AUCC calls for targeted funding increases

Canada's largest organization representing universities is recommending a series of modest budget increases in the next Budget for the granting councils, international collaboration internships and international education marketing. In its pre-Budget submission to the Department of Finance, the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC) recommends: $110 million to "strengthen core discovery research programs" of the three research granting councils; $40 million to the grant-ing councils to enhance emphasis on international research collaboration; an "initial commitment" of $75 million to accelerate and intensify "research collaboration at scale" targeting India, China and Brazil requiring a new mechanism that's "nimble, responsive and based on excellence and peer review"; $20 million for international education marketing as well as a previously committed $5 million to support marketing efforts by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade; $15 million in internships such as those delivered by MITACS, to be matched by private sector contributions; and, $50 million for Aboriginal post secondary scholarships to be matched by the private sector....