2022-23 DRR Supplementary Information Tables

Details on transfer payment programs

Assessed Contribution to the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM)

Start date: Canada signed the Metre Convention and became a member state of the BIPM in 1907 
End date: Ongoing 
Type of transfer payment: contribution 
Type of appropriation: Estimates 
Fiscal year for terms and conditions: 2018-19

Link to departmental results

• Scientific and technological knowledge advances
• Innovative businesses grow
• Evidence-based solutions inform decisions in Government priority areas

Link to the department's Program inventory: Metrology

Purpose and objectives of transfer payment program

The assessed contribution to the BIPM is an obligation accepted by Canada as a signatory to the international treaty known as the Metre Convention. By representing Canada on the international metrology stage through its affiliation with the BIPM and associated regional metrology organization Sistema Interamericana de Metrologia (SIM), the NRC can effectively and efficiently respond to its mandated responsibility for maintenance of national measurement standards, as articulated in the NRC Act and the Weights and Measures Act.

Results achieved: By maintaining international recognition in measurement science through its interactions with other member states of the treaty, the NRC continues to provide metrology research and services that help transform ideas into market-ready technologies that benefit Canadian society, the economy, and the environment.

Findings of audits completed in 2022-23: N/A

Findings of evaluations completed in 2022-23: N/A - evaluation completed in 2021-22.

Engagement of applicants and recipients in 2022-23

In 2022-23, engagement with the SIM Quality System Task Force (QSTF) resulted in the approval of the NRC’s Quality Management System (QMS), supporting its internationally recognized calibration and measurement capabilities in photometry and radiometry and dimensional metrology. The peer reviews were successfully completed and submitted to SIM for approval of the QMS in May 2023 for the following metrology areas: acoustics, ultrasound and vibration, biotoxin metrology and radioactivity. Other engagement was the addition or improvement of calibration and measurement capabilities in the BIPM key comparison database in the areas of acoustics, humidity and inorganic chemistry.

Explanation of variances: Variance immaterial.

Biologics Manufacturing Centre (BMC)

Start date: April 2023 
End date: March 2033 
Type of transfer payment: Contribution 
Type of appropriation: Estimates 
Fiscal year for terms and conditions: 2022-23

Link to departmental results

• Innovative businesses grow;
• Evidence-based solutions inform decisions in Government priority areas

Link to the department's Program Inventory

• Biologics Manufacturing Centre

Purpose and objectives of transfer payment program

The objective of the contribution program is to support base line not-for-profit operational costs to ensure fulfillment of the following:

• Maintain and operate the BMC facility in a constant Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)-readiness state to respond to pandemics and other health emergencies, ensuring surety of domestic vaccines and other biologics for Canadians
• In non-emergency periods, focus on maintaining pandemic and other health emergency preparedness, supporting public interest projects not otherwise available and contributing to the domestic biomanufacturing sector’s GMP production knowledge and capacity
• Serve as a foundational element for a broader system of federal capabilities and assets to respond to future pandemics or other health emergencies

Results achieved

The NRC oversaw complex processes in parallel in 2022-23: the operationalization of the facility, incorporation of the not-for-profit to operate the facility and establishment of its governance structure. These achievements were accomplished within a very short timeline and within the ongoing pressures of the pandemic.

Operationalizing the facility included completing all the technical steps and activities related to the commissioning, qualification and validation (CQV) process, as well as all related testing and GMP-required documentation. This work included developing and establishing more than 600 standard operating procedures and related documents, critical to establishing, maintaining and operating a GMP-certified facility. All staff and those involved in the operations of the facility were trained on the standard operating procedures and related documents.

In July 2022, Health Canada experts performed the GMP inspection at the BMC, covering all aspects of operating processes. The inspection confirmed that the BMC is complying with good manufacturing practices and the Food and Drugs Act. On August 5, 2022, Health Canada issued a drug establishment licence to the NRC, which authorizes the facility to manufacture and test non-sterile biologics and vaccines.

The intent has always been for the BMC to be self-contained and governed through a public-private partnership. To that end, in June 2022, the NRC initiated a nation-wide open call for proposals for a co-founder to jointly set up an independent not-for-profit corporation to operate the BMC.

In October 2022, the Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine (CCRM), a leader in developing and commercializing regenerative medicine-based technologies and cell and gene therapies, was selected as the co-founder. In December 2022, the NRC and CCRM jointly established Biologics Manufacturing Centre (BMC) Inc. which officially assumed responsibility for operating the facility on April 1, 2023.

Working together, the NRC developed and executed a rigorous project plan, transitioning all operations, associated assets and operational documents, as well as establishing contribution and lease agreements, all while maintaining continuity of operations. In parallel, BMC Inc. operational staff were hired as employees by the new not-for-profit organization.

In 2022-23, the NRC completed the facility’s operationalization and set up its not-for-profit governance. These achievements successfully conclude the NRC’s role in establishing the Biologics Manufacturing Centre and help ensure Canada is well positioned to protect the health of Canadians going forward.

Findings of audits completed in 2022-23: N/A

Findings of evaluations completed in 2022‑23: N/A - no evaluations completed yet.

Engagement of applicants and recipients in 2022–23

As part of the call for a co-founder to create a not-for-profit with the NRC, targeted outreach was undertaken with organizations in Canada’s biomanufacturing sector, inviting them to submit a business case with their qualifications to co-found the not-for-profit corporation to operate the BMC. The selection process for the co-founder was undertaken by an external evaluation committee made up of representatives from industry, academia and government.

Financial information (dollars)

Type of transfer payment	2020-21 Actual  spending	2021-22 Actual  spending	2022–23 Planned  spending	2022–23 Total  authorities available for use	2022–23 Actual  spending (authorities used)	Variance (2022–23 actual minus 2022–23 planned)
Total grants	-	-	-	-	-	-
Total contributions	-	-	-	975,300	975,300	975,300
Total program	-	-	-	975,300	975,300	975,300

Explanation of variances: The BMC is a new grants and contributions program that did not yet exist at the time of the 2022-23 Departmental Plan.

Collaborative Science, Technology and Innovation Program (CSTIP)

Start date: April 2008

End date: Ongoing

Type of transfer payment: Grants and contributions

Type of appropriation: Estimates

Fiscal year for terms and conditions: 2018‑19

Link to departmental results

• Scientific and technological knowledge advances
• Innovative businesses grow
• Evidence-based solutions inform decisions in Government priority areas

Link to the department's Program Inventory

• Collaborative Science
• Technology and Innovation Program

Purpose and objectives of transfer payment program

Provides grant and contribution funding for external collaborators with complementary capabilities (e.g., small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), post-secondary institutions and non-profit research organizations). The program comprises:

• NRC Collaborative Research and Development (R&D) initiatives: funding external collaborators working with NRC researchers on projects that make up a series of large-scale collaborative R&D programs in priority areas
• Ideation Fund: funding external collaborators working with NRC personnel to encourage, test and validate transformative self-directed, exploratory research ideas
• Outreach Initiative: funding to support conferences, workshops, symposia or other outreach initiatives, in order to promote engagement of Canadians, particularly those in under-represented groups, interested in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

Results achieved

In 2022-23, 409 active collaborative funding agreements were managed across 11 Challenge programs, 5 Cluster Support programs, the Ideation Fund (New Beginnings and Small Teams), and Outreach.

To date, the NRC has funded 775 collaborative research agreements and committed over $159 million in funding through CSTIP.

Numerous strategic planning workshops were conducted in 2022-23 to inform the strategic priorities for the next round of 7-year Challenge programs (Round 3), which are planned to launch in spring 2025.

The Applied Quantum Computing Challenge program announced through Budget 2021 was launched and the first set of projects commenced.

The creation of 4 new programs, announced through Budget 2022, was approved by Treasury Board, including 2 new Construction Challenge programs, a Critical Minerals and Advanced Materials Challenge program, and a top-up to the Ocean Cluster Support program aimed specifically at microplastics. Significant stakeholder engagement was conducted in the development of these programs, with all programs set to launch in 2023-24. In total, $46.46 million in G&C funding was provided (over 6 years) to the NRC for these 4 programs.

Findings of audits completed in 2022-23: N/A

Findings of evaluations completed in 2022‑23: Evaluation underway; completion expected in 2023–24.

Engagement of applicants and recipients in 2022–23

There were 10 open calls for proposals issued across Challenge programs and Cluster Support programs in 2022-23.

Open calls within the NRC resulted in 52 New Beginnings and 2 Small Teams projects being selected for funding with external research collaborators.

In 2022-23, the NRC funded 63 new unique collaborators through the CSTIP, bringing the total number of unique collaborators since the program’s inception to 219.

Partnerships with collaborative partners in both private and public sectors, academic and other research organizations both in Canada and internationally were maintained through 8 active Challenge programs and 5 active Cluster Support programs in 2022-23.

Financial information (dollars)

Type of transfer payment	2020-21 Actual  spending	2021-22 Actual  spending	2022–23 Planned  spending	2022–23 Total  authorities available for use	2022–23 Actual  spending (authorities used)	Variance (2022–23 actual minus 2022–23 planned)
Total grants	18,359,497	24,159,401	28,600,000	29,164,506	28,592,497	(7,503)
Total contributions	9,542,593	7,731,419	8,339,479	7,007,715	6,165,894	(2,173,585)
Total program	27,902,090	31,890,820	36,939,479	36,172,221	34,758,391	(2,181,088)

Explanation of variances: Variance immaterial.

Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP)

Start date: April 1965 (original program start date) 
End date: Ongoing 
Type of transfer payment: Contribution 
Type of appropriation: Estimates 
Fiscal year for terms and conditions: 2019‑20

Link to departmental results

• Scientific and technological knowledge advances
• Innovative businesses grow
• Evidence-based solutions inform decisions in Government priority areas

Link to the department's Program Inventory

• Industrial Research Assistance Program

Purpose and objectives of transfer payment program

The program contributes to the growth and prosperity of Canadian SMEs by stimulating innovation, adoption or commercialization of technology-based products, services, or processes in Canada. This is done through:

1. technical and related business advice and networking facilitated by a cross-Canada network of field professional staff
2. cost-shared merit-based contributions
3. contributions supporting employment of post-secondary graduates

This program has the following streams:

• Contributions to Firms
• Contributions to Organizations
• Youth Employment Program

NRC IRAP supports the placement of graduates in SMEs through its participation in the delivery of the Youth Employment Program sponsored by Employment and Social Development Canada's Youth Employment and Skills Strategy.

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, NRC IRAP established a suite of 10 temporary Subject Expert teams to coordinate and accelerate support to Canadian SMEs that presented viable solutions to detect, prevent and treat COVID-19. 2 teams continue to support projects to further technology development, capacity building and manufacturing scale-up in response to COVID-19.

The program aims to contain broad flexibilities to reflect the different needs and realities of a variety of recipients from various industry sectors. This includes the possibility of non-repayable contributions under appropriate circumstances where the benefits to Canada would be significant, and in keeping with international obligations.

Results achieved

• Stimulation of innovation in SMEs in Canada
• Growth of innovative SMEs
• Creation of wealth for Canada

Refer to the main portion of the NRC's Departmental Results Report for additional results pertaining to NRC IRAP.

Findings of audits completed in 2022-23: N/A

Findings of evaluations completed in 2022-23: Evaluation completed in 2022-23.

Key findings

• NRC IRAP is reaching high-potential innovative clients as intended. The program has stimulated innovation-driven growth in the economy and supported the creation of wealth in Canada.
• The program funded a higher proportion of SMEs owned by diverse groups of Canadians than the proportion of SMEs owned by diverse Canadians in the overall population.
• NRC IRAP is designed and delivered in a manner that is consistent with comparative international programs and generally meets the needs of intended clients. However, some adjustments could be made to improve overall efficiency and ensure the program meets the specific needs of diverse groups.
• The program has become increasingly relevant as it fills a significant gap in the innovation support ecosystem for SMEs as well as other government departments.

The evaluation made 4 specific recommendations for the program:

1. Explore alternative solutions to tackle current HR challenges
2. Refine project development and approval processes and tools
3. Ensure the existing inclusiveness strategy and initiatives are better communicated to and operationalized by staff
4. Strengthen performance measurement and the use of data analytics

Engagement of applicants and recipients in 2022-23

NRC IRAP is a national program managed on a regional basis with over 260 Industrial Technology Advisors (ITAs) located in 106 points of service across the country, who provide customized advice to growth-oriented technologically innovative SMEs. ITAs engage with firms over a period of time, creating a plan to work with the firm to support their plans for innovation and growth. Support may be in the form of advisory services and/or financial support for innovative projects.

At the end of their funded project, recipients are required to complete an online Post-Project Report. This assessment captures information on the recipient's experience with NRC IRAP and, along with published service standards, is used by the program to develop continuous program improvements.

NRC IRAP has an Advisory Board composed of 10 to 12 members from industry and industry associations. This Board provides advice to NRC IRAP management and brings an external perspective on the strategic direction and management of the program.

Financial information (dollars)

Type of transfer payment	2020-21 Actual  spending	2021-22 Actual  spending	2022–23 Planned  spending	2022–23 Total  authorities available for use	2022–23 Actual  spending (authorities used)	Variance (2022–23 actual minus 2022–23 planned)
Total grants	-	-	-	-	-	-
Total contributions	715,902,634	458,281,744	469,092,050	494,440,323	479,815,375	10,723,325
Total program	715,902,634	458,281,744	469,092,050	494,440,323	479,815,375	10,723,325

Explanation of variances: Variance due to additional funding available for the Vaccine and Therapeutics program.

Innovative Solutions Canada

Start date: December 2017 
End date: Ongoing 
Type of transfer payment: Contribution 
Type of appropriation: Estimates 
Fiscal year for terms and conditions: The NRC received authority for the Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED)-led terms and conditions for Innovative Solutions Canada (ISC) grants in 2017–18 (January 2018).

Link to departmental results

ISC is an ISED-led program, with the NRC as 1 of 21 federal departments mandated to participate. Program results will be reported by ISED.

Link to the department's Program Inventory

Within the NRC, this ISED-led program is administered by NRC IRAP.

