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Our government is committed to positioning Canada to exit the current downturn quickly and emerge stronger and more competitive
in the global economy. In doing so, Industry Canada and its Portfolio partners will continue to play their key roles in
increasing the country's capacity to create jobs and economic growth – for next year and the next decade
While the recession originated beyond our borders, it had real consequences for Canadians and Canadian business. And despite
improving conditions, there is work to be done. In 2010, a major focus will be completing the stimulus measures of
Canada's Economic Action Plan. Introduced in Budget 2009, the Plan's
full effect will be felt in 2010-11, and its measures will help solidify the recovery.
Over this period, Industry Canada and its Portfolio partners will work with industries and sectors hit hardest by the recession.
Initiatives will include activities to boost community economic development and to extend broadband infrastructure to underserved
or unserved areas across the country. To build on the momentum gained through our past investments in science and technology,
significant effort will be directed to shaping the knowledge-based economy.
Industry Canada will also focus on supporting business and industry to capitalize on emerging opportunities at home and
abroad. Getting our economic frameworks right, through forward-looking policies, is central to ensuring Canada's place in
the global marketplace. We remain committed to two-way trade and investment, which raises our capacity to create jobs and
economic growth and provides for sustainable prosperity.
In 2010-11, National Research Council Canada (NRC) will play
a critical role in sustaining the innovation activity of small and medium-sized businesses.
NRC's aim is to bring timely solutions to market in areas of
national importance: clean energy, health and wellness, and the environment.
NRC will continue to partner with Canadian firms to deliver
tangible, market-oriented results in high-impact and emerging industry sectors, such as the automotive sector.
I will work with my colleagues, the private sector and other governments to advance the recovery and build the foundation
for a strong, competitive economy.
It is my pleasure to present this year's Report on Plans and Priorities for the National Research Council
The Honourable Tony Clement
Minister of Industry
The National Research Council (NRC) is the Government of
Canada's premier organization for science, technology and innovation, and a key player in the development of Canada's science
and technology (S&T) infrastructure. Through its unique multidisciplinary
R&D, integrated S&T
solutions to market, industry support, and technology commercialization,
NRC is a substantial contributor to the improvement of the social
and economic well-being of all Canadians.
As Canada's largest federal research body, NRC is a critical
contributor to the federal S&T Strategy.
NRC focuses its research and competencies on addressing three
national priority areas – health and wellness, sustainable energy, and the environment – as well as in key sectors of the
economy where NRC can make the most significant contribution
for Canadians.
NRC creates value for Canada by transferring technology and
knowledge to industry, championing regional technology clusters, securing access to global research networks and facilities,
and enhancing opportunities for Canadian firms and technology products at home and abroad. Canadian companies and communities
from coast-to-coast benefit from NRC's research excellence,
state-of-the-art laboratories and commercialization capacity.
It is with pleasure and pride that I present our 2010-2011 Report on Plans and Priorities.
NRC's unique assets – multidisciplinary expertise, strong regional
presence, and emerging innovative partnership models – will make a strong contribution to Canada's economic growth for years
to come.
Dr. Pierre Coulombe
President
NRC is one of the nation's leading resources to help S&T in Canada keep pace with the changing innovation landscape, with a focus on improving socio-economic benefits for Canadians. With a presence in every province, NRC has a strong national foundation along with international linkages to help Canada remain competitive in the transitioning global economy. NRC's expertise and unique contributions strive to both generate and move ideas to the marketplace by: undertaking research and development (R&D) in areas critical to Canada's future; fostering industrial and community innovation and growth through technology and industry support; and providing, maintaining and advancing national infrastructure and information for the scientific and industrial community to help push innovation forward and keep Canada at the cutting-edge. NRC's approach is directly aligned to the Government of Canada's S&T Strategy and is underpinned by four key principles: excellence in research, focus on priorities for the short and long term, strong partnerships, and enhanced accountability.
Under the National Research Council Act, NRC's authorities include:
NRC is a departmental corporation of the Government of Canada, reporting to Parliament through the Minister of Industry. NRC works in partnership with members of the Industry Portfolio to leverage complementary resources to promote the innovation of firms, to exploit synergies in key areas of S&T, to promote the growth of small and medium-sized firms (SMEs), and to contribute to the economic growth of Canadian communities. The NRC Council provides independent strategic direction and advice to the President and reviews organizational performance. The President provides leadership and strategic management and is responsible for the achievement of NRC's long-range goals and plans within the guidance of the NRC Council. Each of six Vice Presidents is responsible for a portfolio of Program Activities composed of research institutes, initiatives, centres and/or a corporate branch. Beneath senior management, 24 Directors General and various committees are responsible for executing against plans and priorities to ensure successful achievement of objectives.
