2003 NCE Brochure

Networks of Centres of Excellence – At a glance

Investing in Prosperity, Achieving Results

Canada’s Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCEs) harness the creativity and inventiveness of Canadian natural, social and health scientists, and engineers to position Canada as a truly innovative society. Their work unites Canada’s academic, corporate, public and not-for-profit sectors and focuses on issues critical to our industry and society. This is an investment that is paying off handsomely in economic terms and in a better quality of life for all Canadians.

NETWORKING FOR PROSPERITY
Taking part in a federal effort to make Canada one of the most advanced knowledge-based economies in the world, NCEs support training, technology development and knowledge exchange in fields ranging from health sciences and literacy to environment, forestry, advanced manufacturing, photonics, geomatics and much more. It’s a truly national program with networks reaching from St. John’s, Newfoundland, to Victoria, British Columbia.

MAKING THE GRADE : THE 2003 ANNUAL REPORT CARD
The mission of the NCE Program is to improve the economy of Canada and the quality of life of Canadians. It achieves its goals by funding networks that are national in scope and meet the program’s criteria of excellence in research, training, knowledge advancement, technology exchange and exploitation, networking, partnerships and management.

Quality returns are the mark of any good investment. The NCE’s performance shows that the program is delivering and that its impact is widespread. In 2003:

• NCEs stimulated outside investment of over $69 million, including more than $33 million from private-sector companies; and
• With the addition of the NCE Program’s own investment, the total dedicated to research, training and commercialization reached more than $147 million.
• The NCE Program supported 1,613 researchers in 68 Canadian universities.
• NCEs linked 624 companies, 184 provincial and federal government departments, 232 agencies from Canada and 298 international partners, making it a truly national and international program.

Portion of the NCE in-kind contributions include spin-off activities to test and validate new technologies from network research.

The regional distribution of NCE funds are expenditures reported by each participating network institution in 2002-03. These expenditures are drawn against NCE funds provided in 2002-03 and carried over from previous years.

NCE Personnel inlcudes researchers* and highly qualified personnel**. * An NCE researcher is a researcher from the academic, public or private sector responsible for certain aspects of a network-funded resarch project. ** Highly Qualified Personnel means research staff such as resaerch associates and technicians, and research trainees such as postdoctoral fellows, and graduate and summer students.

DELIVERING BENEFITS TO CANADIANS
Through their research and entrepreneurship, the NCEs work to deliver economic and social benefits to Canadians. Some networks — in medicine, for example — contribute in ways that affect people immediately. Others team with industry to bring new products and processes to the marketplace. Some work with government, while others are dedicated to basic research. But all are committed to achieving the results that will make Canada a better place to live, work and raise a family.

Aboriginal people

• Researchers help First Nations balance the economic potential of forest harvesting and their traditional way of life.

Advanced technologies

• Canada takes the lead in developing ultra-fast optical lasers for industry.
• Young researchers fuel Canada’s lead in geomatics and contribute to Canada’s brain gain.
• A unique Canadian-designed “AQUA ROBOT” presents new possibilities for underwater research, space exploration.
• A new testing system for microchips being commercialized is giving Canada a technological edge.
• Research on smart data-mining helps insurance companies identify highrisk drivers.

Agriculture and agri-food

• New vaccine offers hope for Canadian beef industry.

Aquaculture

• Atlantic researchers study the biological and economic benefits of integrated aquaculture.

Automotive industry

• Survey finds high misuse of child seats, and researchers launch program to protect a vehicle’s smallest passengers.

Biotechnology

• Canadian-developed biochip pushes science beyond the human genome.

Child development and literacy

• Educators come together to raise literacy skills among Canada’s most disadvantaged.

Civil infrastructure

• Fibre-optic sensing pays off in safer, longer-lasting structures.

Environment

• Researchers prepare Canada, the Arctic and its residents for the impacts and opportunities of climate change and globalization in the north.

Food and Health

• Researchers study foods, functional foods and nutraceuticals to help society move toward a preventive health-care system.

Forest products manufacturing

• A new made-in-Canada bleaching technology is making paper whiter and lowering costs at pulp and paper mills.

Health care

• Innovative technology connects northern patients to experts in urban centres.
• Canada takes global lead in clinical trials for rheumatoid arthritis.

Health research

• A scientific meeting leads to new hope for treating Legionnaire’s Disease.
• Canadian group spearheads AIDS research project.
• Canadian Web site provides one-stop source for stem-cell legislation and policy.

Natural Resources

• Researchers work with farmers to safeguard the environment and their
  livelihoods.

AND THERE’S SO MUCH MORE…
You’ve had a glimpse of the benefits the NCEs have given to Canadians. What you haven’t yet seen is the research behind these accomplishments.

You can discover the full scope of the NCE’s work through the NCE 2003 Annual Report. It’s your gateway to many accounts of creativity, ingenuity and entrepreneurial success across Canada and in the region where you live.

To see Canadian researchers, their partners and your government at work for you, visit the NCE 2003 Annual Report.

For more information
Networks of Centres of Excellence
350 Albert Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1H5
Canada
Tel.: 1-613-995-6010
Fax: 1-613-992-7356
info@nce.gc.ca