Purpose and objectives of transfer payment program

ISC is a grant and procurement program that enables participating departments and agencies to support the scale-up of Canadian small and medium-sized businesses through early-stage, pre-commercial R&D. The program allocates a portion of departmental funding to:

• Fuel the development and adoption of technological innovation in Canada
• Grow Canadian companies through direct funding to support early stage, pre-commercial R&D, late-stage prototypes, and to accelerate commercialization
• Encourage procurement from companies led by equity deserving groups, such as women, Indigenous Peoples, youth, racialized persons, persons with disabilities, 2SLGBTQ+ and others
• Foster greater industry-research collaboration through the release of challenges for solutions that address key Government of Canada priorities
• Provide federal departments and agencies with opportunities to develop new capabilities to meet their R&D needs and thereby advance government priorities

Results achieved

NRC IRAP provided financial support for near-to-market solutions through ISED's ISC Challenge Program, investing $13.7 million in 2022‑23, to support 43 projects with 19 Canadian SMEs. In addition, a total of 11 phase 2 projects were successfully completed. The NRC continues to be the leading ISC department in the number of challenges posted (32 in total), including the number of challenges issued in collaboration with other departments and awarded funded projects.

Findings of audits completed in 2022‑23: N/A

Findings of evaluations completed in 2022‑23: N/A – this is an ISED-led program.

Engagement of applicants and recipients in 2022‑23:

Initial engagement with applicants was completed via the ISC website, where all NRC challenges are posted (2 new ISC challenges posted in 2022-2023). This information was also shared on the ISED-ISC LinkedIn account. Internally, the ISC-IRAP team sent out an e-blast to all NRC IRAP ITAs and Client Relationship Leaders (CRLs) each time a new NRC challenge was posted. By doing so, ITAs and CRLs were encouraged to share the information with potential SME applicants.

Financial information (dollars)

Type of transfer payment	2020-21 Actual  spending	2021-22 Actual  spending	2022–23 Planned  spending	2022–23 Total  authorities available for use	2022–23 Actual  spending (authorities used)	Variance (2022–23 actual minus 2022–23 planned)
Total grants	10,024,930	9,697,295	5,500,000	10,409,330	9,566,552	4,066,552
Total contributions	-	-	-	-	-	-
Total program	10,024,930	9,697,2950	5,500,000	10,409,330	9,566,552	4,066,552

Explanation of variances: Variance due to additional grant funding received for the program.

International Affiliations Program

Start date: 1958 
End date: Ongoing 
Type of transfer payment: Grant 
Type of appropriation: Estimates 
Fiscal year for terms and conditions: 2011‑12

Link to departmental results

Scientific and technological knowledge advances

Link to the department's Program Inventory

• International Affiliations

Purpose and objectives of transfer payment program

Canada’s membership in international science and technology (S&T) organizations promotes international research and innovation, networking, advocacy, leadership opportunities as well as access to benchmarking possibilities, enabling Canadian science, technology and industry to remain competitive.

Results achieved

Enhanced the NRC's international visibility and Canada's reputation as a global leader in science, technology and innovation (STI), noting in particular that the International Science Council honoured Dr. Françoise Baylis (Professor, Dalhousie University), Dr. Rémi Quirion (Chief Scientist Quebec), Dr. Gordon McBean (Professor, University of Western Ontario) as inaugural Fellows and Dr. Alan Bernstein, (Professor Emeritus, University of Toronto), Dr. Eliane Ubalijoro (Head, Future Earth Canada Hub), as Fellows.

Strengthened Canadian influence in solidifying interdisciplinary science-based global policy making, including the appointment of Dr. Karly Kehoe (Professor, Saint Mary’s University) as Member of Science in Exile Steering Committee and Member, Standing Committee, Freedom and Responsibility in Science for the International Science Council.

Contributed to Canadian STI leader development via International Science Council opportunities for leadership development and leadership opportunities implementing equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) approaches, including the new membership of the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists as affiliated members.

Increased market-oriented innovation opportunities to Canadian SMEs and export growth via global value chains to ensure Canadian excellence and competitiveness. Canada joined the Eureka network for international co-innovation as a full-member, providing greater future opportunities for Canadian companies to access international networks and expertise to accelerate their innovative products and services to the market.

Findings of audits completed in 2022‑23: N/A

Findings of evaluations completed in 2022‑23: Evaluation completed in 2020-21.

Engagement of applicants and recipients in 2022-23:

Ongoing in-depth engagement continued with representatives of each Canadian National Committee (CNC) to assess evolving priorities, most valued benefits of the program to participants, and perceived needs of each international affiliation's CNC. Dialogue continues with existing CNCs to gauge their desired level of international participation, as well as with other potential applicants.

An advisory committee for the program has now met through 4 full fiscal years, drawing on cross government science departments and agencies, and deploying expertise to leverage Canadian international science objectives. Regular, frequent interaction ensures continuous engagement and coordination. This fiscal year, the committee was expanded to include other government departments with international science memberships.

Engagement with international affiliations management has intensified and will continue to better gauge impact and plans. This will inform the Canadian STI management community of the science diplomacy needs of Canadian practitioners in light of track records of international affiliations and associated level of required support.

Moreover, regular engagement will continue to take place including completion of an annual reporting questionnaire.

Financial information (dollars)

Type of transfer payment	2020-21 Actual  spending	2021-22 Actual  spending	2022–23 Planned  spending	2022–23 Total  authorities available for use	2022–23 Actual  spending (authorities used)	Variance (2022–23 actual minus 2022–23 planned)
Total grants	608,896	564,958	560,000	610,000	609,608	49,608
Total contributions	-	-	-	-	-	-
Total program	608,896	564,958	560,000	610,000	609,608	49,608

Explanation of variances: variance is immaterial.

International Astronomical Observatories Program

Start date: 1978 
End date: Ongoing 
Type of transfer payment: Contribution 
Type of appropriation: Estimates 
Fiscal year for terms and conditions: 2015‑16

Link to departmental results

• Scientific and technological knowledge advances
• Innovative businesses grow
• Evidence-based solutions inform decisions in Government priority area

Link to the department's Program Inventory

• Herzberg Astronomy & Astrophysics

Purpose and objectives of transfer payment program

Astronomy is a global science. The increasing cost of leading-edge observatories and the scarcity of ideal observation sites have led to a greater focus on international collaboration for large-scale astronomy projects that lead to advances in knowledge and understanding of the universe.

The NRC, in collaboration with other international bodies, provides financial contributions to support the management and operations of offshore ground-based observatories and their related facilities, including the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT), the twin telescopes of the Gemini Observatory and the Atacama Large Millimetre-submillimetre Array (ALMA). The NRC participates in the oversight and direction of these facilities and their research capabilities. The NRC also represented Canada in the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) consortium for the pre-construction phase of the telescope and signed a cooperation agreement in November 2021 to continue Canada’s participation in the Square Kilometer Array Observatory (SKOA). In 2015, Canada joined the international partnership to participate in the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT).

International agreements governing these observatories are long-term commitments that specify contributions to support preconstruction design and development, construction, operation and maintenance, capital improvements (e.g., development of new astronomical instruments and other facility upgrades) and decommissioning of the international ground-based observatories and their related facilities. These agreements also include commitments to support the university-based user communities to ensure a fair and progressive use of these observatories.

The NRC participates in the governance of these international facilities on behalf of the Canadian astronomy research community and provides appropriate support, including advanced data management services and instrumentation. Through the NRC's financial and in-kind contributions, the Canadian astronomy community is assured merit-based access to these facilities with appropriate support.

Recipients are not required to repay funds obtained under this transfer payment program.

Results achieved

Demand by Canadian astronomers for international observatories continued to exceed time available, which shows the relevance of the observatories and their instrumentation. Based on data obtained using the CFHT, the Gemini Observatory and ALMA, 231 scientific papers were published by Canadian astronomy users enabled by the NRC based on data obtained using the CFHT, (Canada France Hawaii Telescope), Gemini Observatory, and ALMA.

With construction of 2 of the world’s largest radio telescopes continuing, the NRC extended its 2-year cooperation agreement with the international SKAO to allow Canada’s scientific and engineering communities to continue their participation in the project. In January, Canada announced its intent to join the Observatory as a full member with a 6% share. Canada has been involved in the SKA project from its earliest stages, and this commitment ensures Canadian astronomers will have access to 1 of the world’s leading facilities, further strengthening Canada’s international reputation in astronomical discovery and increasing opportunity for strong collaboration with industry, academia, government and international partners. The NRC worked with domestic and international partners to develop key observatory systems, including the digital correlator, ‘the brain’ behind the SKA-Mid telescope in South Africa.

Currently, the largest radio-telescope in the world, ALMA captures millimetric and submillimetric waves that emanate from vast cold clouds in space and from some of the earliest and furthest galaxies in our universe. Using ALMA, scientists made the first-ever detection of gas in a circumplanetary disk, which suggests the presence of a very young exoplanet.

Since 1979, the Canada-France-Hawaii (CFH) Observatory has offered a world-class, 3.6m optical/infrared telescope and provides a versatile, state-of-the-art, astronomical observing facility on one of the highest quality sites for optical astronomy on the planet. Using SPIRou (SPectropolarimètre InfraROUge) and other Canadian instruments, an international team of researchers led by a Ph. D. student at the University of Montréal announced the discovery of an exoplanet orbiting a star in what is called the ‘Goldilocks Zone’, an area where it is not too hot, and not too cold for liquid water to exist on its surface.

In 2022, the Canadian Astronomy Data Centre (CADC) continued to advance the use of International Virtual Observatory Alliance Standards in the development of Digital Research Platforms for astronomy, which will be key to international collaborations in astronomical research.

Findings of audits completed in 2022‑23: N/A

Findings of evaluations completed in 2022‑23: Evaluation of Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics completed in 2021–22.

Engagement of applicants and recipients in 2022‑23

The NRC manages observatories established or maintained by the Government of Canada for the benefit of the Canadian astronomy research community, aligning its contributions to the priorities of the community's Long-Range Plan for Astronomy and Astrophysics. The NRC participates on the boards which oversee the observatories to ensure that the science directions and programs of the facilities reflect Canadian strengths and interests. In addition, the NRC ensures that these activities increase opportunities for Canadian researchers and firms to develop relevant instrumentation for the observatories.

To carry out its roles effectively, the NRC provides current information about each observatory to research community-based committees of scientists, which provide expert advice on observatory operations and development. The NRC provides extensive support to the user community through numerous services extending from administering the time allocation process for Canadian researchers, to delivery of science ready data (through the CADC).

Financial information (dollars)

Type of transfer payment	2020-21 Actual  spending	2021-22 Actual  spending	2022–23 Planned  spending	2022–23 Total  authorities available for use	2022–23 Actual  spending (authorities used)	Variance (2022–23 actual minus 2022–23 planned)
Total grants	-	-	-	-	-	-
Total contributions	25,495,440	27,537,242	64,704,472	75,730,323	26,647,172	(38,057,300)
Total program	25,495,440	27,537,242	64,704,472	75,730,323	26,647,172	(38,057,300)

Explanation of variances: The significant variance between planned and actual spending is due to ongoing delays associated with Canada’s participation in the construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope. These delays are outside of the NRC’s control.

TRIUMF

Start date: April 1977 
End date: Ongoing 
Type of transfer payment: Contribution 
Type of appropriation: Estimates 
Fiscal year for terms and conditions: 2020‑21

Link to departmental result(s)

• Scientific and technological knowledge advances
• Innovative businesses grow
• Evidence-based solutions inform decisions in Government priority areas

Link to the department's Program Inventory: TRIUMF

Purpose and objectives of transfer payment program

TRIUMF is Canada's particle accelerator centre. The laboratory is 1 of Canada's key investments in large-scale research infrastructure. It provides world-class facilities for research in sub-atomic physics, accelerator science, life sciences and materials science. An incorporated non-profit with charitable status, TRIUMF Inc. is owned and operated by a consortium of Canadian universities, with its core operations funded through 5-year contribution agreements. TRIUMF Inc. has its own governance and management team who operate and manage TRIUMF Inc. The NRC plays an important oversight and stewardship role for TRIUMF Inc. on behalf of the Government of Canada. The NRC, however, is not directly involved in designing and running the organization’s operations.

Recipients are not required to repay funds obtained under this transfer payment program.

Results achieved:

• TRIUMF contributed to 247 scientific publications in scientific journals, trained 275 highly qualified personnel, including undergraduate and graduate students as well as post-doctoral researchers, and hosted 624 scientific visitors and users, nearly 300 of which came from international institutions.
• TRIUMF broke production records with the largest amount of a rare cancer-fighting isotope which was shipped to a radiopharmaceutical partner for further testing. The commercialization arm of TRIUMF, TRIUMF Innovations, is the co-lead for a $35 million federal Strategic Innovation Fund proposal to create the Canadian Medical Isotope Ecosystem to accelerate the Canadian medical isotope innovations from researchers and SMEs across Canada.
• TRIUMF reached a very important milestone in the ARIEL project with the completion of the ARIEL-II hot cell #1 facility that represents the largest single capital investment for ARIEL. In addition, TRIUMF commissioned an irradiation target area at the ARIEL electron linear accelerator, reaching world-leading doses of γ-beams for tumor irradiation.
• TRIUMF completed a unique facility for depth profiling of materials in parallel magnetic fields. First pioneering test results show material composition on the Meissner screening, which have been published.
• The TRIUMF DRAGON facility performed the first direct measurement of the 7Be(α,γ)11C reaction using an intense radioactive beam and the DRAGON recoil separator. This reaction is important for nucleosynthesis in the neutrino-driven outflows of core-collapse supernovae.
• Driving world-leading nuclear theory research, TRIUMF performed calculations of the neutron skin of the 208Pb and of the deuteron capture on 4He which will help in understanding neutron stars and the Big Bang Nucleosynthesis of 6Li.
• TRIUMF continued to make significant progress on the Institute for Advanced Medical Isotopes, a new facility that will significantly increase Canada’s competitive advantage in leading-edge medical isotope research, development and production. With substantial construction completed in July 2022, efforts are focused on commissioning the facility and TR24 cyclotron.
• The TRIUMF laboratory was re-organised into 7 divisions, and TRIUMF Innovations, with the leads of all divisions forming a collaborative leadership team. This streamlining has supported the new skills-based governance structure by ensuring efficient information flow to the Board, oversight and evaluation groups.
• In June 2022, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission announced its decision to award TRIUMF a new 10-year operational license which will allow continued operations up to June 2032.

Findings of audits completed in 2022‑23: N/A

Findings of evaluations completed in 2022‑23: Evaluation underway; completion expected in 2023–24.

