Monthly Archives: April 2011

NSERC should stick with linear thinking…and own principles

Posted on April 28, 2011 by

Dozens of mathematical and statistical scientists are currently signing an open letter to Tony Clement (Minister of Industry) and Suzanne Fortier (NSERC’s President). You can sign it here if you wish. No, this petition is not about the long-form census, … Continue reading →

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NSERC Discovery Grants: What do we know about the 2011 Math/Stats competition?

Posted on April 24, 2011 by

We are not used to see the normally confident scientists at the University of Toronto so agitated and angry at NSERC. Some of their mathematicians are screaming from the rooftops that the “NSERC Peer Review System is Broken for Mathematics“. … Continue reading →

Posted in Op-eds, R&D Policy | 5 Comments

The good, the bad and the ugly in Tories Research Policy

Posted on April 18, 2011 by

Unlike the other parties, the Conservatives have now a 5-year track record on research policy. Their proposed 2011 budget may also be considered as their platform, at least for the short term. Their research policies are de-facto more detailed, hence … Continue reading →

Posted in Op-eds, R&D Policy | 4 Comments

While waiting for the NDP to tell us about their research policies

Posted on April 17, 2011 by

… we strongly recommend the following video, especially to the fundamentalists of the Kitchener-Waterloo area and beyond, where M. C. Hawkins may be moving soon with his band to promote the album “A Brief History of Rhyme”. Who says that … Continue reading →

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Ignatieff and Garneau’s lip service to Canada’s research policy

Posted on April 15, 2011 by

You expect that a Harvard Professor and a former Astronaut would cherish an opportunity to step up for a more serious, more vigorous, more rigorous, more scientifically driven, and less politically motivated research policy for the Government of Canada. Wrong! … Continue reading →

Posted in Op-eds, R&D Policy | 1 Comment

A quick reality check on NSERC’s principles at Discovery

Posted on April 14, 2011 by

In response to the CAUT,  NSERC’s Vice-President, Research Grants and Fellowships, Isabelle Blain explained how NSERC responded to the recommendations of the 2007 review of its Discovery Grants program.  “ Two principles were fundamental: that the level of a grant … Continue reading →

Posted in R&D Policy | 15 Comments

Accountability may be the biggest casualty of NSERC’s new ways at Discovery

Posted on April 12, 2011 by

You know there is a serious problem, when the members of NSERC’s Evaluation Groups (EG) are the first to call foul, and announce that they are shocked, surprised and offended by the results of the latest NSERC’s Discovery Grant competition … Continue reading →

Posted in Op-eds, R&D Policy | 1 Comment

Could the research community cost Harper a majority government?

Posted on April 10, 2011 by

Not so far-fetched, when some are arguing that the $50-million announced in the 2011 federal budget for the Waterloo-based Perimeter Institute is closely related to the 17 votes differential in that riding during the last election. Better documented is the … Continue reading →

Posted in Op-eds, R&D Policy | 4 Comments

A day in the life of a University Governor

Posted on April 7, 2011 by

If you think that sitting on a University Board is all about power and glamor, you are deeply mistaken. Board meetings have tendencies to become  protracted and challenging exercises in frustration management. The term “Nuit Blanche” must have been coined … Continue reading →

Posted in Board of Governors | 1 Comment