Science symposium debates ongoing challenges facing federal laboratories

Government science was the focus of a unique symposium held earlier this month with many speakers and participants calling for a greater government commitment to strengthen Canada's federal laboratories. The symposium — the first on science ever held by the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) — was held in Gatineau QC amidst smoldering concern over the Conservative government's intention to transfer certain government laboratories to the university or private sectors.

An expert panel recently began its work examining the issue and is mandated to come up with a list of five labs that could be transferred in the near term (see above).

Most speakers preferred to focus on efforts within the government to align federal science with university and private sector research. Some, however, acknowledged that those efforts would be more successful if there were centralized mechanisms to coordinate government activities and collaboration.

"Canada does not have central mechanisms like other countries. We don't have a chief science advisor and there's no science and technology office, agency or department," noted Dr Arthur May, former president of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and former president of Memorial University.

Dr Wendy Watson-Wright, ADM science sector at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, outlined the work of the ADM S&T Integration Board which she co-chairs, and pointed to the pending release of the Federal S&T Enterprise Framework.

"Government is increasingly looking for mechanisms to access science external to government," she said. "The Enterprise Framework has several objectives including strengthening linkages between S&T and policy. "This will help us respond to the new S&T Strategy. Science and policy must inform each other. It's constantly evolving."

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