Engagement of applicants and recipients in 2022–23

The NRC chairs the Agency Committee on TRIUMF (ACT), which includes the federal agencies that fund and oversee TRIUMF activities, providing TRIUMF management the opportunity to present progress and discuss future directions for the facility.

The NRC also manages the Advisory Committee on TRIUMF (ACOT), composed of international experts within disciplines that span TRIUMF’s research and technology activities. ACOT reports its findings to the NRC and TRIUMF senior management twice annually, making recommendations on programs and management as well as reporting on the scientific and technological achievements of TRIUMF programs and facilities.

Observer representatives from the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the Canadian Institute of Nuclear Physics, the Canadian Institute of Particle Physics, the materials science community and TRIUMF's user community ensure that TRIUMF's directions are well aligned with the research community's needs and that TRIUMF is working with all its constituencies across Canada. The Committee considers all aspects of the TRIUMF program, with a particular emphasis on science and technological issues to ensure the relevance, impact, and world-class standing of TRIUMF's activities. Through NRC activities in ACT and ACOT, the NRC maintains a close relationship with TRIUMF.

TRIUMF has approximately 410 staff and students supported via the NRC's contribution agreement, with roughly 160 additional positions supported through other sources for specific designated purposes, including temporary funds to operate new capital infrastructure.

Annually, TRIUMF provides training for more than 220 undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows. TRIUMF has numerous programs aimed at young people, students, teachers, and the general public to ensure that as many as possible share the wonder of discovery and experience the excitement generated by 1 of Canada's premier laboratories. In addition, TRIUMF offers a suite of programs to aide in the growth and development of professional skills for its graduate students and postdocs.

Financial information (dollars)

Type of transfer payment	2020-21 Actual  spending	2021-22 Actual  spending	2022–23 Planned  spending	2022–23 Total  authorities available for use	2022–23 Actual  spending (authorities used)	Variance (2022–23 actual minus 2022–23 planned)
Total grants	-	-	-	-	-	-
Total contributions	59,443,659	62,225,000	63,925,183	61,948,555	59,325,000	(4,600,183)
Total program	59,443,659	62,225,000	63,925,183	61,948,555	59,325,000	(4,600,183)

Explanation of variances: Actual spending on TRIUMF was lower than planned due to changes in TRIUMF’s cash flow requirements.

Gender-based analysis plus

Section 1: Institutional GBA Plus capacity

As one of Canada's important research and development organizations, the NRC partners with Canadian industry to take research impacts from the laboratory to the marketplace. To support the achievement of this goal and the advancement of the Government of Canada’s equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) priorities, the NRC is using a GBA Plus lens to help make its research more inclusive and thereby, more impactful.

Governance

Building a diverse and representative workforce, removing barriers and fostering an inclusive culture are key priorities for the NRC. In support of these priorities, the NRC has engaged its employees, clients and collaborators on GBA Plus (e.g., offering training, sharing information and tools, integrating a GBA Plus lens in program design, delivery and evaluation, etc.).

The NRC's Secretary General fulfills the role of GBA Plus champion for the organization, and within the division is a GBA Plus Focal Point responsible for coordinating organizational efforts. The Secretary General division also represents the NRC on the federal Interdepartmental Working Group for GBA Plus and the GBA Plus Focal Point Network, and develops and provides program guidance for integration of GBA Plus into program design and delivery.

In 2022-23, the NRC continued its cross-NRC network dedicated to EDI, and took the name The Inclusive Innovation Community of Practice, with the objectives of developing an equitable, diverse and inclusive workforce and workplace, and understanding the impacts on diverse groups to inform program design and delivery. Members include the NRC's EDI Advisor, GBA Plus Focal Point, and an extensive network of employees leading inclusive innovation initiatives across the organization.

Capacity

The NRC continues to build capacity and expand awareness about GBA Plus across the organization. The NRC is also increasing efforts to promote an environment where all individuals can achieve their full potential, and to foster communities, networks and mentoring that support a diverse organization.

Inclusive Innovation and GBA Plus integration into strategic planning

In 2022-23, the NRC initiated the development of its 2024-2029 Strategic Plan with inclusive innovation identified as a key priority. Inclusive innovation goes beyond the creation of an inclusive workforce and workplace to also examine how the organization impacts diverse communities. GBA Plus is part of a broader set of inclusive innovation priorities, and reflects the NRC’s commitment to adopting an intersectional lens to look at how individuals from diverse groups access and may be affected by the organization’s research and its programs, as well as how the organization and its outputs can be improved through diversity.

Inclusive innovation has several positive impacts for the NRC. From an internal perspective, it can help the NRC increase the diversity of its workforce, reinforce an anti-racist work environment, and create an open and accessible workplace.

From an external perspective, inclusive innovation promotes excellence by fostering new ideas, adapting to changes in the operating context, eliminating barriers to participation and improving the relevance of NRC research. It focuses on using inclusive design approaches during the creation of new research and supporting programs and services, and promotes engagement with and the participation of Indigenous Peoples. Lastly, inclusive innovation helps examine the ways in which the NRC’s work affects diverse groups in different ways by using a GBA Plus lens in program performance data collection, analysis, and reporting.

The NRC has engaged with employees across the organization on this key priority to build awareness and understanding, and is setting related goals for the next 5 years. The new Strategic Plan 2024-2029 is expected to be released in 2024-25.

GBA Plus integration into program implementation

The NRC conducts GBA Plus analysis during the development of Cabinet documents, program design (including the NRC's collaborative R&D programs) and program evaluations.

The NRC also monitors and tracks statistics on workforce representation of designated employment equity groups, supported by a streamlined set of hiring and representation goals. The NRC also reports regularly to senior management on its progress related to EDI.

Building relationships to advance equity for First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples creates greater Indigenous inclusion in research and opens new pathways to bridging knowledge systems. In bridging knowledge systems, the NRC can tap into different forms of knowledge in examining the critical issues of our time. In 2022-23, the NRC has increased its Indigenous engagement capacity and skills to help raise awareness and improve coordination by appointing an Indigenous Engagement Advisor.

Advancing the NRC's GBA Plus capacity and awareness

The NRC Committee on Recruitment and Retention of Women in STEM continued to meet quarterly to explore the broad range of experiences, challenges and opportunities facing women in STEM, and raised awareness about the importance of integrating GBA Plus into program design and delivery. The NRC also continued to ensure that diversity and inclusive language are reflected in NRC images, posters and materials, and continued inclusive practices such as meaningful land acknowledgements in formal gatherings.

To support employees in applying GBA Plus, the NRC maintains an internal portal for EDI information, tools and resources, as well as Indigenous engagement and anti-racism library guides, and offers training as part of the NRC's EDI Strategy. Training includes mandatory online courses for all staff in EDI fundamentals and unconscious bias, a mandatory course for all supervisors on bias in hiring, antiracism training, and targeted GBA Plus training on demand.

Section 2: Gender and Diversity Impacts, by Program

Core Responsibility: Science and Innovation

Programs

• Advanced Electronics and Photonics
• Aerospace
• Aquatic and Crop Resource Development
• Automotive and Surface Transportation
• Construction
• Digital Technologies
• Energy, Mining and Environment
• Herzberg Astronomy & Astrophysics
• Human Health Therapeutics
• Medical Devices
• Metrology
• Nanotechnology
• Ocean, Coastal and River Engineering
• Security and Disruptive Technologies
• Genomics Research & Development Initiative Shared Priority Projects
• Collaborative Science, Technology and Innovation Program
• Industrial Research Assistance Program
• International Affiliations
• TRIUMF
• National Science Library
• Business Management Support
• Design and Fabrication Services
• Research Information and Technology Platforms
• Special Purpose Real Property

Program Name: Advanced Electronics and Photonics

Program goals: The NRC’s Advanced Electronics and Photonics (AEP) program aims to develop game-changing sensing and communications technologies that collect and move data, enabling Canada’s infrastructure and services to become smarter and more accessible and creating sustainable prosperity. The program has integrated GBA Plus into many aspects of its activities, including through: the design and delivery of a challenge program to improve telecommunications in rural and remote areas; efforts to build, expand and diversify Canadian STEM capacity in the fields and sectors the program supports; and representation of diverse views on its research advisory board.

Target Population: All Canadians and sectors: manufacturing, telecommunications photonics industry, artificial intelligence, automotive, quantum and aerospace, defense and security, science and technology industry

Distribution of Benefits: By gender – Broadly gender-balanced 
By income level – No significant distributional impacts 
By age group – No significant inter-generational impacts or impacts between youth and seniors

Specific demographic group outcomes: Through its High-throughput and Secure Networks (HTSN) Challenge program, AEP and other NRC programs are partnering with external collaborators to develop disruptive technologies and technologies that improve the cost and performance of delivering secure, affordable and high-speed internet services in rural and remote communities across Canada. The HTSN challenge program aims to surpass the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission's universal service objective of 50 Mbps download and 10 Mbps upload with unlimited data, and to develop technology that can enable service providers to offer affordable 1 Gbps or better connectivity to users in all rural and remote communities in Canada. This would significantly benefit Indigenous communities in remote areas, providing increased access to economic development, employment, health care, education and cultural exchanges, and would improve safety and security.

New Canadians are being incentivized to settle in rural and remote areas, and connectivity will be a key driver in support of this goal. Affordable, high-speed internet can also lead to improved outcomes for vulnerable populations through better access to education, jobs and health services through distance education, virtual jobs and telehealth.

Key program impacts^Footnote* on gender and diversity:

Key program impact statistics:

Other key program impacts

GBA Plus has been integrated into the governance of the HTSN program through the program’s external committees involved in design, implementation and strategic guidance. The members of these committees were selected from across Canada with a view to providing broad technical and geographical representation. The program is working towards ensuring that the composition of these committees is consistent with the representation in Canada of the 4 employment equity groups. In 2022-23, an external peer review of the HTSN program was conducted by a committee comprised of 5 members, including 2 women and 1 racialized person. In addition, for approved research projects, Principal Investigators (PIs) must explain how they are supporting underrepresented groups and describe the measures undertaken to address systemic barriers. Approximately 40% of the NRC PIs from the HTSN program are racialized persons.

In 2022-23, the AEP program continued efforts to integrate GBA Plus into its operations through the hiring and training of students, early career STEM professionals, and highly qualified personnel (HQP). The program has placed a greater emphasis on equity-deserving groups in order to improve the quality of scientific and technical outputs and to increase the representation of these groups within traditionally underrepresented fields. The AEP program’s ratio of new hires from equity-deserving groups relative to the Canadian average labour market availability (LMA) was 0.5 for women and 2.4 for racialized persons in 2022-23. An action plan was implemented in 2022-23 that includes best practices for succession planning, increasing diverse representation on hiring boards, focused recruitment of equity-deserving groups for new job openings, and awareness training for staff. For the first time, in 2022-23 the hiring process for specific positions was focused on hiring members of equity-deserving groups.

The program has an advisory board, made up of the research centre’s stakeholder community who provide independent advice on the overall strategic direction and priorities of the program, while ensuring alignment with the NRC's priorities. The NRC works to ensure that the program's advisory board is balanced and representative of the Canadian population.

GBA Plus data collection plan

The AEP program’s impacts on gender and diversity are challenging to measure because the program interacts with research clients and collaborators and not directly with the broader Canadian populations that are the ultimate beneficiaries. Despite the challenges, the AEP program continued efforts to build and adopt strategies to collect GBA Plus data from its different streams of work. AEP continued to set targets and collect data (where possible) on its work to build and expand diverse Canadian STEM capacity in its field and sector.

The NRC will continue to engage TBS and Statistics Canada in 2023-24 to leverage their collaborative statistical program on Business Innovation and Growth Support (BIGS) to enable the AEP program to better understand business ownership composition of enterprises supported and other GBA Plus dimensions, including the diversity in access and participation in the program. Data collected by Statistics Canada for 2020 on AEP client enterprises was only sufficient for reporting on gender ownership.

The next evaluation of the work undertaken by the AEP program will include an examination of EDI populations within the research centre and program workforce as well as distribution across the various employee subgroups (researcher, management, administrative) and levels. Further, to ensure the perspectives of diverse populations are heard, the evaluation project will also include diverse populations in key informant interviews, peer review committees, surveys, and potentially, GBA Plus case studies.

Program Name: Aerospace

Program goals:

The NRC’s Aerospace program focuses on aerospace research and technology development in the core areas of aerodynamics, flight research, gas turbines, structures and materials, and manufacturing. The Aerospace program has integrated GBA Plus into its research activities and operational planning, including: the use of specialized facilities; work on a cluster support program; efforts to build, expand and diversify Canadian STEM capacity in the fields and sectors the program supports; and representation of diverse views on its research advisory board.

Target Population:

All Canadians and sectors: aviation, aerospace sector, manufacturing, transportation, science and technology industry

Distribution of Benefits:

By gender – Broadly gender-balanced

By income level – No significant distributional impacts

By age group – No significant inter-generational impacts or impacts between youth and seniors

Specific demographic group outcomes:

Innovation, sustainability and workforce development are essential to growing the Canadian aerospace industry. Even before COVID-19, the industry faced a looming shortage of skilled workers, but pandemic-related layoffs and a smaller number of aerospace graduates may further constrain the industry’s future growth. The NRC’s Aerospace program makes efforts to address the needs of air travel passengers, including Canadians with special needs (e.g., people living with obesity and people who use mobility aids).

Key program impacts^Footnote* on gender and diversity:

Key program impact statistics:

Other key program impacts:

Using its Centre for Air Travel Research, the Aerospace program investigates opportunities to improve the safety, comfort and productivity of passengers and crew throughout the air travel experience, including Canadians with diverse physical attributes. This work has expanded to include multiple projects investigating barriers to accessibility for various groups and some examples are shown below to demonstrate the program’s impact.

The NRC and its collaborators (Carleton University, University of Ottawa) are identifying barriers that are limiting older adults’ ability to travel and connect with their communities. The NRC’s Aging in Place Challenge program and collaborators will provide recommendations for evidence-based innovative design, and inform policy and regulations (related to Bill C-81), to reduce or remove travel-related barriers.

The NRC mobilized an international working group (IWG) to target the current challenges associated with the use of Special Service Request (SSR) codes in the air travel industry.  Special Service Requests are used by airlines to respond to the requirements of passengers with special needs. As part of this project, the NRC identified and prioritized 7 areas of research to improve SSR code use. With support from the Canadian Transportation Agency and Transport Canada, the NRC created and tested a prototype to address the needs of passengers with mobility aids for information on the size of aircraft cargo doors. Testing demonstrated that this unique dataset and tool will improve accessibility in air travel. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is currently investigating the possibility of embedding this tool into its database for broader access across stakeholder groups.

