Networks of Centres of Excellence - $94.3 Million Awarded Over the Next Four Years

Ottawa, October 3, 1997 - Industry Minister John Manley, Health Minister Allan Rock and Ronald Duhamel, Secretary of State (Science, Research and Development) announced today the results of the independent Network Centres of Excellence (NCE) Selection Commitee. Under the decision, seven existing networks will receive additional funding. This will represent an investment of $94.3 million over four years.

"The NCE Program is a vital part of the federal government’s Science and Technology Strategy," declared Mr. Manley during a visit to the University of Winnipeg, a member of the TeleLearning NCE. "This highly dynamic program is very successful at stimulating the development of a critical mass in important research areas. It enhances Canada's capacity for innovation and the overall quality of life for Canadians. This is why, in February 1997, we made the program permanent with an annual budget of $47.4 million."

Created in 1989, the NCE Program brings together research teams from all provinces and disciplines to work in cooperation with universities, industry and government on problems of strategic importance to Canada.

"Each of the 14 existing networks is a strong and fruitful partnership with the private sector. This enables prominent scientists to conduct leading-edge research and to share their expertise with young researchers through innovative training programs," said Mr. Rock. "These students gain valuable private sector experience resulting in a remarkable employment rate of 97% in their field of study."

Networks are supported for limited periods of time, allowing the research community to propose every three or four years new areas that would also be advanced by the NCE approach.

The decision to provide additional NCE Program support to seven networks is the outcome of a competition. It is based on the recommendations of an independent Selection Committee that evaluated the ten networks launched in 1989 according to five-equally weighted criteria. The NCE Program also includes four networks established in 1995 that will be funded until 2002, contingent on a positive mid-term evaluation next year.

Listed in alphabetical order, the networks which will receive additional NCE funding for seven years are: the Canadian Bacterial Diseases Network, the Canadian Genetic Diseases Network, Micronet, the Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Systems and the Protein Engineering Network. Two networks will receive additional funding for a four-year period. They are the Canadian Institute for Telecommunications Research and the Mechanical Wood-Pulps Network.

"These seven networks were selected for the exceptional degree to which they added value to the research, training, collaborative relationships, and the transfer of knowledge and technology, which demonstrated outstanding network management," stressed Mr. Duhamel.

NCE funding will come to an end on March 31, 1998 for the NeuroScience Network, Concrete Canada and Inspiraplex Networks after eight years of support through the NCE Program.

The Ministers are confident that the sound research conducted by those networks whose NCE funding is coming to an end, as well as the strong partnerships they developed with other sectors over the years, will result in continued cooperation and funding well beyond the period of NCE Program support. Moreover, these networks have the flexibility to use remaining NCE funds to ensure that university students currently benefiting from NCE support will not suffer in their studies.

With the conclusion of this competition, efforts will now turn to the competition for new networks. Researchers and their partners were invited to submit their letters of intent by November 1, 1997. Under the program, 25% of each competition budget is set aside to fund new networks.

Canada's three granting councils — the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) — and Industry Canada combine their efforts to support and oversee the NCE initiative. The funding for research and training in Canadian universities through the Councils' peer reviewed research programs is the foundation upon which the successful network approach is built.