Government Fails in Comprehensive Strategy for Research and Post-Secondary Education

Ottawa - "The Government continues to take an ad hoc approach to funding Canada's largest research community," said Dr. Louise Forsyth, President of the Humanities and Social Sciences Federation of Canada. "Despite increasing evidence that casts serious doubt on the legitimacy of our political institutions, the equity of our social structure, the health of our children, the long-term robustness of our economy and our sense of cultural identity, the Government refuses to make a comprehensive investment in researchers seeking Canadian solutions to these very problems."

Despite claiming to "promote leading edge research and innovation in universities," the Government has tied the hands of 25,000 researchers in the humanities and social sciences by refusing to increase support for the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. Last year, the Council was unable to meet an overwhelming demand from community organizations, small businesses and researchers for collaborative "Community-University Research Alliances." At a minimum, the Government had to increase the Council's budget by $120 million over three years to sustain a productive and viable Canadian research community.

Moreover, neglecting research in the humanities and social sciences also prevents the development of a strategic Canadian approach to the cultural, social and economic challenges that demand integrated solutions from humanists, scientists, engineers and social scientists. "While we are pleased that the government has made important investments in the physical and medical sciences through support for the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), it is time to complete the renovation of the our research infrastructure and ensure that maximum benefit is drawn from these investments by providing adequate funding for research in the humanities and social sciences," said Dr. Forsyth.

"The post-secondary education system also requires a strategic long-term investment from the federal government," she added.

Universities serve Canadians as centres of research and teaching excellence as well as repositories of public knowledge. Yet, it has become increasingly difficult for universities to fulfil this public mission since the Federal Government took over $2 billion out of the post-secondary education system in 1995. Even though universities increased student tuition fees by $1 billion nationally and increased private sector funding to levels now greater than that of their American counterparts, they have still suffered a 23 per cent real loss of funding in the last five years. "We are pleased that the government recognized its role in supporting post-secondary education through the creation of two thousand "21st Century Chairs of Research Excellence," but we call on all levels of government to take a concerted approach to post-secondary education in the year ahead. In the 2001 Federal Budget, the Federation will expect the Government to take a more strategic approach to research and post-secondary education," concluded Dr. Forsyth. "Such an approach must recognise the real value to Canadian society of well-funded scholarship in the humanities and social sciences. Any delay will have serious costs for the citizens of Canada."

The Humanities and Social Sciences Federation of Canada represents 25,000 researchers in 68 learned societies and 69 universities. The Federation promotes teaching, research and scholarship in the humanities and social sciences and a better understanding of the importance of such work for Canada and the world.

Additional information on the Federation's activities and programmes is available at the Federation's web site.

For more information please contact:

Mr. Garth Williams
Director of Public Affairs
Tel: 613-238-6112 ext. 306
Fax: 613-238-6114
Email: gwilliams@hssfc.ca