Under the AI for Logistics (AI4L) Cluster Support program, the Aerospace program worked on a project which addresses challenges faced by Indigenous communities in remote areas. The Aerospace program's AI-enabled navigation of unmanned aircraft systems focuses on enabling beyond visual line of sight navigation of cargo delivery to remote communities and could contribute to, for example, improved health outcomes for vulnerable populations, including Indigenous communities. Collaborators in this project include the Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), the universities of Victoria and Ottawa, and Canadian SMEs. This project has contributed to the training of HQP and the development of new machine learning and AI algorithms and methods.

The program has an advisory board, made up of the research centre’s stakeholder community who provide independent advice on the overall strategic direction and priorities of the program, while ensuring alignment with the NRC's priorities. The NRC works to ensure that the program's advisory board is balanced and representative of the Canadian population.

In 2022-23, the Aerospace program continued efforts to integrate GBA Plus into its operations through the hiring and training of students, early career STEM professionals and HQP. The program has placed a greater emphasis on equity-deserving groups in order to improve the quality of scientific and technical outputs and to increase the representation of these groups within traditionally underrepresented fields. The program has made efforts to promote women in positions of leadership and has implemented 2 grass-roots initiatives on Early Career Network and Employee Experience that help create a more conducive work environment and promote representation from equity-deserving groups. The Aerospace program’s ratio of new hires from equity-deserving groups relative to the Canadian average labour market availability was 1.5 for women, 2.3 for racialized persons and 0.8 for persons with disability.

GBA Plus data collection plan:

The Aerospace program’s impacts on gender and diversity are challenging to measure because the program interacts with research clients and collaborators and not directly with the broader Canadian populations that are the ultimate beneficiaries. Despite the challenges, the Aerospace program continued efforts to build and adopt strategies to collect GBA Plus data from its different streams of work. The Aerospace program continued to set targets and collect data (where possible) on its work to build and expand diverse Canadian STEM capacity in its field and sector.

The NRC will continue to engage TBS and Statistics Canada in 2023-24 to leverage their collaborative statistical program on Business Innovation and Growth Support (BIGS) to enable the Aerospace program to better understand business ownership composition of enterprises supported and other GBA Plus dimensions, including the diversity in access and participation in the program.

The evaluation of the Aerospace program is tentatively scheduled to begin in 2024-25. The evaluation will include an examination of EDI populations within the research centre and program workforce, as well as distribution across the various employee subgroups (researcher, management, administrative) and levels. Further, to ensure the perspectives of diverse populations are heard, the evaluation project will also include diverse populations in key informant interviews, peer review committees, surveys, and potentially, GBA Plus case studies.

Program Name: Aquatic and Crop Resource Development

Program goals:

The NRC’s Aquatic and Crop Resource Development (ACRD) program aims to make Canada a world leader in sustainable biomass transformation. ACRD works with industry, academia and government partners to develop and transform agricultural and marine bioresources into food, feed and ingredients, and other high value bioproducts. The ACRD program has integrated GBA Plus into many aspects of its activities, including work to support food security and develop sustainable technologies and combat climate change, which can affect diverse groups disproportionally. The ACRD program has also integrated GBA Plus into its operational and research planning with efforts to build, expand and diversify Canadian STEM capacity in the fields and sectors the program supports, and to represent diverse views on its research advisory board.

Target Population:

All Canadians and sectors: agricultural, marine, science & technology industry

Distribution of Benefits:

By gender – Broadly gender-balanced

By income level – No significant distributional impacts

By age group – No significant inter-generational impacts or impacts between youth and seniors

Specific demographic group outcomes: 

The ACRD program's activities contribute to improving the lives of all Canadians, regardless of gender, race, socio-economic status, Indigenous identity, geographic location, language, education level, socio-economic status, culture, or religion. However, the program activities naturally focus on specific diverse groups based on the priority sectors and technologies aligned with ACRD's spheres of influence. For example, efforts supporting Northern food production require meaningful engagement with Indigenous organizations, and projects carried out in collaboration with Indigenous communities allow for cross-fertilization of Indigenous and other agricultural knowledges. Similarly, food insecurity is disproportionately felt by equity-deserving groups and these sectors benefit from ACRD’s activities.

Key program impacts^Footnote* on gender and diversity:

Key program impact statistics:

Other key program impacts:

The ACRD program’s efforts to integrate GBA Plus into its activities are directed at 3 levels: program participation in terms of representation of internal teams and external collaborators; priority setting of research projects and activities based on the impacts on various groups; and increased understanding the social, cultural and economic environment in which the program's outputs are intended to achieve their impact. Based on this approach, in 2023-24, the ACRD program will: develop a hiring strategy to enhance recruitment of Black Canadians, persons with disabilities, and individuals from Indigenous communities; design a process to monitor hiring practices and processes to ensure EDI considerations are at the forefront of recruitment and hiring actions; develop an Indigenous engagement strategy for embedding Indigenous consultation and collaboration into their research projects and initiatives; and enhance the understanding of GBA Plus in program design.

Working with the Arctic Research Foundation, the Canadian Space Agency, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and the community of Gjoa Haven (in Nunavut), the ACRD program is leading the Sustainable Food System (SFS) initiative. The SFS initiative aims to develop a local food production system in the Arctic that enables year-round production of fresh fruit and vegetables using renewable energy and controlled environment technologies. Through community input, methods for growing Indigenous plant species in the controlled environmental units will also be developed. Through the Arctic Research Foundation, members of the Gjoa Haven community have been hired and trained to help maintain the research pod. While this first collaboration is working on a food production system, the project will also help inform how growth technologies and infrastructure can be delivered in a number of harsh and isolated locations.

The program has an advisory board, made up of the research centre’s stakeholder community who provide independent advice on the overall strategic direction and priorities of the program, while ensuring alignment with the NRC's priorities. The NRC works to ensure that the program's advisory board is balanced and representative of the Canadian population.

In 2022-23, the ACRD program continued efforts to integrate GBA Plus into its operations through the hiring and training of students, early career STEM professionals, and HQP. The program has placed a greater emphasis on equity-deserving groups in order to improve the quality of scientific and technical outputs and to increase the representation of these groups within traditionally underrepresented fields. The ACRD program’s ratio of women new hires relative to the Canadian average labour market availability was 1.3 in 2022-23.

GBA Plus data collection plan:

The ACRD program’s impacts on gender and diversity are challenging to measure because the program interacts with research clients and collaborators and not directly with the broader Canadian populations that are the ultimate beneficiaries. Despite the challenges, the ACRD program continued efforts to build and adopt strategies to collect GBA Plus data from its different streams of work. ACRD also continued to set targets and collect data (where possible) on its work to build and expand diverse Canadian STEM capacity in its field and sector.

The NRC will continue to engage TBS and Statistics Canada in 2023-24 to leverage their collaborative statistical program on Business Innovation and Growth Support (BIGS) to enable the ACRD program to better understand business ownership composition of enterprises supported and other GBA Plus dimensions, including the diversity in access and participation in the program.

A recent evaluation of the ACRD program in 2021-22 concluded that the program has contributed to food security by developing different crop varieties and platforms, and is currently working on a project aimed at meeting the dietary needs of environmentally-challenged and remote populations. The next evaluation of the ACRD program has been tentatively scheduled to be initiated in 2026-27. The evaluation will include an examination of EDI populations within the research centre and program workforce, as well as distribution across the various employee subgroups (researcher, management, administrative) and levels. Further, to ensure the perspectives of diverse populations are heard, the evaluation project will also include diverse populations in key informant interviews, peer review committees, surveys, and potentially, GBA Plus case studies.

Program Name: Automotive and Surface Transportation

Program goals:

The NRC’s Automotive and Surface Transportation (AST) program provides technical knowledge and advances product and process technologies for producing more fuel-efficient, affordable, and environmentally-responsible ground vehicles and for delivering engineering solutions to complex technology challenges facing ground transportation industries. The AST program has integrated GBA Plus into many aspects of its activities, including: in its research facilities; projects that target equity-deserving groups; efforts to build, expand and diversify Canadian STEM capacity in the fields and sectors the program supports; and representation of diverse views on its research advisory board.

Target Population:

All Canadians and sectors: manufacturing, transportation, science and technology industry

Distribution of Benefits:

By gender – Broadly gender-balanced

By income level – No significant distributional impacts

By age group – No significant inter-generational impacts or impacts between youth and seniors

Specific demographic group outcomes: 

The overall size of the Canadian automotive workforce is expected to fall through 2026, due to rising automation and higher labour costs relative to countries like Mexico. However, this may also represent an opportunity to upskill the workforce with increasingly valuable technology and data-related skills, such as those related to artificial intelligence, sensors, geo-sensing and autonomous supply chains. The NRC’s AST program is operating in this challenging environment and making efforts to address the specific needs of equity-deserving groups who belong to the group of Vulnerable Road Users (VRUs), including the elderly and users of mobility devices.

Key program impacts^Footnote* on gender and diversity:

Key program impact statistics:

Other key program impacts:

The AST program leads several projects that target equity-deserving groups. The Machine Vision for Smart Road Intersections project is aiming at enhancing VRU Safety. AST worked with Invest Ottawa and Area X.O to lead and deliver a research project on the performance, implementation, and impact of machine vision and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) systems at intersections, including examining how to better protect VRUs, including examining how to better protect VRUs. The data, outcomes, and conclusions of this project will help Transport Canada develop policies that guide the safe and secure implementation and deployment of technology solutions to better protect VRUs, and enhance overall road safety across Canada.

The program has an advisory board, made up of the research centre’s stakeholder community who provide independent advice on the overall strategic direction and priorities of the program, while ensuring alignment with the NRC's priorities. The NRC works to ensure that the program's advisory board is balanced and representative of the Canadian population.

In 2022-23, the AST program continued efforts to integrate GBA Plus into its operations through the hiring and training of students, early career STEM professionals and HQP. The program has placed a greater emphasis on equity-deserving groups in order to improve the quality of scientific and technical outputs and to increase the representation of these groups within traditionally underrepresented fields. AST also engaged an Indigenous working group to ensure Indigenous representation in staff and student hiring for the new Advanced Manufacturing Research Facility in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The AST program’s ratio of new hires from equity-deserving groups relative to the Canadian average labour market availability was 0.9 for women and 2.1 for racialized persons in 2022-23.

GBA Plus data collection plan:

The AST program’s impacts on gender and diversity are challenging to measure because the program interacts with research clients and collaborators and not directly with the broader Canadian populations that are the ultimate beneficiaries. Despite the challenges, the AST program continued efforts to build and adopt strategies to collect GBA Plus data from its different streams of work. AST continued to set targets and collect data (where possible) on its work to build and expand diverse Canadian STEM capacity in its field and sector.

The NRC will continue to engage TBS and Statistics Canada in 2023-24 to leverage their collaborative statistical program on Business Innovation and Growth Support (BIGS) to enable the AST program to better understand business ownership composition of enterprises supported and other GBA Plus dimensions, including the diversity in access and participation in the program.

An evaluation of the AST program has been tentatively scheduled to be initiated in 2025-26. The evaluation will include an examination of EDI populations within the research centre and program workforce, as well as distribution across the various employee subgroups (researcher, management, administrative) and levels. Further, to ensure the perspectives of diverse populations are heard, the evaluation project will also include diverse populations in key informant interviews, peer review committees, surveys, and potentially, GBA Plus case studies.

Program Name: Construction

Program goals:

The NRC’s Construction program aims to be the partner of choice for government and the construction industry in advancing innovation for a safe, prosperous and sustainable Canada. Through a multi-disciplinary approach, the program works with the construction industry for better, safer, energy-efficient, climate-resilient and more affordable construction materials and technology. The Construction program has integrated GBA Plus into many aspects of its activities, including: its research facilities; the development of new codes, guidelines and specifications for the construction industry; efforts to build, expand and diversify Canadian STEM capacity in the fields and sectors the program supports; and representation of diverse views on its research advisory board.

Target Population:

All Canadians and sectors: construction, infrastructure, science and technology industry

Distribution of Benefits:

By gender – Predominantly men (e.g., 80% or more men)

By income level – No significant distributional impacts

By age group – No significant inter-generational impacts or impacts between youth and seniors

Specific demographic group outcomes: 

The Construction program's work benefits 3 primary target groups: its science and technology research workforce; the construction sector; and small- and medium-size enterprises (SMEs). Both the construction sector and SMEs employ men at a higher rate than women, and have room to improve in terms of the representation of other equity-deserving groups. The Construction program continues its efforts in reaching equity-deserving groups, especially Indigenous Peoples and people with disabilities. The program also works to increase the resilience and sustainability of communities experiencing disproportionate and differential impacts of climate change, including coastal areas prone to flooding and Northern communities experiencing warming at a greater rate than the rest of Canada.

Key program impacts^Footnote* on gender and diversity:

Key program impact statistics:

Other key program impacts:

In 2021, women made up 13.36% of those employed in the Canadian construction industry, compared to 13.28% the year before. Between 2020 and 2029, around 131,000 workers in the residential construction industry are expected to retire, but only about 105,000 new workers are expected to enter the industry. This gap emphasizes the need for the industry to promote the sector among women and other equity-deserving groups.

Accessibility for persons with disabilities is 1 of the 5 stated objectives of the National Building Code of Canada. Through Codes Canada (which includes the National Building Code, National Fire Code, National Plumbing Code and National Energy Code), the Construction program continues to improve accessibility for all Canadians. Efforts are made by the Construction program to ensure a representation of the 4 designated employment equity groups on the external committees involved in developing the Building Codes. Through the NRC's Environmental Research Strategy, the Construction program has put GBA Plus tools in place to inform the design of research projects to increase the impact on diverse groups. In 2022-23, the Construction program continued efforts to integrate GBA Plus into its operations through the hiring and training of students, early career STEM professionals and HQP. The program has placed a greater emphasis on equity-deserving groups in order to improve the quality of scientific and technical outputs and to increase the representation of these groups within traditionally underrepresented fields. The Construction program ratio of new hires from equity-deserving groups relative to the Canadian average labour market availability was 1.1 for women, 2.0 for racialized persons and 0.7 for persons with disability in 2022-23. 52% of external hires in 2022-23 were qualified candidates from the following equity-deserving groups: Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities and racialized persons.

