Federal R&D spending near stagnant despite Liberal commitments

Mark Henderson
June 7, 2016

Marginal increase of 1% this year

Federal S&T outlays are projected to inch up by 1% to $10.65 million in FY16-17 in what can be seen as an interim year between the election and budgetary pledges of the new Liberal government and any allocation of new funding. The gain is due to spending in related scientific activity (RSA), which is set to register a $184-million, year-over-year increase while R&D expenditures are set to decrease by $77 million.

Statistics Canada reports that the increase is attributable to higher projected outlays in the social sciences and humanities (SSH), jumping 8% year-over-year to $2.7 billion. In contrast, S&T spending in the natural sciences and engineering (NSE) disciplines are projected to drop 1.1% to 8 billion.

Last year's survey projected a 2.1% increase for FY15-16 to $10.8 billion — an estimate that's now been downgraded to $10.5 billion.

The first Liberal Budget contained only modest increases for S&T, primarily through small boosts to the budgets of the granting councils, renewal of funding for Genome Canada and the Canadian Space Agency, and support for clean tech. It's biggest S&T announcement — $800 million over four years for networks and clusters — is attached to the forthcoming Innovation Agenda and won't start to flow until FY17-18 (R$, April 4/16).

Intramural spending up

Federal departments and agencies are slated to spend $5.6 billion — up 4.1% from the previous year — or 52.2% the total, a far larger share than FY12-13 when intramural spending accounted for 47.8% of that year's total. SSH spending of intramural S&T is expected to increase by 18.1%.

The remainder ($5.1 billion) will be allocated to external performers and funders, well off the five-year high of $5.6 billion in FY12-13.

Two thirds of S&T spending will occur in Ontario and Quebec, including the National Capital Region.

Among the external performers, higher education accounts for the single largest amount ($3.2 billion) followed by business ($949 million), non-profit institutions ($475 million), foreign performers ($357 million) and provincial and municipal governments ($130 million). The chart shows that the FY16-17 funding levels in all sectors are at or near five-year lows.

R&D expenditures are expected to decline 1.1% to $6.8 billion in FY16-17, largely due to less money flowing to the business sector, which will drop 7.9%. R&D accounts for 63.5% of total S&T spending, while RSA accounts for 36.5% or $3.9 billion. Of that, $3 billion or 76.9% will be devoted to data collection and information services.

Statistics Canada also reports that the number of personnel engaged in scientific and technological activities is stagnant at 36,153 and down 2.2% from FY12-13. NSE accounts for 70.7% of the FY16-17 total, with 10,585 or 29.7% devoted to SSH. Scientific and professional personnel account for 56.2% of the total.

Socioeconomic objectives

The StatsCan survey also allocates S&T spending according to socioeconomic objectives. The top five categories account for more two-thirds of total S&T spending. They are:

• protection and improvement of human health ($2.2 billion);

• social structures and relationships ($1.3 billion);

• industrial production and technology ($1.2 billion);

• agricultural production and technology ($1.1 billion); and,

• non-oriented research ($1.0 billion).

R$

Federal expenditures on S&T and its components

($ millions)
Performing sector2012-132013-142014-152015-162016-17
Total, all performing sectors 10,754    10,670    10,265    10,544    10,651   
Federal government (intramural) 5,140    5,186    5,177    5,340    5,557   
Business enterprise 1,032    1,224    947    1,030    949   
Higher education 3,371    3,168    3,109    3,154    3,157   
Canadian non-profit institutions 484    499    483    486    475   
Provincial and municipal governments 107    114    144    122    130   
Foreign performers 598    456    382    387    357   
Other Canadian performers 22    22    22    26    25   
Source: Statistics Canada

Federal extramural spending on S&T
by performing sector and major departments and agencies

($ millions)
Major departments and agencies2012-132013-142014-152015-162016-17
Total departments and agencies5,614    5,483    5,087    5,204    5,093   
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada 83    97    82    83    78   
Atomic Energy of Canada Limited 3    3    1    2    2   
Canada Foundation for Innovation 550    407    389    325    330   
Canadian Institutes of Health Research 941    944    960    973    974   
Canadian International Development Agency *383    ..    ..    ..    ..   
Canadian Space Agency 210    314    265    288    302   
Environment Canada 68    94    89    99    88   
Fisheries and Oceans Canada 14    12    12    12    12   
Foreign Affairs, Trade & Development Canada ..    313    256    260    250   
Health Canada 104    97    98    100    97   
Industry Canada 381    366    274    333    253   
International Development Research Centre *190    ..    ..    ..    ..   
National Defence 115    97    56    67    59   
National Research Council 235    296    261    286    258   
Natural Resources Canada 100    137    108    106    129   
Natural Sciences & Engineering Research Council 1,025    1,021    1,038    1,069    1,071   
Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council 669    670    686    694    694   
Statistics Canada 7    9    15    18    16   
Other departments & agencies 538    607    497    490    480   
Source: Statistics Canada
* IDRC spending fell below the threshold of 2% of total S&T expenditures after FY12-13 and was rolled into the category of Other departments and agencies for subsequent years. CIDA S&T data was transferred to Foreign Affairs, Trade & Development Canada after FY12-13 when the agency was eliminated.



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