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Highlights

Federal Scientific Activities, 2007/2008

1. Preliminary figures for spending by the federal government on science and technology (S&T) for 2007/2008 will amount to $9.5 billion, 64% of which will be allocated to research and development (R&D) and 36% to related scientific activities (RSA). Relative to 2006/2007, this is a decrease in federal spending of 1.3% on S&T and 3.7% on RSA. (Table 1-1)
2. Between 2001/2002 and 2007/2008, federal government spending on S&T grew 16.7% (in current dollars). (Table 1-1)
3. In 2007/2008, the federal government departments and agencies with the largest expenditures in S&T will be the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council ($905 million), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research ($876 million), the National Research Council of Canada ($757 million), Statistics Canada ($641 million) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada ($622 million). These five agencies will account for over 40% of the federal government’s total spending on S&T. (Table 1-2)
4. The share of federal S&T spending to be allocated to the natural sciences will be $7.2 billion in 2007/2008 or 76% (Table 1-6). Only 31% of the $2.3 billion that is intended for the social sciences will be going to R&D, with the rest for RSA, such as data collection for general purposes, maintaining national standards and testing, feasibility studies and policy research. (Tables 1-6 and 1-7)
5. Federal intramural spending on S&T, defined as all activities primarily performed by federal employees, will represent 52% of all federal spending on S&T, up 8.6% from 2003/2004. (Table 1-6)
6. Federal intramural R&D spending on S&T will represent 47% of all federal intramural spending on S&T, up 12.2% from 2003/2004. (Table 2-1)
7. In 2007/2008, the federal government departments and agencies with the largest intramural expenditures in S&T will be Statistics Canada ($641 million), the National Research Council of Canada ($612 million), Environment Canada ($510 million) and Natural Resources Canada ($482 million). These four department and agencies will account for over 45% of the federal government’s total intramural spending on S&T. (Table 2-2)
8. Between 2003/2004 and 2007/2008, federal extramural spending on S&T will rise by $374 million. In 2007/2008, the higher education sector will be receiving the majority of federal extramural spending on S&T (63%). The business enterprise sector will account for 23%, while foreign performers will account for 7% of total extramural spending on S&T. (Table 3-1)
9. In 2007/2008, 35,555 federal government person-years will be devoted to S&T activities, a 2.4% increase from the 34,707 person-years reported for 2003/2004. The majority (56%) of person-years will be engaged in RSA in 2007/2008. (Tables 4-1 and 4-10)