The program has an advisory board, made up of the research centre’s stakeholder community who provide independent advice on the overall strategic direction and priorities of the program, while ensuring alignment with the NRC's priorities. The NRC works to ensure that the program's advisory board is balanced and representative of the Canadian population.

GBA Plus data collection plan:

The Construction program’s impacts on gender and diversity are challenging to measure because the program interacts with research clients and collaborators and not directly with the broader Canadian populations that are the ultimate beneficiaries. Despite the challenges, the Construction program continued efforts to build and adopt strategies to collect GBA Plus data from its different streams of work. The Construction program continued to set targets and collect data (where possible) on its work to build and expand diverse Canadian STEM capacity in its field and sector.

The NRC will continue to engage TBS and Statistics Canada in 2023-24 to leverage their collaborative statistical program on Business Innovation and Growth Support (BIGS) to enable the Construction program to better understand business ownership composition of enterprises supported and other GBA Plus dimensions, including the diversity in access and participation in the program.

An evaluation of the Construction program has been tentatively scheduled to be initiated in 2024-25. The evaluation will include an examination of EDI populations within the research centre and program workforce as well as distribution across the various employee subgroups (researcher, management, administrative) and levels. Further, to ensure the perspectives of diverse populations are heard, the evaluation project will also include diverse populations in key informant interviews, peer review committees, surveys, and potentially, GBA Plus case studies.

Program Name: Digital Technologies

Program goals:

The NRC's Digital Technologies (DT) program aims to foster a smarter, safer, healthier and more prosperous society through ethical applications of digital technologies. It is at the forefront of digital technologies research, driving innovation with and for Canadian governments, businesses, researchers and society. The DT program has integrated GBA Plus into many aspects of its activities, including: the design and delivery of research projects; a challenge and cluster support program; efforts to build, expand and diversify Canadian STEM capacity in the fields and sectors the program supports; and representation of diverse views on its research advisory board.

Target Population:

All Canadians, academia, other government departments (OGDs), science and technology industry

Distribution of Benefits:

By gender – Broadly gender-balanced

By income level – No significant distributional impacts

By age group – No significant inter-generational impacts or impacts between youth and seniors

Specific demographic group outcomes:

The NRC’s DT program is operating in a rapidly evolving sector and making efforts to address the specific needs of equity-deserving groups it is working with, particularly Indigenous People. Through its Indigenous Languages Technology (ILT) project, DT is actively working with Indigenous collaborators to monitor and ensure that the benefits of the project are in line with the goals of the communities. The revitalization of Indigenous languages has wide ranging impacts on Indigenous Peoples and supports broader community goals of self-determination.

Key program impacts^Footnote* on gender and diversity:

Key program impact statistics:

Other key program impacts

The DT program has adopted key GBA Plus principles to serve the needs of Indigenous Peoples. In collaboration with Indigenous communities and language experts, DT continued to support the revitalization of Indigenous languages through its Indigenous Languages Technology (ILT) project. Since many of the technologies developed were in response to community needs, the project has resulted in a collection of diverse subprojects. These subprojects include the development of new speech- and text-based resources for Indigenous language students, educators, translators, transcribers and other language professionals, and work to increase the accessibility of audio and video recordings.

The program has an advisory board, made up of the research centre’s stakeholder community who provide independent advice on the overall strategic direction and priorities of the program, while ensuring alignment with the NRC's priorities. The NRC works to ensure that the program's advisory board is balanced and representative of the Canadian population.

In 2022-23, the DT program has focused on outreach activities targeting equity-deserving groups continued its efforts to integrate GBA Plus into its operations through the hiring and training of students, early career STEM professionals and HQP. The program has placed a greater emphasis on equity-deserving groups in order to improve the quality of scientific and technical outputs and to increase the representation of these groups within traditionally underrepresented fields. The DT program is committed to increasing diversity in its workforce. In 2022-23, the DT program’s ratio of new hires from equity-deserving designated groups relative to the Canadian average labour market availability was 1.9 for racialized persons.

GBA Plus data collection plan:

The DT program’s impacts on gender and diversity are challenging to measure because the program interacts with research clients and collaborators and not directly with the broader Canadian populations that are the ultimate beneficiaries. Despite the challenges, the DT program continued efforts to build and adopt strategies to collect GBA Plus data from its different streams of work. DT continued to set targets and collect data (where possible) on its work to build and expand diverse Canadian STEM capacity in its field and sector.

Under the Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Design Challenge program led by DT, the NRC sponsored the Canadian Council of Academies Leaps and Boundaries report. This report explores the opportunities, challenges and implications of deploying AI technologies to enable scientific and engineering research design and discovery in Canada, and includes a detailed overview of the legal, ethical, social and policy implications of deploying AI for science. The report was used in 2022-23 to strengthen the GBA Plus approach of the AI for Design program. In addition, the Artificial Intelligence for Logistics (AI4L) Cluster Support program, also led by DT, is planning to measure over the next few years the number of discrete novel capabilities and capacity improvements in the Canadian North to demonstrate that Innovative AI tools are used to optimize and improve logistics operations in Canada, with data collection planned closer to the targeted dates in 2026-27 and 2027-28.

The NRC will continue to engage TBS and Statistics Canada in 2023-24 to leverage their collaborative statistical program on Business Innovation and Growth Support (BIGS) to enable the DT program to better understand business ownership composition of enterprises supported and other GBA Plus dimensions, including the diversity in access and participation in the program. Data collected by Statistics Canada for 2020 on DT client enterprises ownership was not sufficient for reporting.

An evaluation of the DT program has been tentatively scheduled to be initiated in 2023-24. The evaluation will include an examination of EDI populations within the research centre and program workforce as well as distribution across the various employee subgroups (researcher, management, administrative) and levels. Further, to ensure the perspectives of diverse populations are heard, the evaluation project will also include diverse populations in key informant interviews, peer review committees, surveys, and potentially, GBA Plus case studies.

Program Name: Energy, Mining and Environment

Program goals:

The NRC's Energy, Mining and Environment (EME) program aims to create green and sustainable technologies for clean energy, resource extraction and environmental protection. Through research and technology development, the program brings the latest innovations in clean energy, advanced mining technologies and environmental remediation solutions to Canadian industry. The EME program has integrated GBA Plus into many aspects of its activities, including: the design and delivery of a challenge program to create a cleaner, more sustainable Canadian energy and chemical industry through materials innovation; efforts to build, expand and diversify Canadian STEM capacity in the fields and sectors the program supports; and representation of diverse views on its research advisory board.

Target Population:

All Canadians and sectors: energy and utilities, mining, oil and gas exploration, science and technology industry

Distribution of Benefits:

By gender – Broadly gender-balanced

By income level – No significant distributional impacts

By age group – No significant inter-generational impacts or impacts between youth and seniors

Specific demographic group outcomes:

The NRC’s EME program is operating in critical sector of the Canadian economy and making efforts to address the specific needs of equity-deserving groups it is working with. EME leads on the Materials for Clean Fuels (MCF) Challenge program, which has far-reaching impacts aimed at improving the lives of all Canadians, regardless of gender, race, socio-economic status, Indigenous identity, geographic location, language, education level, socio-economic or marital status, culture, or religion. First-hand impacts could potentially be experienced by those that currently work in the oil and gas industry and the groups that value environmental stewardship, however the program development process adopted a GBA Plus lens to determine that no major issues with respect to discrimination in the scientific directions have been identified.

Key program impacts^Footnote* on gender and diversity:

Key program impact statistics:

Other key program impacts:

Through the MCF Challenge program, EME is working on creating a cleaner, more sustainable Canadian energy and chemical industry through materials innovation. EME is coordinating a national effort to collaborate with leaders in academia and industry from a diverse range of backgrounds to catalyze the discovery and development of materials for early-stage exploratory technologies to decarbonize Canada's industrial sector. The program adopted a GBA Plus lens to ensure that no major issues related to the scientific directions were identified.

The program has an advisory board, made up of the research centre’s stakeholder community who provide independent advice on the overall strategic direction and priorities of the program, while ensuring alignment with the NRC's priorities. The NRC works to ensure that the program's advisory board is balanced and representative of the Canadian population.

In 2022-23, the EME program continued efforts to integrate GBA Plus into its operations through the hiring and training of students, early career STEM professionals and HQP. The program has placed a greater emphasis on equity-deserving groups in order to improve the quality of scientific and technical outputs and to increase the representation of these groups within traditionally underrepresented fields. The EME program’s ratio of women new hires from equity-deserving groups relative to the Canadian average labour market availability (LMA), was 0.7 in 2022-23, and the ratio of new hires who were racialized persons was higher than LMA at 1.4.

GBA Plus data collection plan:

The EME program’s impacts on gender and diversity are challenging to measure because the program interacts with research clients and collaborators and not directly with the broader Canadian populations that are the ultimate beneficiaries. Despite the challenges, the EME program continued efforts to build and adopt strategies to collect GBA Plus data from its different streams of work. EME continued to set targets and collect data (where possible) on its work to build and expand diverse Canadian STEM capacity in its field and sector.

The NRC will continue to engage TBS and Statistics Canada in 2023-24 to leverage their collaborative statistical program on Business Innovation and Growth Support (BIGS) to enable the EME program to better understand business ownership composition of enterprises supported and other GBA Plus dimensions, including the diversity in access and participation in the program.

An evaluation of the EME program has been tentatively scheduled to be initiated in 2023-24. The evaluation will include an examination of EDI populations within the research centre and program workforce as well as distribution across the various employee subgroups (researcher, management, administrative) and levels. Further, to ensure the perspectives of diverse populations are heard, the evaluation project will also include diverse populations in key informant interviews, peer review committees, surveys, and potentially, GBA Plus case studies.

Program Name: Herzberg Astronomy & Astrophysics

Program goals:

The Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics (HAA) program fulfills the mandate from the NRC Act to “operate and administer any astronomical observatories established or maintained by the Government of Canada”, including Canada’s participation in all current and future offshore facilities. The HAA program has integrated GBA Plus into many aspects of its activities, including: a leadership role in the Canadian astronomical community; promoting gender representation in research projects; efforts to build, expand and diversify Canadian STEM capacity in the fields and sectors the program supports; and representation of diverse views on its research advisory board.

Target Population:

All Canadians, students, researchers, science and technology industry

Distribution of Benefits: 
By gender – Second group: 60% to 79% men 
By income level – No significant distributional impacts 
By age group – No significant inter-generational impacts or impacts between youth and seniors

Specific demographic group outcomes:

The HAA program serves the Canadian astronomical community of university and government-lab based researchers, which remains male-dominated. A 2019 survey by the Canadian Astronomical Society (CASCA; Spekkens et al. 2019) included an analysis of its membership that revealed 72% of members are male and 28% of members are female. The ratio between males and females in CASCA notably increases from 1.56 for students to 3.79 for ordinary members (e.g., university faculty).

The CASCA membership can be broadly divided into 3 income groups, with graduate students earning less than $50K annually, postdoctoral fellows (PDFs) earning roughly $50K to $80K annually, and ordinary members (generally university faculty) earning more than $80K. Of these groups, the students, PDFs and ordinary members comprise 34%, 9% and 57% of the membership, respectively.

Canada's participation in leading international observatories like the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) provides employment opportunities for students and post-doctoral fellows and opportunities for the private sector to be involved in design and construction activities. As noted above, researchers who benefit from HAA’s activities are predominantly highly educated males. The under-representation of women and minorities in astronomy fields is a major concern which could be attributed to factors such as lack of equity in compensation, funding, hiring, access to telescope time, and sociological issues associated with dependent caregiving and linguistic identity (for example, English is the international language of astronomy which could be considered a barrier to access for Francophones).

Key program impacts^Footnote* on gender and diversity:

Key program impact statistics:

Other key program impacts:

The NRC is committed to listening to and learning from local Indigenous communities, to understand better how the organization can support Indigeneity at both domestic and international observatories, and in the research conducted. As recommended in the Canadian Astronomy Long Range Plan 2020-2030, the NRC is working with the Canadian astronomical community and Indigenous partners through its HAA program to develop a set of guiding principles for the astronomy facilities and infrastructure in which Canada participates.

The NRC undertook a prescription burn (a planned and intentional use of fire for ecological protection) of lands at the Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory (DRAO) in Penticton, BC. These lands are on the ancestral territories of the Syilx Peoples. The primary goal of this project is enhanced stewardship of the lands that has multiple benefits including wildfire risk mitigation, biodiversity benefits and social, economic and cultural benefits to local First Nations. In partnership with the Penticton Indian Band, the project has made great progress and is demonstrating the importance of working with First Nations in supporting strong stewardship of the lands.

HAA is supporting the development of the University led Canadian Hydrogen Observatory and Radio-transient Detector (CHORD), a next-generation radio telescope being constructed over the next 3 to 5 years at the DRAO. The project will leverage Canadian technology developments to yield breakthrough measurements of the cosmos in new array of 512 antennas, each 6-meters across. HAA has completed the first phase of a new facility that will be used to fabricate the primary reflectors of the antennas and, in doing so, has engaged First Nations companies in environmental, archeological and construction activities. These engagements provide direct economic, social and cultural benefits and represent the NRC’s commitment to partnering with First Nations in our scientific endeavours on the ancestral lands of the Syilx peoples.

In 2020, HAA began the Plaskett Scholar program to provide research experiences and STEM mentorship to high-school students, especially those from under-represented groups in the Victoria area. This program was initiated in response to findings in the broader literature showing that the transition from high-school to college or university often results in an important loss of diversity in the student population. In 2022-23, 3 Plaskett Scholars were mentored by HAA program staff. In all instances, the student worked directly with the mentor on a project related to their research, giving them first-hand experience working in astrophysics and potentially co-authorship of a publication in a peer-reviewed journal. The Plaskett Scholar program is expected to continue in 2023-24.

A recent evaluation of the HAA program in 2021-22 recommended that HAA develop and implement a strategic EDI plan that focusses on research excellence, student engagement, reducing barriers for women to become future leaders, as well as those for minority group populations, and moving from consultation to empowerment for local Indigenous communities.

In 2022-23, HAA’s EDI Committee undertook a survey on inclusivity among HAA staff and those who work primarily at HAA sites. The report on the survey was published in November 2022 along with the response from management. The action plan includes specific actions which will be monitored such as confirmed funding for training along with an increased emphasis on the importance of establishing a career-development plan that considers promotion criteria and timelines; identifying other avenues of valuation and career development; more frequent meetings between senior management and individual teams; and, more communication and the solicitation of feedback in a variety of forums.

