Our vision
A better Canada and world through excellence in research and innovation.
Our mission
To have an impact by advancing knowledge, applying leading-edge technologies and working with other innovators to find creative, relevant and sustainable solutions to Canada's current and future economic, social and environmental challenges.
Our values
Integrity
Behaving at all times ethically, honestly and objectively; being impartial and transparent with our colleagues, collaborators, stakeholders, clients and the people of Canada; and exercising sound stewardship of our resources.
Excellence
Pursuing excellence in all that we do: in our research and innovation, in our collaborations, in the execution of our programs, in our support to firms and in our delivery of our common corporate services.
Respect
Valuing and respecting the knowledge, expertise and diversity of our colleagues, our workplace, our collaborators, our stakeholders and our clients to have an impact on Canada and the world.
Creativity
Harnessing our imagination, passion for excellence, scientific exploration, technology and innovation to generate new knowledge, new technologies, new business processes and new collaborations for a better NRC and a better world.
Research and innovation
Our research and innovation expertise spans 12 research centres and a business unit across 5 divisions, with facilities in 24 locations across Canada.
Digital Technologies
- Digital Technologies Research Centre
Emerging Technologies
- Canadian Photonics Fabrication Centre
- Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Centre
- Metrology Research Centre
- Quantum and Nanotechnologies Research Centre
Engineering
- Clean Energy Innovation Research Centre
- Construction Research Centre
- Ocean, Coastal and River Engineering Research Centre
Life Sciences
- Aquatic and Crop Resource Development Research Centre
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre
- Medical Devices Research Centre
Transportation and Manufacturing
- Aerospace Research Centre
- Automotive and Surface Transportation Research Centre
People
4,505
full-time equivalent staff
- 2,310 scientists, engineers and technicians
- 275 NRC IRAP industrial technology advisors
595
students, postdoctoral fellows and research associates (hires)
96
nationalities in our workforce
41%
women in our workforce (relative to Canadian market availability: 37.5%)
128
NRC IRAP points of service
Scientific achievements
1,473
peer-reviewed publicationsFootnote 1
- 64 publications per 100 scientists/engineers/technicians
1.45
citation scoreFootnote 2 relative to world average
84%
co-authorship rate with external partnersFootnote 1
- 12.8% with UK
- 12.6% with Germany
- 5.8% with Japan
Patents
222
patent applications in 2024–2025
1,807
active patents
- 530 active patents currently licensed
- 464 patent families
Clients and collaborators
95%
of clients say the NRC helped them achieve resultsFootnote 3
646
active collaborative R&D projectsFootnote 4 with 174 funded collaborators
966
R&D clients
NRC IRAP
9,187
total clients
- 3,136 funded firms
- 6,051 firms received advisory services only
13,750
total jobs supported
33%
total revenue growth of client firmsFootnote 5
13%
employee growth of client firmsFootnote 5
FinancialFootnote 6
$1,708M
total expenditures (operating, capital, grants and contributions)
- $1,145.6M research centres
- $562.4M NRC IRAP
$203.4M
total revenue
- 36% industry
- 11% other (e.g., academia, non-profits)
- 53% other government departments
$639.7M
funding programs (grants and contributions expenditures)
- $437.0M NRC IRAP
- $61.2M TRIUMF
- $42.2M Collaborative Science, Technology and Innovation Program (CSTIP)
- $74.3M telescopes
- $23.5M Biologics Manufacturing Centre
- $1.5M other G&Cs