NRC's aim is to create a sustainable advantage for Canadians through S&T leadership, which will contribute to improved economic competitiveness and social betterment for our nation. Through synergistic and complementary relationships with industry, government and academia, NRC works to align the strengths and critical mass required to achieve four of Canada's Strategic Outcomes: Strong economic growth; healthy Canadians; a clean and healthy environment; and an innovative and knowledge-based economy. NRC's Program Activities directly support the delivery of NRC's Strategic Outcomes, which in turn, are aligned to deliver against the above mentioned federal commitments. To better reflect this alignment, NRC's PAA was revised to highlight our pursuit to translate discoveries into technology-driven products and services to help Canadian industry be more competitive in the global marketplace and to address enduring challenges in substantial national and global issues. The approved 2010-11 NRC PAA structure, shown below, represents how activities are organized to achieve these desired results.
Canadian Strategic Outcome | NRC Strategic Outcome | NRC Program Activity1 | NRC Sub-Activity |
---|---|---|---|
Strong Economic Growth | Advancements in innovative technologies and increased innovation capacity in targeted Canadian industries and national priority areas | Manufacturing Technologies |
|
Information and Communications Technologies and Emerging Technologies |
|
||
Industrial Research Assistance | |||
Healthy Canadians | Health and Life Science Technologies |
|
|
Clean and Healthy Environment | Energy and Environmental Technologies |
|
|
Innovative and Knowledge-Based Economy | Canadians have access to research and development information and infrastructure | National Science and Technology Infrastructure |
|
Scientific, Technical and Medical Information |
1 Internal Services not shown
The table below represents a crosswalk between NRC's 2009-10 and 2010-11 PAAs.
2010-2011 Net Planned Spending3 ($ millions) | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2010-11 PAA |
Manufacturing Technologies | ICT and Emerging Technologies | Industrial Research Assistance | Health and Life Science Technologies | Energy and Environmental Technologies | National Science and Technology Infrastructure | Scientific, Technical and Medical Information |
2009-10 PAA |
|||||||
Research and Development | 148.8 | 57.9 | 132.1 | 36.4 | 64.2 | ||
Technology and Industry Support | 266.0 | 43.6 | |||||
Total Department | 148.8 | 57.9 | 266.0 | 132.1 | 36.4 | 64.2 | 43.6 |
2 Figures have been rounded to the nearest millions of dollars. Due to rounding,
figures may not add to totals indicated.
3 Planned spending reflects best estimates of spending to year end.
2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 |
---|---|---|
749.04 | 610.25 | 606.3 |
4 Includes $112.82 million of program and infrastructure stimulus funding from
Canada's Economic Action Plan.
5 Excluding stimulus funding, the difference between
FY10-11 to FY11-12 is approximately $26 million.
This difference is largely related to reductions in forecasted spending as a result of 2008 Program Review and collective
bargaining.
Except where noted otherwise, all financial results are reported on a cash accounting basis for historical comparability.
2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 |
---|---|---|
3,675 | 3,511 | 3,465 |
6 All FTEs herein are calculated based on average salary.
Performance Indicator(s) | Target(s) |
---|---|
Average incremental number of new and improved client products as a result of NRC's R&D activities compared to non-clients | 0.6 by March 2012 |
Average incremental client R&D expenditures as a result of NRC's R&D activities compared to non-clients | $75,000 by March 2012 |
Average incremental client R&D full-time equivalents employed as a result of NRC's R&D activities compared to non-clients | 1.2 by March 2012 |
Program Activity | Forecast Spending ($ millions) 2009-10 |
Planned Spending ($ millions) |
Alignment to Government of Canada Outcomes | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | |||
Manufacturing Technologies | 126.6 | 115.0 | 111.0 | 110.0 | Strong Economic Growth |
ICT and Emerging Technologies | 50.4 | 44.8 | 42.5 | 41.9 | Strong Economic Growth |
Industrial Research Assistance | 277.97 | 237.68 | 134.7 | 134.0 | Strong Economic Growth |
Health and Life Sciences Technologies | 138.6 | 102.3 | 105.1 | 104.4 | Healthy Canadians |
Energy and Environmental Technologies | 31.6 | 28.2 | 27.1 | 26.8 | A Clean and Healthy Environment |
Total | 625.1 | 527.9 | 420.4 | 417.1 |
7 Includes $127.5 million of program stimulus funding from Canada's Economic
Action Plan.