The program has an advisory board, made up of the research centre’s stakeholder community who provide independent advice on the overall strategic direction and priorities of the program, while ensuring alignment with the NRC's priorities. The NRC works to ensure that the program's advisory board is balanced and representative of the Canadian population.

In 2022-23, the HAA program continued efforts to integrate GBA Plus into its operations through the hiring and training of students, early career STEM professionals and HQP. The program has placed a greater emphasis on equity-deserving groups in order to improve the quality of scientific and technical outputs and to increase the representation of these groups within traditionally underrepresented fields. Based on the NRC’s recommendations for hiring and with input from management and hiring managers, HAA’s EDI Committee members created EDI-based hiring guidelines. This document lays out the step-by-step process to enhance fairness, encourage the creation of well-thought through metrics for assessment and thereby encourage EDI-based hires. In 2022-23, the HAA program’s ratio of new hires from equity-deserving groups relative to the Canadian average labour market availability were 2.0 for women, 1.2 for racialized persons and 0.7 for persons with disability.

GBA Plus data collection plan:

The HAA program’s impacts on gender and diversity are challenging to measure because the program interacts with research clients and collaborators and not directly with the broader Canadian populations that are the ultimate beneficiaries. Despite the challenges, the HAA program continued efforts to build and adopt strategies to collect GBA Plus data from its different streams of work. For example, HAA supports the continued collection of demographic data of the Canadian astronomical community by CASCA. Also, anonymous processes for assessment of observing proposals have been adopted for all the international observatories supported by the NRC through its HAA program. As part of the specific actions taken for GBA Plus data collection for 2023-24, the HAA program will continue its annual tracking of the proportion of women-led proposals that are approved to understand better the gender bias in the process and adopt strategies to mitigate this situation. The HAA program also continued to set targets and collect data (where possible) on its work to build and expand diverse Canadian STEM capacity in its field and sector.

An evaluation of the HAA program has been tentatively scheduled to be initiated in 2025-26. The evaluation will include an examination of EDI populations within the research centre and program workforce as well as distribution across the various employee subgroups (researcher, management, administrative) and levels. Further, to ensure the perspectives of diverse populations are heard, the evaluation project will also include diverse populations in key informant interviews, peer review committees, surveys, and potentially, GBA Plus case studies.

Program Name: Human Health Therapeutics

Program goals:

Through research and development of biotherapeutics, vaccines and technology platforms, the NRC’s Human Health Therapeutic (HHT) program serves the needs of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) from the Canadian biopharmaceutical industry and is also involved in federal government collaborative research aimed at creating solutions for public health issues affecting the lives of all Canadians. The HHT program has integrated GBA Plus into many aspects of its activities, including: the design and delivery of a challenge program to develop solutions for the treatment and potential cure of chronic diseases and rare genetic disorders affecting Canadians; efforts to build, expand and diversify Canadian STEM capacity in the fields and sectors the program supports; and representation of diverse views on its research advisory board.

Target Population:

All Canadians and sectors: manufacturing, health care, social assistance, science and technology industry

Distribution of Benefits:

By gender – Broadly gender-balanced

By income level – No significant distributional impacts

By age group – No significant inter-generational impacts or impacts between youth and seniors

Specific demographic group outcomes: 

The HHT program’s work on biotherapeutics, vaccines and technology platforms aim to generate positive health outcomes for all Canadians. Gender and ethnicity play a role in HHT’s specific work on cell therapy and characteristics, and therapies for broad use may have different impacts on diverse populations. While there are gender biases in science that could carry over into the technologies developed and translated into later therapeutic use, the research projects being implemented under the program are generally not expected to have a negative GBA Plus impact. A positive intended outcome of the program is an automated biodevice for the production and remote analysis of cell therapies for clinical use, which is deployable to remote locations. Such a device would be a tremendous benefit to deliver costly designer cell therapies to remote and Northern communities.

Key program impacts^Footnote* on gender and diversity:

Key program impact statistics:

Other key program impacts

The HHT program is designing and developing disruptive technology solutions under the Disruptive Technology Solutions for Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) Challenge program. The solutions are targeting precision-engineered cell and gene therapies for the treatment and potential cure of chronic diseases and rare genetic disorders affecting Canadians, including diverse Canadians who are disproportionately impacted by these diseases and disorders. The platform and multi-purpose nature of the outputs of the program are broadly applicable in a variety of disease settings, and should be independent of the social or cultural context in which the eventual products are applied. Most of the work under the program in 2022-23 was in early pre-clinical stages but specific projects are already taking into account GBA Plus considerations. For example, one of the research teams is collecting human amniotic fluid cells from diverse patient sources to allow for the banking and characterization of the cell lines from which experimental outcomes can be linked back to understand the impact of diversity factors on research outcomes. Another example is the clinical trials with one of the CAR T-cell therapies to treat cancer (sdCD22) where accessibility to diverse groups of patients with specific (CD22) malignancies can be ensured through the definition of patient eligibility in the clinical trial design.

The program has an advisory board, made up of the research centre’s stakeholder community who provide independent advice on the overall strategic direction and priorities of the program, while ensuring alignment with the NRC's priorities. The NRC works to ensure that the program's advisory board is balanced and representative of the Canadian population.

In 2022-23, the HHT program continued efforts to integrate GBA Plus into its operations through the hiring and training of students, early career STEM professionals and HQP. The program has placed a greater emphasis on equity-deserving groups in order to improve the quality of scientific and technical outputs and to increase the representation of these groups within traditionally underrepresented fields. The HHT program’s ratio of new hires from equity-deserving groups relative to the Canadian average labour market availability was 1.1 for women, 0.7 for racialized persons and 0.7 for persons with disability in 2022-23. HHT has a specific focus on improving the representation of underrepresented groups in leadership positions and targeting recruitment to increase representation of Indigenous Peoples and persons with disability.

GBA Plus data collection plan:

The HHT program’s impacts on gender and diversity are challenging to measure because the program interacts with research clients and collaborators and not directly with the broader Canadian populations that are the ultimate beneficiaries. Despite the challenges, the HHT program continued efforts to build and adopt strategies to collect GBA Plus data from its different streams of work. The CGT program will collect data on identity factors across internal research teams within the NRC, within collaborator teams applying for funding for contributions to the program, and in the management framework providing governance and oversight of the Challenge program. Consultation will be conducted with the stakeholder community to ensure that the program structure, governance model and collaborative process is accessible and conducive to equal participation from diverse participants. As part of the specific actions taken for GBA Plus data collection for 2022-23, the HHT program is monitoring participant data to uncover equity-deserving groups over the life of the program, and on a regular frequency, to identify opportunities and strategies to enhance participation more broadly as needed. These monitoring and gap assessment activities will be extended to include highly qualified personnel (students, postdoctoral fellows) working within the NRC, within collaborating centres, or granted funding awards through the program's grants and contributions mechanism. HHT also continued to set targets and collect data (where possible) on its work to build and expand diverse Canadian STEM capacity in its field and sector.

The NRC will continue to engage TBS and Statistics Canada in 2023-24 to leverage their collaborative statistical program on Business Innovation and Growth Support (BIGS) to enable the HHT program to better understand business ownership composition of enterprises supported and other GBA Plus dimensions, including the diversity in access and participation in the program.

An evaluation of the HHT program has been tentatively scheduled to be initiated in 2023-24. The evaluation will include an examination of EDI populations within the research centre and program workforce as well as distribution across the various employee subgroups (researcher, management, administrative) and levels. Further, to ensure the perspectives of diverse populations are heard, the evaluation project will also include diverse populations in key informant interviews, peer review committees, surveys, and potentially, GBA Plus case studies.

Program Name: Medical Devices

Program goals:

The NRC’s Medical Device (MD) program’s strategic goal is to catalyze Canada’s medical device industry, working with Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and international companies with significant investment in Canada by providing research and technology solutions, as well as working with partner federal government departments and agencies to address Government priorities. The MD program has integrated GBA Plus into a range of its activities, including: research projects to improve healthcare access to equity-deserving groups; efforts to build, expand and diversify Canadian STEM capacity in the fields and sectors the program supports; and representation of diverse views on its research advisory board.

Target Population:

All Canadians and sectors: manufacturing, health care, social assistance, science and technology industry

Distribution of Benefits:

By gender – Broadly gender-balanced

By income level – No significant distributional impacts

By age group – No significant inter-generational impacts or impacts between youth and seniors

Specific demographic group outcomes:

The MD program collaborates with industry, clinicians, academics and government to develop, translate and implement medical device innovations which can benefit a wide range of vulnerable populations. Some examples include MD's work on latent tuberculosis which has the potential to address an important need within the Indigenous community. Tuberculosis has a disproportionate burden in Indigenous communities, compared to the general population. Likewise, MD's work on Point of Care solutions and interactive remote care can provide benefits to Indigenous populations or vulnerable people living in remote areas. MD's work on forefoot deformity orthopedics has implications for people with disabilities. Molecular diagnostics and point-of-care testing done by MD in the In Vitro Diagnostic thrust has implications for the effective and convenient diagnosis of old age diseases. Similarly, MD's work on cognitive care and remediation may have implications for the elderly (e.g., managed care implications and triage).

Key program impacts^Footnote* on gender and diversity:

Key program impact statistics:

Other key program impacts:

The MD program is implementing a number of research projects under the Pandemic Response Challenge Program’s (PRCP) Pillar 3 (Digital Care and Analytics) with the goal of improving access to healthcare through contactless diagnostics, mental health tools, and development of standards for accessibility. PRCP projects are also expected to have positive results for vulnerable populations and women significantly impacted by SARS-CoV-2.

The MD program is connecting culture and land-based healing using virtual reality to support Inuvialuit mental health and well-being. Working together with the lnuit land claims corporation, a project workplan has been outlined in 2022-23 which will see the development and transfer of a VR platform to the community for healing individuals who were forced to disconnect from their native communities. Training will be provided on the platform so that individuals in the Northern community can develop their own healing scene and scenarios.

In partnership with local health authorities and Inuit and Innu communities, the MD program has worked to develop a project outline in 2022-23 which aims at integrating mobile digital interventions and wearables to reduce the health gap and improve the quality of mental health care in Labrador. If approved, NRC will develop and provide a contactless vital signs monitoring solution and assess its suitability for Northern populations. If approved, the NRC will develop and provide a contactless vital signs monitoring solution and assess its suitability for Northern populations.

In 2022-23, the MD program signed an agreement to collaborate with UNLIMITED Therapeutics on the development and deployment of an immersive-interactive digital health delivery system. The system is based on the NRC’s bConnected remote health platform which is a clinician-monitored digital health software platform which gives physicians and other medical practitioners the ability to remotely deliver virtual reality digital therapeutic experience in support of cognitive behavioral therapy for disabled children.

The program has an advisory board, made up of the research centre’s stakeholder community who provide independent advice on the overall strategic direction and priorities of the program, while ensuring alignment with the NRC's priorities. The NRC works to ensure that the program's advisory board is balanced and representative of the Canadian population.

In 2022-23, the MD program continued efforts to integrate GBA Plus into its operations through the hiring and training of students, early career STEM professionals, and HQP. The program has placed a greater emphasis on equity-deserving groups in order to improve the quality of scientific and technical outputs and to increase the representation of these groups within traditionally underrepresented fields. The MD program’s ratio of new hires from equity-deserving groups relative to the Canadian average labour market availability was 1.1 for women and 1.1 for racialized persons in 2022-23.

GBA Plus data collection plan:

The MD program’s impacts on gender and diversity are challenging to measure because the program interacts with research clients and collaborators and not directly with the broader Canadian populations that are the ultimate beneficiaries. Despite the challenges, the MD program continued efforts to build and adopt strategies to collect GBA Plus data from its different streams of work. MD continued to set targets and collect data (where possible) on its work to build and expand diverse Canadian STEM capacity in its field and sector.

The NRC will continue to engage TBS and Statistics Canada in 2023-24 to leverage their collaborative statistical program on Business Innovation and Growth Support (BIGS) to enable the MD program to better understand business ownership composition of enterprises supported and other GBA Plus dimensions, including the diversity in access and participation in the program. Data collected by Statistics Canada for 2020 on MD client enterprises ownership was not sufficient for reporting.

An evaluation of the MD program has been tentatively scheduled to be initiated in 2024-25. The evaluation will include an examination of EDI populations within the research centre and program workforce as well as distribution across the various employee subgroups (researcher, management, administrative) and levels. Further, to ensure the perspectives of diverse populations are heard, the evaluation project will also include diverse populations in key informant interviews, peer review committees, surveys, and potentially, GBA Plus case studies.

Program Name: Metrology

Program goals:

The NRC’s Metrology program aims to create a better Canada and world by fostering innovation through high-precision measurement science and advancements in metrology. As Canada’s National Measurement Institute (NMI), it collaborates across the global innovation ecosystem to provide metrology research and services that help transform ideas into market-ready technologies that benefit Canadian society, the economy and the environment. The program has integrated GBA Plus into its activities, including: conducting targeted GBA Plus analysis in the design and delivery of its research projects, particularly those working with Northern and Indigenous communities; efforts to build, expand and diversify Canadian STEM capacity in the fields and sectors the program supports; and representation of diverse views on its research advisory board.

Target Population:

All Canadians, SMEs, science and technology industry

Distribution of Benefits:

By gender – Broadly gender-balanced

By income level – No significant distributional impacts

By age group – No significant inter-generational impact

Specific demographic group outcomes:

Based on Metrology's expanding footprint in quantum-related technologies as an example, a GBA Plus analysis made the observation that the immediate and short-term benefits from the deployment of new quantum technologies are initially susceptible to have links between gender and socio-economic factors such as wealth, education, occupation and decision-making power. In developing Metrology projects, it is recognized that various aspects of emerging quantum technologies such as areas of application, distribution channels, as well as the above-mentioned socio-economic factors will all have an impact on benefits realization. However, similar to the development of the transistor, medium- and longer-term benefits realization is expected to be improved through economies of scale as quantum technologies become more mainstream and more affordable. In response, projects are being designed with the understanding that as network quantum sensing becomes more pervasive (i.e., from demonstration to a scalable quantum technology), similar to the transistor, this potentially revolutionary technology should contribute to the reduction of current major structural inequities in potential end-user communities and in society.

