For Immediate Release
August 30, 2023
Ottawa, Ontario - Support Our Science responds to the Government of Canada’s most recent misleading investment for Canadian scientists and researchers.
Today, the Government of Canada announced over $960 million through grants, scholarships, and programs for Canadian researchers. The commitments come from investments promised in Budget 2018 and are merely continued funding from these previous commitments.
Despite what was announced, the following remains true:
There have been no increases to federal graduate student scholarships or postdoctoral fellowships in 20 years.
There have been no increases (in value or number) to the Vanier Scholarship or Banting Fellowship, as was implied in today's announcement.
There have been no new investments into research grants that fund the majority of graduate students and postdoctoral scholars in Canada.
“Graduate students and postdocs continue to face significant financial challenges in Canada,” said Sarah Laframboise, PhD student at the University of Ottawa and Executive Director of Support Our Science. “It is frustrating to see that after years of advocacy efforts to increase funding for the next generation of researchers in Canada, the government continues to ignore this critical issue while using political spin disguised as action.”
“Canada remains the only G7 country with a decreased percentage of GDP spending on research and development,” said Marc Johnson, Professor at the University of Toronto and Chair of the Board of Support Our Science. “As a result, Canadian graduate students and postdoctoral scholars, the country’s workforce for innovation and discovery, continue to live in poverty or leave Canada for better opportunities.”
The Canadian Government must put real action behind their words and commit to the investments that our research industry desperately needs.
About Support Our Science (SOS): Support Our Science is a grassroots organization advocating for increased pay for all graduate students and postdoctoral scholars in Canada. For more information visit www.supportourscience.ca
Contacts
Sarah Laframboise
Executive Director
519-903-3039
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