometimes, it is a bit difficult for me to manage in French on certain subjects, like this one. The language of publication or language of application is somewhat reflective of the language of work in a discipline as well.

Science and Research committee  One important change that's happened is that assessment boards are trained in issues related to systemic bias. There is, much more than, say, 10 years ago, a level of understanding and a required training in the case of many boards, and certainly within all the governance committees at the councils, that requires you to understand how you can bring your biases to the table, which may be with respect to gender, race or linguistic issues, and try to get over those types of issues.

Science and Research committee  I would defer to the councils to confirm this, but I know that certainly for the governance committees that review the integrity of the processes, it is required. I can say that with authority, because I'm on some of those committees. I know that at least in the case of some of the large programs with large awards, there's not only systemic bias training, but there are often subcommittees of the peer-review committee that are actually focused on issues of equity.

Science and Research committee  What I would say is that I don't have any empirical evidence to that effect. I think it's important that researchers be able to connect with one another as effectively as possible. In some domains the lingua franca of research is English, and in others it varies depending on the nature of the research.