Key program impacts^Footnote* on gender and diversity:

Key program impact statistics:

Other key program impacts:

The Metrology program’s research staff and experts worked with Northern and Indigenous communities on a number of research projects. The "Plastics and Heavy Metals in Nunatsiavut Foodways and Environments" (NGPlastics) project is part of the Canada-Inuit Nunangat-United Kingdom Arctic Research (CNIUK) and Arctic and Northern Challenge programs. The Metrology program is working closely with community scientists, hunters, and researchers from the Nunatsiavut Government, Memorial University of Newfoundland, and the Natural History Museum. Another research project is in collaboration with other government departments, academia, and research centres, where the Metrology program has been able to broaden their measurement expertise and gain practical experience in micro and nanoplastics research through the Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC)-led Zero Plastic Waste initiative. As a result, the team has been working closely with Northern communities to assess plastic ingestion by polar bears across Nunavut and Northwest Territories, using samples collected by hunters. This has allowed for the identification of priority communities for sample sourcing and has helped to strengthen partnerships with the Indigenous research community. The Metrology program is also implementing a project with Northern communities, Canadian OGD’s, academia and international partners on a collaborative remote sensing and ground studies to appraise methane release from warming permafrost in the Mackenzie Delta.

The program has an advisory board, made up of the research centre’s stakeholder community who provide independent advice on the overall strategic direction and priorities of the program, while ensuring alignment with the NRC's priorities. The NRC works to ensure that the program's advisory board is balanced and representative of the Canadian population.

In 2022-23, the Metrology program continued efforts to integrate GBA Plus into its operations through the hiring and training of students, early career STEM professionals and HQP. The program has placed a greater emphasis on equity-deserving groups in order to improve the quality of scientific and technical outputs and to increase the representation of these groups within traditionally underrepresented fields. The Metrology program’s ratio of new hires from equity-deserving groups relative to the Canadian average labour market availability was 0.7 for women and 1.5 for racialized persons in 2022-23. In 2022-23, the Metrology program completed an in-depth analysis of its HR and publication data between 2014-15 to 2021-22 to identify possible gaps in hiring, promotions and publication rates that may disproportionately affect equity-deserving groups. The management team is using this analysis to develop better tools and processes to create job posters, screen candidates and assess performance and promotion criteria.

GBA Plus data collection plan:

The Metrology program’s impacts on gender and diversity are challenging to measure because the program interacts with research clients and collaborators and not directly with the broader Canadian populations that are the ultimate beneficiaries. Despite the challenges, the Metrology program continued efforts to build and adopt strategies to collect GBA Plus data from its different streams of work. As part of the specific actions taken for GBA Plus data collection for 2023-24, the Metrology program will build on the GBA Plus analysis of Metrology's work in quantum-related technologies to gather more data and draw conclusions about immediate and short-term benefits from its deployment. This information will enable the Metrology program to understand how certain equity-deserving groups based on gender, age and immigrant status may be disproportionately impacted, and to determine strategies to mitigate these impacts. In the 2023-24, the program has also identified an indicator to monitor the percentage of project proposals that underwent an analysis of impacts on diverse groups which includes all project proposals, whether they were accepted (funded) or not. The Metrology program also continued to set targets and collect data (where possible) on its work to build and expand diverse Canadian STEM capacity in its field and sector.

An evaluation of the Metrology program has been tentatively scheduled to be initiated in 2026-27. The evaluation will include an examination of EDI populations within the research centre/program workforce as well as distribution across the various employee subgroups (researcher, management, administrative) and levels. Further, to ensure the perspectives of diverse populations are heard, the evaluation project will also include diverse populations in key informant interviews, peer review committees, surveys, and potentially GBA Plus case studies.

Program Name: Nanotechnology

Program goals:

The mission of the NRC’s Nanotechnology (NANO) program is to transform nanoscience ideas into novel, sustainable nanotechnology solutions with socioeconomic benefits for Canada. The program has integrated GBA Plus into many aspects of its activities, including: leading efforts to provide Indigenous students with valuable research experience; providing training to staff on GBA Plus considerations; efforts to build and expand diverse Canadian STEM capacity in the fields and sectors the program supports; and representation of diverse views on its research advisory board.

Target Population:

All Canadians and sectors: mining, oil and gas exploration, transportation, science and technology industry

Distribution of Benefits:

By gender – Broadly gender-balanced

By income level – No significant distributional impacts

By age group – No significant inter-generational impacts or impacts between youth and seniors

Specific demographic group outcomes:

Nanotechnology is an emerging technology with significant demand across healthcare, energy and pharmaceuticals. The NRC’s Nanotechnology program is operating in a critical sector of the Canadian economy and making efforts to address the specific needs of equity-deserving groups it is working with.

Key program impacts^Footnote* on gender and diversity:

Key program impact statistics:

Other key program impacts:

The Nanotechnology program has engaged in the University of Alberta's iSTEAM pathways program. In 2022-23, this resulted in 5 Indigenous students working in parts of the NRC on environmental science-based projects and gaining valuable research experience. Management staff in the program and other parts of the NRC undertook the iSTEAM training program, which is tailored to provide tools for supervising and mentoring Indigenous students. The program also promotes, educates and monitors EDI best practices with respect to hiring and seeking out experts, including an advisory board and seminar speakers which facilitates an understanding of barriers to access faced by equity-deserving groups.

The program has an advisory board, made up of the research centre’s stakeholder community who provide independent advice on the overall strategic direction and priorities of the program, while ensuring alignment with the NRC's priorities. The NRC works to ensure that the program's advisory board is balanced and representative of the Canadian population.

In 2022-23, the Nanotechnology program continued efforts to integrate GBA Plus into its operations through the hiring and training of students, early career STEM professionals and HQP. The program has placed a greater emphasis on equity-deserving groups in order to improve the quality of scientific and technical outputs and to increase the representation of these groups within traditionally underrepresented fields. The Nanotechnology program’s ratio of new hires from equity-deserving groups relative to the Canadian average labour market availability was 1.0 for women and 1.5 for racialized persons in 2022-23. The Nanotechnology program organized EDI seminars every quarter in 2022-23 to bring awareness and to create a working and learning environment where everyone is treated with respect to be able to contribute to their fullest. This has contributed to building GBA Plus capacity in the program.

GBA Plus data collection plan:

The Nanotechnology program’s impacts on gender and diversity are challenging to measure because the program interacts with research clients and collaborators and not directly with the broader Canadian populations that are the ultimate beneficiaries. Despite the challenges, the Nanotechnology program continued efforts to build and adopt strategies to collect GBA Plus data from its different streams of work. The Nanotechnology program continued to set targets and collect data (where possible) on its work to build and expand diverse Canadian STEM capacity in its field and sector.

Future evaluation of the work undertaken will include an examination of EDI populations within the research centre and program workforce as well as distribution across the various employee subgroups (researcher, management, administrative) and levels. Further, to ensure the perspectives of diverse populations are heard, the evaluation project will also include diverse populations in key informant interviews, peer review committees, surveys, and potentially, GBA Plus case studies.

Program Name: Ocean, Coastal and River Engineering

Program goals:

The NRC’s Ocean, Coastal and River Engineering (OCRE) program aims to develop novel and adaptive engineering solutions that enable safe and resilient ocean and freshwater infrastructure in Canada. Operating world-class modelling and testing facilities, OCRE strives to be a leader in the Canadian ocean and freshwater sector and works with clients and collaborators in industry, academia, and government to help ensure that Canadian ocean and freshwater industries and communities are safe and thrive in a changing marine environment. The program has integrated GBA Plus into many aspects of its activities, including: the implementation of a challenge program; research projects with Indigenous communities; efforts to build, expand and diversify Canadian STEM capacity in the fields and sectors the program supports; and representation of diverse views on its research advisory board.

Target Population:

All Canadians, academia and sectors: marine transportation, marine and coastal infrastructure, manufacturing, science and technology industry

Distribution of Benefits:

By gender – Broadly gender-balanced

By income level – No significant distributional impacts

By age group – No significant inter-generational impacts or impacts between youth and seniors

Specific demographic group outcomes: 

The OCRE program's work benefits 3 primary target client groups: the science and technology research workforce within the research centre that has acknowledged gaps in the representation of women, racialized persons, Indigenous Peoples and persons with disabilities; the marine sector (marine transportation, oil and gas, renewable energy) and the resilient infrastructure development sector, which employs men at a higher rate than women and other equity-deserving groups; and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which also employ men at a higher rate than women and other equity-deserving groups.

The OCRE program's work is expected to benefit all Canadians by contributing to economic growth and prosperity in industry sectors implicated in lowering carbon emissions—i.e., increased innovation and resilience in marine operations (including marine transport and renewable energy) and in resilient infrastructure development. There are benefits to overall population health by researching fate and transport of microplastics and other pollutants in the marine/aquatic environment. Other benefits to all Canadians include contributing to safe and efficient marine transport of people and goods, and Canadian sovereignty in the North.

Key program impacts^Footnote* on gender and diversity:

Key program impact statistics:

Other key program impacts:

OCRE specifically benefits populations in coastal and inland flood-land areas, all across Canada. A particular focus of the program is the emphasis on harsh environments characterized by ice, waves and wind (i.e., Canadian north) which will benefit Northern Canadian communities.

For example, the OCRE program is involved with several projects with the Canada-Inuit Nunangat-Unite Kingdom Arctic Research Programme (CINUK - CINUK) that directly benefit Inuit communities. The Nuna (Inuvialuktun for ‘land’, ‘country’ and ‘soil’) Project draws together a diverse and interdisciplinary team that will co-produce with communities regionally appropriate new tools and solutions to prevent, mitigate, and adapt to their prioritised impacts. Nuna will equip and train community climate monitors to develop more accurate predictions of future erosion rates to know when to relocate and to assess and monitor ground conditions at potential relocation sites to ensure resilient development strategies.

Gender parity, inclusion of minority groups, and the meaningful participation of Indigenous groups are priorities for the Ocean Cluster Support program, which is led by OCRE. Indigenous representation is particularly important for coastal communities, where fishing and aquaculture are important means of livelihood. In 2022-23, training on GBA Plus principles was provided to the program team, and a draft guidance paper for collaborators was prepared. GBA Plus has been integrated into the governance of the Ocean program through external committees (including the Advisory Board) involved in its design and implementation.

Additionally, efforts are being made to link Indigenous traditional knowledge to the NRC's research capacity through several collaborative agreements. These agreements are at the project level within the Coastal Resilience theme, as well as at the program level in which the Ocean program is working with the University of Toronto to better understand how the NRC can be better allies to Indigenous groups. The program also examines how all collaborators will address GBA Plus considerations throughout the life of a collaborative project.

The program has an advisory board, made up of the research centre’s stakeholder community who provide independent advice on the overall strategic direction and priorities of the program, while ensuring alignment with the NRC's priorities. The NRC works to ensure that the program's advisory board is balanced and representative of the Canadian population.

Skills development and job opportunities that are provided to equity-deserving groups can provide positive, lasting impacts on individuals and the overall Canadian economy. In 2022-23, the OCRE program continued efforts to integrate GBA Plus into its operations through the hiring and training of students, early career STEM professionals and HQP. The program has placed a greater emphasis on equity-deserving groups in order to improve the quality of scientific and technical outputs and to increase the representation of these groups within traditionally underrepresented fields. These efforts are being guided by OCRE's HR and operational plans which identify strategies to increase recruitment of equity-deserving individuals such as the Engineering Division Indigenous Student Program, creating Indigenous student positions, an EDI pre-screening checklist for all hiring actions, and reviewing job posters for gender bias terms. As a result of these efforts, in 2022-23, the ratio of new hires from equity-deserving groups relative to the Canadian average labour market availability was 0.8 for women, 2.2 for racialized persons and 1.4 for persons with disability. In addition to targeted measures to attract diverse talent, the HR Plan identifies strategies to create an inclusive environment to retain this talent.

With respect to overall program development and execution of specific initiatives, OCRE is focusing on its engagement with Indigenous Peoples and rights holders, which is formalized in the program's communications and engagement strategy. After a long period of COVID-imposed travel restrictions hampering culturally appropriate engagements, the OCRE program has been working hard to reinvigorate and deepen these relationships with focused travel to affected communities.

GBA Plus data collection plan:

The OCRE program’s impacts on gender and diversity are challenging to measure because the program interacts with research clients and collaborators and not directly with the broader Canadian populations that are the ultimate beneficiaries. Despite the challenges, the OCRE program continued efforts to build and adopt strategies to collect GBA Plus data from its different streams of work. OCRE continued to set targets and collect data (where possible) on its work to build and expand diverse Canadian STEM capacity in its field and sector.

Over its 7-year timeframe, the Ocean program will compile available data on identity factors across internal research teams within the NRC, within collaborator teams applying for funding for contributions to the program, and in the management framework providing governance and oversight of the program. Consultation will be conducted with the stakeholder community to ensure that the program structure, governance model, and collaborative process is accessible and conducive to equal participation from diverse participants. As part of specific actions taken for GBA Plus data collection for 2022-23, the OCRE program is monitoring participant data to uncover equity-deserving groups and to identify opportunities and strategies to enhance participation more broadly as needed. These monitoring and gap assessment activities will be extended to include HQP (students, postdoctoral fellows) working within the NRC, within collaborating centres, and recipients of grant funding awards through the Ocean program's grants and contributions mechanism.

The NRC will continue to engage TBS and Statistics Canada in 2023-24 to leverage their collaborative statistical program on Business Innovation and Growth Support (BIGS) to enable the OCRE program to better understand business ownership composition of enterprises supported and other GBA Plus dimensions, including the diversity in access and participation in the program. Data collected by Statistics Canada for 2020 on OCRE client enterprises ownership was not sufficient for reporting.

An evaluation of the OCRE program has been tentatively scheduled to be initiated in 2027-28. The evaluation will include an examination of EDI populations within the research centre and program workforce as well as distribution across the various employee subgroups (researcher, management, administrative) and levels. Further, to ensure the perspectives of diverse populations are heard, the evaluation project will also include diverse populations in key informant interviews, peer review committees, surveys, and potentially, GBA Plus case studies.

Program Name: Security and Disruptive Technologies

Program goals:

The NRC's Security and Disruptive Technologies (SDT) program aims to play a global leadership role in developing and validating emerging technology platforms that can be applied in a range of industries to sustain Canada's industrial competitiveness by opening new markets and value networks for Canadian industries in tomorrow’s economy. Applications can lead to improvements for environmental and health outcomes, but often focus on addressing national security challenges since security and defence innovation players are amongst the earliest adopters of such technologies from which broader commercial adaptations ultimately evolve, replacing existing technologies. The program has integrated GBA Plus into many aspects of its activities, including: the design and delivery of a challenge program: efforts to build, expand and diversify Canadian STEM capacity in the fields and sectors the program supports; and representation of diverse views on its research advisory board.

