Canada canÔÇÖt afford to lose a generation of top research talent

The Advisory Panel on Federal Support for Fundamental Science has proposed an agenda for Canada that will take the young and curious-minded who are ready to prove it and support them to become the next generation of Canada’s research leaders.

The panel, led by Dr. David Naylor, gives us a road map to hold our place and chart a path forward in the world of scientific research. It offers a blueprint for sustained excellence in investigator-led research across disciplines.

We need to act on the report now. We need the best minds on our biggest problems. We need to be competitive in attracting and growing talent. There is too much at stake if we don’t get it right.

Among the Naylor report’s key recommendations is a call for enhanced support for early career researchers. This is a very important call to action. Canada cannot afford to lose a generation of top researchers because we don’t properly support them. It’s not enough to say, as Canadians, we believe in science; we have to provide the infrastructure, tools, time, space and room on the agenda to explore the challenges facing Canada and the world. Fundamental science, the curiosity-based research that asks “what if?” and looks so far down the road that its applications go beyond imagination, is the stuff that builds futures, that puts us ahead internationally. It’s the research that nurtures the Arthur McDonalds, the John Polanyis and the Frederick Bantings of the world.                                                                                                                                                     http://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/canada-cant-afford-to-lose-a-generation-of-top-research-talent/article34847865/?cmpid=rss1&utm_source=Academica+Top+Ten&utm_campaign=70fd040f8a-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_05_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b4928536cf-70fd040f8a-51945761