The Alliance of Canadian Comprehensive Research Universities welcomes the actions taken by Honourable Kirsty Duncan in response to the Fundamental Science Review report

QUÉBEC, Sept. 6, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - The Alliance of Canadian Comprehensive Research Universities (ACCRU) welcomes and fully supports the concrete actions the Honourable Kirsty Duncan announced on August 17^th in response to the Fundamental Science Review Report.

The ACCRU emphasizes the fairness of the vision underlying these announcements. Creating a new advisory council; establishing a new coordinating board for the granting councils; and reviewing the Canadian Institute of Health Research's legislation are significant first steps toward a long-term vision for the development of scientific research reflecting Canadian's values of transparency, equity and diversity. Acting so, Dr. Duncan is launching a future-driven agenda for science that will help restore the balance in which junior, mid-career or senior researchers of all universities or institutes in Canada, of all fields, of any gender or ethnic origin have equitable access to research funds.

Along with budgetary recommendations of the Report commissioned by Minister Duncan, the actions announced will

• Enhance every researcher's and university's ability to contribute to local, regional, national and international research and research-based education, the core mission of Canadian universities;
• Raise the competitiveness of Canada internationally by supporting as many researchers as possible to develop international collaborations, as opposed to concentrate research resources in the hands of the few, generating less impact per dollar invested.
• Stimulate the multiplicity of new research ideas pursued at once, thus enhancing Canada's on-going ability to innovate on several topics over the long run.

ACCRU is looking forward to learning more about the government's response to Fundamental Science Review Report in the upcoming months and thanks Minister Duncan for her dedication to improving Canada's role in the global knowledge economy.

About ACCRU:
Established in 2011, ACCRU brings together small- and medium-sized comprehensive universities from across Canada, aims to identify best practices, to encourage collaborative research and to act as a voice on research and scholarly issues important to its members.  ACCRU promotes, as a fundamental principle of research policy, the importance to support research in all Canadian

SOURCE Université du Québec

Lyne Sauvageau, Chair-ACCRU, Phone number: [phone], [email protected]