8 Includes $100.0 million of program stimulus funding from Canada's Economic Action
Plan.
Performance Indicator(s) | Target(s) |
---|---|
Proportion of surveyed S&T infrastructure users who report positively on the value of the NRC infrastructure used | 85% by March 2012 |
Program Activity | Forecast Spending ($ millions) 2009-10 |
Planned Spending ($ millions) |
Alignment to Government of Canada Outcomes | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | |||
National Science and Technology Infrastructure | 51.8 | 49.7 | 47.6 | 47.2 | An Innovative and Knowledge-based Economy |
Scientific, Technical and Medical Information | 43.3 | 39.0 | 28.1 | 28.0 | An Innovative and Knowledge-based Economy |
Total | 95.1 | 88.7 | 75.7 | 75.2 |
Program Activity | Forecast Spending ($ millions) 2009-10 |
Planned Spending ($ millions) |
Alignment to Government of Canada Outcomes | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | |||
Internal Services | 152.3 | 132.39 | 114.1 | 114.0 | N/A |
9 Includes $12.82 million of infrastructure stimulus funding from Canada's Economic Action Plan.
The Government of Canada recognizes the far-reaching implications of innovation and that Canada can and must do more to turn ideas into solutions that address substantial issues such as a cleaner environment and to improve our economic competitiveness. As a result, the government developed a S&T strategy, Mobilizing Science and Technology to Canada's Advantage that lays out a plan to develop three distinct Canadian advantages: an Entrepreneurial Advantage that encourages firms to be innovators; a Knowledge Advantage that puts Canadians at the forefront of research and discovery; and a People Advantage that helps build the best educated, most skilled and most flexible workforce. As Canada's largest federal research body, NRC plays a key role under each Advantage and works to contribute to successful progress against the federal S&T Strategy.
NRC will work to continue to contribute to Canada's leading edge in innovation and make an impact in the needs of today, and anticipate and provide solutions for the challenges of the future. Accordingly, NRC's operational priorities are directly aligned to achieve NRC's Strategic Outcomes, which in turn, are aligned to contribute to the achievement of the government's economic and social objectives in: strong economic growth; health and wellness for Canadians; a clean and healthy environment; and an innovative, knowledge-based economy for Canada.
Operational Priority | Type | Links to Strategic Outcome(s) |
---|---|---|
1. To contribute to the global competitiveness of key industrial sectors and to support the economic growth and development of communities across Canada. | Ongoing | SO1 |
Why is this a priority?
Plans for meeting the priority
|
Operational Priority | Type | Links to Strategic Outcome(s) |
---|---|---|
2. To support and conduct R&D in areas of national importance such as healthy Canadians, sustainable energy and a clean environment. | Ongoing | SO1 |
Why is this a priority?
Plans for meeting the priority
|
Operational Priority | Type | Links to Strategic Outcome(s) |
---|---|---|
3. To provide integrated support that engages key players across government, academia, and industry. | Ongoing | SO2 |
Why is this a priority?
Plans for meeting the priority
|
Management Priority | Type | Links to Strategic Outcome(s) |
---|---|---|
To ensure effective program management for a sustainable organization. | Ongoing | SO1 SO2 |
Why is this a priority?
Plans for meeting the priority
|
NRC's operating environment is scientific and technical in nature, combined with a supporting infrastructure of corporate and business/entrepreneurial expertise to meet industry needs for technology transfer and commercialization. To be valued as the world's best national organization for research and innovation, as defined by NRC's vision, highly qualified scientific and technical personnel, state-of-the-art research equipment and facilities, and an innovative work environment that supports a network of national and international collaborations are crucial elements, particularly in today's environment of open innovation.
