Canada’s National Research Council shifts focus to industrial research

Science : The two-year development of a plan to reform Canada’s National Research Council has been completed, according to a statement by Gary Goodyear, minister of state for science and technology. The new plan for the NRC will see its focus shifted to the research needs of Canadian businesses and away from basic research, which has been the principle of its existence for 97 years. In that time, the NRC has been responsible for the development of the pacemaker, canola, and the Canadarm used on the International Space Station. Goodyear did say that the NRC will have divisions focused on specific areas of industry such as security, human health, and transportation; however, the exact rearrangement of the nearly 4000 employees, 50 institutions, and $900 million per year budget are not yet clear. The change, spearheaded by the Conservative-led government, has been harshly criticized by members of the opposition.