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Tag: Basic Research

Code Red on the Naylor Report

About two and a half years ago, I said universities and scientists were headed for a catastrophic break because university Presidents were more inclined to gratefully accept whatever new dollars came their way rather than fight for research priorities.  That break may actually happen next week, for evil things are reaching my ears about Tuesday’s federal budget. To be clear: I know nothing for sure about what’s in Tuesday’s budget.  The Liberals are deliberately choosing not to leak anything that

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February 22, 2018 No Comments

Some Quick Naylor-related Federal Budget Advice

I see from this CTV story that Federal Budget Trial Balloon Leaking Season has begun.  This is the time of year when Liberals decide they would like to get applause for a decision more than once, and so they pre-announce various bits of the budget so they can have good news spread over more than just budget day (the Tories, whatever you think about the news management policies generally, tended to be much more fastidious about budget secrecy).  And the first leak

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February 8, 2018 1 Comment

So, that Finance Committee Report then

Today’s blog is a quick tour of the House of Commons Finance Committee report – released last month – as it relates to science and post-secondary education. For the uninitiated, the Government of Canada’s budget process goes something like this: starting in late spring – maybe two months after the pervious budget – the political side of the Finance Department starts canvassing around government for big ideas (“themes” as they are known in the business).  MPs spend some of their time over

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January 17, 2018 1 Comment

Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot

It’s the end of the year for us at HESA Towers today (at least as far as blogging goes).  I know in the Scottish tradition, you’re supposed to use the end of the year for memories, but I kind of prefer the Japanese tradition of Bonenkai, or “forget-the-year”: basically, wipe out as many brain cells with alcohol and start the new year fresh. So, with that in mind, let’s look forward to 2018.   What should we expect? Well, I think

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December 15, 2017 No Comments

The Talent Angle

The post-Naylor Report effort to get big new investments in fundamental science is in trouble.  Bluntly, the Finance Department appears not to be buying the argument that fundamental research is, in fact, a good investment.  I’m not 100% surprised: the Naylor mostly tended to assume the wider benefits of research to economic growth rather than demonstrate or prove it, and the big U-15 institutions have banked everything on a rhetorical strategy of: money for research –> a miracle occurs –>

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November 14, 2017 5 Comments

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One Thought to Start Your Day is our founder and CEO Alex Usher’s popular daily blog, brimming with up-to-the-minute insights and informed opinions on today’s higher education industry.

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