NRC's most recent Corporate Risk Profile for 2009-10 highlighted an increasingly competitive global R&D environment with significant investments by foreign governments into science and technology relative to Canada (e.g., $21.5 billion federal investment in R&D as part of the economic stimulus package in the United States); a mobile R&D workforce that is more and more concentrated in areas outside of North America, such as China and India; and a local and global economy still recovering from the economic downturn (including NRC partners and clients). Some of the highest risks facing NRC relate to: a) funding and financial pressures related to uncertainties around funding renewal for major initiatives, increasing operational costs, and a static core budget; b) increasing competition for HQP which is linked to other high risk areas such as succession planning and leadership development; and c) limited awareness of NRC impacts by some stakeholders.
Looking at the interrelations between the highest risks, NRC's Senior Executive Committee and the NRC Council have agreed upon priority areas in the coming year to commit to action. These are issues that most significantly affect other high risks: 1) Strategic Leadership – including the need to continue strengthening decision-making and priority-setting mechanisms and structures; 2) Stakeholder Relationships – including the development and implementation of an effective and targeted communications, marketing and stakeholder relations strategy; and 3) Financial Sustainability – including the implementation of a series of short-term and long-term measures to ensure the success and viability of NRC Program Activities. Senior executive leads have been identified to further develop the details of the action plan around each area to ensure that NRC can continue to deliver on its operational and management priorities via the most effective program management, while mitigating identified risk areas.
At the same time, the current turbulent environment is creating opportunities where NRC can play a substantial role and accelerate progress against objectives. Some of these relate to: 1) Emerging national issues (for example in the Arctic and sustainable energy) where NRC can leverage its cross-Canada presence and multidisciplinary expertise to help provide solutions; 2) The growing need for innovative partnership models where NRC can leverage its strong regional presence and relationships with local governments/universities/industry; and 3) Economic stresses for SMEs where NRC has a growing recognition and role for the NRC Program Activity, Industrial Research Assistance.
NRC's forecast spending for 2009-10 is $872.7 million. Over
the past three years (fiscal years 2006-07 to 2008-09), actual spending has averaged $757.1 million. The increase of $115.6
million (or 15%) over the average spending in fiscal 2009-10 is due primarily to the funding received for Canada's Economic
Action Plan. The planned spending for fiscal years 2010-11 to 2012-13, as indicated in the Spending Trend graph, reflects
an overall decline in the budget. The decline is due to the sun-setting of the Cluster Initiatives, TRIUMF and a permanent
reduction related to 2008 Program Review exercise. NRC is currently
seeking renewal of the Cluster Initiatives and TRIUMF and until they are renewed, these items cannot be included in Planned
Spending.
Canada's Economic Action Plan: Budget 2009 allocated funds to the
NRC's Program Activity, Industrial Research Assistance (NRC-IRAP)
to provide temporary expansion of the support, advisory and financial assistance that is provided to
SMEs. NRC-IRAP directly received $200 million over two years, plus indirect
funding through the Community Adjustment Fund and the Federal Economic Development Agency for for Southern Ontario to expand
its initiatives for SMEs. This more than doubles the Program's contribution to firms funding and will help companies hire
post-secondary graduates. In addition, NRC received infrastructure
stimulus under the Modernizing Federal Laboratories initiative ($19.07 million) to address deferred maintenance issues and
to modernize facilities that support research in areas of national importance, and under the Accelerated Federal Contaminated
Site Action Plan ($4.84 million) to remediate contaminated areas in an effort to clean up the environment and improve safety.
For more information on NRC's planned activities as part of
Canada's Economic Action Plan, please refer to Section 2.3.
Vote # or Statutory Item (S) | Truncated Vote or Statutory Wording | 2009-10 Main Estimates |
2010-11 Main Estimates |
---|---|---|---|
55 | Operational expenditures | 397.6 | 361.3 |
60 | Capital expenditures | 42.2 | 48.1 |
65 | Grants and contributions | 140.6 | 213.0 |
(S) | Contributions to employee benefits plans | 45.7 | 45.6 |
(S) | Spending of revenues pursuant to paragraph 5(1)(e) of the National Research Council Act | 79.0 | 80.9 |
Total | 705.2 | 749.0 |
Note: Due to rounding, figures may not add to total shown.
Budgetary ($ millions) |
Loans, Investments and Advances ($ millions) |
||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2009-10 | 2010-11 | Net Increase (Decrease) |
2009-10 | 2010-11 | Net Increase (Decrease) |
705.2 | 749.0 | 43.8 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 0.0 |