As Canada and the needs of Canadians have evolved, so too has the NRC - the root of much of the country's science and technology infrastructure. The following individuals have led the organization through its many adaptations to respond to Canada's most pressing challenges.
| Year | President |
|---|---|
| 2016 - present | Iain S. Stewart |
| 2010 - 2016 | John R. McDougall |
| 2005 - 2010 | Pierre Coulombe |
| 1994 - 2004 | Arthur J. Carty |
| 1989 - 1994 | Pierre O. Perron |
| 1980 - 1989 | J. Larkin Kerwin |
| 1967 - 1980 | William G. Schneider |
| 1963 - 1967 | Bristow G. Ballard |
| 1952 - 1962 | Edgar W. R. Steacie |
| 1944 - 1952 | Chalmers J. Mackenzie |
| 1935 - 1944 | Andrew G. L. McNaughton |
| 1923 - 1935 | Henry M. Tory |
| 1922 - 1923 | Frank D. Adams |
| 1921 - 1922 | Robert. A. Ross |
| 1921 | Robert F. Ruttan |
| 1916 - 1921 | Archibald B. Macallum |
Feature series on the NRC's past presidents
This series is inspired by Wilfrid Eggleston's National Research in Canada: The NRC 1916-1966, which chronicles the NRC's evolution from a small advisory body to a vital national organization.
Pierre Coulombe, who served as NRC president from 2005 to 2010, understood the multidisciplinary nature of science and technology and had a strong vision of "one NRC"—an organization uniquely positioned as a national resource for science and technology-based innovation in Canada.
Pierre O. Perron, a performance-oriented researcher who served as president of the NRC from 1989 to 1994, spearheaded the completion of the NRC's transformation to the institute model with a fearless management style.
Arthur J. Carty, an entrepreneurial scientist who served as president of the NRC from 1994 to 2004, balanced cluster development and commercialization with fundamental research strengths.