Target Population:

All Canadians, academia and sectors: manufacturing science and technology industry

Distribution of Benefits:

By gender – Broadly gender-balanced

By income level – No significant distributional impacts

By age group – No significant inter-generational impacts or impacts between youth and seniors

Specific demographic group outcomes:

The SDT program’s benefits can be examined based on the type of emerging technology platforms being developed. Based on a GBA Plus assessment conducted by the SDT program for the Quantum Sensors Challenge program (QSP), there are recognized representation gaps in the field of physics. An observation made in this assessment was that women and black, Indigenous Peoples, and people of colour (BIPOC) researchers are under-represented in physics. As men have historically comprised the majority of physics researchers and academicians, physics departments and research labs may be implicitly designed with their interests in mind. Intersectional gender inequality in STEM fields is a persistent issue as women's rates of representation remain low. Within the physical sciences, computer science, engineering, and mathematics (PCEM) more broadly in Canada, women represent 15% of all faculty. At the high school level in Canada, young women represent 38% of those enrolled in advanced placement physics courses. These insights have helped the SDT program to develop strategies to address these disproportionate impacts on equity-deserving groups.

Key program impacts^Footnote* on gender and diversity:

Key program impact statistics:

Other key program impacts:

The SDT program is leading the QSP implementation to enable the development of revolutionary sensors that harness the extreme sensitivity of quantum systems to provide enhanced precision, sensitivity, rates and range of measurable phenomena. The QSP is implementing strategies to address systemic barriers and biases that disadvantage women, gender-diverse, black, Indigenous and people of colour in applying for and participating in research activities. Examples of these strategies include ensuring that advisory panels include academics and industry practitioners from diverse backgrounds, practicing inclusive meeting design and facilitation techniques for consultation events, targeting grants and contribution funds to incentivize the hiring and professional development of diverse researchers. Collaborators through the QSP demonstrated their commitment to EDI (e.g., creating the first “Women in Physics” association at uOttawa) as part of collaborative projects.

The program has an advisory board, made up of the research centre’s stakeholder community who provide independent advice on the overall strategic direction and priorities of the program, while ensuring alignment with the NRC's priorities. The NRC works to ensure that the program's advisory board is balanced and representative of the Canadian population.

In 2022-23, the SDT program continued efforts to integrate GBA Plus into its operations through the hiring and training of students, early career STEM professionals and HQP. The program has placed a greater emphasis on equity-deserving groups in order to improve the quality of scientific and technical outputs and to increase the representation of these groups within traditionally underrepresented fields. The SDT program’s ratio of new hires from equity-deserving groups relative to the Canadian average labour market availability was 1.4 for women and 2.0 for racialized persons in 2022-23.

GBA Plus data collection plan:

The SDT program’s impacts on gender and diversity are challenging to measure because the program interacts with research clients and collaborators and not directly with the broader Canadian populations that are the ultimate beneficiaries. Despite the challenges, the SDT program continued efforts to build and adopt strategies to collect GBA Plus data from its different streams of work. SDT continued to set targets and collect data (where possible) on its work to build and expand diverse Canadian STEM capacity in its field and sector.

An evaluation of the SDT program has been initiated in 2022-23. The evaluation will include an examination of EDI populations within the research centre and program workforce as well as distribution across the various employee subgroups (researcher, management, administrative) and levels. Further, to ensure the perspectives of diverse populations are heard, the evaluation project will also include diverse populations in key informant interviews, peer review committees, surveys, and potentially, GBA Plus case studies.

Program Name: Genomics Research and Development Initiative Shared Priority Projects

Program goals:

Under the Genomics Research and Development Initiative (GRDI), Shared Priority Projects (SPPs) support interdepartmental genomics research at federal government laboratories so that collectively, in collaboration with industry and academia, they can better deliver high impact solutions relevant to issues of importance to Canadians. These include protecting and improving human health, protecting the environment, sustainably managing agricultural and natural resources, and promoting economic growth. GRDI SPP applies a GBA Plus lens in its program activities by analyzing the potential benefits of the GRDI on various stakeholders including equity-deserving groups.

Target Population:

All Canadians / OGDs

Distribution of Benefits:

By gender – Broadly gender-balanced

By income level – No significant distributional impacts

By age group – No significant inter-generational impacts or impacts between youth and seniors

Specific demographic group outcomes:

An evaluation of the GRDI in 2019-2020 identified the primary users and potential benefits that can be experienced by them. One of the findings was that the end-users for GRDI-funded projects include both internal and external end-users. Internal end-users are most commonly benefiting from GRDI-funded projects and include people working inside the federal government, such as laboratory scientists, field inspectors, border agents, trade negotiators and resource managers. External end-users are outside the federal government, and may include industry using a patented technology or revising their processes due to a policy change, and international regulatory agencies using or adopting the technology.

Key program impacts^Footnote* on gender and diversity:

Key program impact statistics:

Other key program impacts:

The GRDI program collaborates with universities and the private sector, creating economic, environmental and social benefits for Canadians through vital genomics research. The NRC's role in the GRDI is to provide a coordination function, through program coordination, communication, networking and outreach support. In this role, the NRC aims to promote analysis of the potential benefits of the GRDI on various stakeholders including equity-deserving groups.

The GRDI Shared Priority Projects enable the mobilization of resources and expertise from multiple departments and agencies to focus on common goals. Research results inform government regulatory, policy, and resource management decisions, and are used by stakeholders to support innovation in Canada. The 2 current GRDI Shared Priority Projects harness genomics to: 1) mitigate antimicrobial resistance, a priority public health challenge, through a 1 health response; and 2) monitor climate-associated change in the genetic diversity of key species, predict future vulnerabilities in tundra, forest, and aquatic, coastal and agricultural ecosystems, and provide science advice for the protection of Canada's ecosystem resiliency.

Given these objectives and the global nature of issues related to antimicrobial resistance and climate change, the projects are not expected to have a direct impact on any specific equity-deserving groups. Nevertheless, genomics-driven advancements could help address inequities including, for example, advancements that enable point of care and on-site testing benefitting individuals in remote geographical locations. The ability to predict wild and domestic animal populations’ vulnerabilities to climate change will inform mitigation and adaptation policies that will benefit Canadians across the country.

The 2 GRDI Shared Priority Projects are interdepartmental in nature, and GRDI funds exclusively research activities within federal government laboratories at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Health Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Public Health Agency of Canada and the NRC. Together, they engage 150 employees (about 60 FTEs): research scientists, professional and technicians (about 70%), as well as post-doctoral fellows and students (about 30%). As such, the projects support indeterminate government HQP, but also a significant portion of younger populations that are hired temporarily to deliver GRDI-funded work. While a detailed analysis of HQP profiles was not completed for the previous year, all staffing actions result from HR processes that respect the Employment Equity Act and support the broader Government of Canada commitment to gender equality.

GBA Plus data collection plan:

The NRC's role in the GRDI includes conducting studies and analyses to serve as inputs in the determination of GRDI-wide research priorities, providing management and administration support, and supporting performance management, reporting, evaluation and communications. In this capacity, in 2022-23, the NRC coordinated a review and modification of the annual performance report template for GRDI-funded Shared Priority Projects to collect confidential information on the representation of equity-deserving groups working on the projects. This information should help GRDI in developing a workforce profile and guiding progress in policies, practices and systems to achieve employment fairness and equity, focusing on the 4 designated employment equity groups. The NRC also aims to integrate GBA Plus considerations in future evaluations and analysis of the program. The next evaluation of the GRDI program is tentatively scheduled to be initiated in 2024-25 and will provide insights and data on GBA Plus.

Program Name: Collaborative Science, Technology and Innovation Program

Program goals:

The goal of the NRC’s Collaborative Science, Technology and Innovation Program (CSTIP) is to encourage and catalyze collective research excellence, resulting in scientific discoveries and technological breakthroughs. CSTIP achieves this goal through collaborative R&D initiatives, the NRC Ideation Fund, and outreach initiatives. These 3 mechanisms employ GBA Plus practices by ensuring that equity-deserving groups have equal opportunities to participate in program initiatives, and are positively impacted by the program’s outcomes.

Target Population:

All Canadians, academia, SMEs, science and technology industry

Distribution of Benefits:

By gender – Broadly gender-balanced

By income level – No significant distributional impacts

By age group – No significant inter-generational impacts or impacts between youth and seniors

Specific demographic group outcomes:

The research community and targeted challenge program sectors in Canada benefit directly from CSTIP funding as well as HQP in specific fields and sectors. Secondary beneficiaries are academics and SMEs that benefit from the intellectual property created through funded projects. One of the main barriers to participation in the program's activities are associated with the need to be trained and employed in the STEM research and development ecosystem, which CSTIP leverages in order to foster scientific and technological advancements. Moreover, since a significant portion of program partnerships is academic, the impact on diverse groups often depends on the demographic make-up of post-secondary students and their chosen fields of study.

In Canada, some demographic groups show lower rates of participation in post-secondary education and representation in the STEM field. This includes Indigenous youth, youth from low-income backgrounds, and youth from rural areas. Additionally, due to the demographic composition of the pipeline in STEM fields, it is likely that there will be more male participants in the program. CSTIP aims to identify these barriers to participation faced by equity-deserving groups and find solutions to remove them.

Key program impacts^Footnote* on gender and diversity:

Key program impact statistics:

Other key program impacts:

Through 7 active Challenge programs and 5 active Cluster Support programs, CSTIP continues to integrate GBA Plus in its partnership activities with private, public, academic and other research organizations within and outside Canada. CSTIP provides grant and contribution funding for external collaborators with complementary capabilities (e.g., SMEs, post-secondary institutions and non-profit research organizations). The program has 3 main components: NRC Collaborative Research and Development (R&D) initiatives, the Ideation Fund, and the Outreach Initiative. As a result of the barriers identified by the NRC in collaboration with Indigenous recipients, CSTIP made changes to its terms and conditions that were officially approved by the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry in December 2021. CSTIP’s terms and conditions were further amended in 2022-23 to allow more flexibility in supporting projects that specifically involve Indigenous Peoples. This will allow funding options to line up with preferred methods of funding for organizations in the North that may involve Indigenous communities.

In an effort to remove barriers to program participation from equity-deserving groups, the CSTIP’s Outreach Initiative, which promotes the engagement of Canadians in STEM, provides funding to support conferences, workshops, symposia, and other outreach efforts that target under-represented groups in STEM. Similarly, the Challenge and Cluster Support programs and Ideation Fund projects have significant flexibility in their terms and conditions, which allows for targeting the participation of equity-deserving groups. Notable examples of this can be seen through the Artic and Northern Challenge program, which targets Northern Indigenous populations, and the Small Teams Indigenous Languages project, which seeks to digitalize endangered Indigenous languages.

In addition, special targeted attention was paid in the calls for proposals launched in 2022-23 to increase Indigenous participation. Examples include ensuring that the timing of the call launch respects time on the land and making templates short and clear to remove application barriers. In addition, for the first time, the external peer review included an entirely Inuit peer review panel paired with a non-Inuit panel. The panel enabled a scientific review that incorporated a distinctions-based approach that factors in regional priorities in the final selection.

Each CSTIP program uses a GBA Plus framework that commits to providing equal opportunities for equity-deserving groups.

Some notable examples:

• The Aging in Place Challenge program aims to support a sustainable model for long-term care by shifting the focus toward preventive home and community-based care. The program's objectives focus on improving the quality of life of older adults and their personal caregivers through technology and innovation that will support safe and healthy aging. The ultimate goal of the program is to increase the proportion of older Canadians who are living in homes and communities of their choice by 20% in the next decade through technologies that support safe, healthy and socially connected living. The Aging in Place program allocates resources to support the ethical participation of "Experts by Experience" (older adults and their caregivers) at the program, project and community levels and ensuring representation from across Canada, including racialized persons, official language groups, indigenous communities,2SLGBTQ+ and persons with disabilities.
• The Arctic and Northern Challenge program has been working on several projects addressing various areas of importance to Indigenous communities in the North, such as making shipping operations safer in ice-covered waters, reinforcing ice roads for a longer operational lifespan, detecting and cleaning up oil spills in the Arctic, etc. By providing both research funding and scientific expertise, the program aims to support strong and sustainable Northern communities through applied technology and innovation to solve pressing issues confronting Northerners, specifically in the areas of housing, health, food, and water. The program is also committed to prioritizing Northern-led research projects that have a strong focus on Northern capacity building.

All challenge programs under CSTIP have integrated GBA Plus into their operations in order to build and expand diverse Canadian STEM capacity in the scientific field and the industry sectors they support. One of the ways this is accomplished is through training students and HQP to improve the quality of scientific and technical outputs produced by a diverse workforce. By hiring students and early career STEM professionals from equity-deserving groups and providing them with practical training opportunities, the NRC is helping to strengthen the pipeline for Canadian industry, academia and other STEM employers and improve the workforce representation within traditionally under-represented fields.

GBA Plus data collection plan:

In 2022-23, CSTIP incorporated GBA Plus data collection plans into several aspects of its planning and reporting activities. All CSTIP challenge programs are co-developed through stakeholder engagement, with GBA Plus considerations factored into program design as well as the composition of external peer review and advisory committees. Furthermore, as part of the specific actions taken for GBA Plus data collection for 2022-23, all CSTIP proposal templates request information on GBA Plus considerations and recipients are asked to report back on their GBA Plus strategies. GBA Plus analyses are also included in Ideation Fund proposals. GBA Plus data collection and analysis has been done on New Beginnings Initiative (a stream of CSTIP) for NRC applicants, with plans to extend this to other CSTIP programs from 2022-23 onwards.

An evaluation of CSTIP has been initiated in 2022-23. A specific indicator in the evaluation matrix will assess the program’s integration of GBA Plus practices. This indicator will measure GBA Plus integration in program processes and tools at all stages of the program life cycle, the extent to which CSTIP encourages partners and collaborators to include GBA Plus considerations in their hiring, stakeholder engagement, and the expected differential impact of the program on diverse groups of Canadians.

The evaluation will also include an examination of EDI populations within the program workforce as well as distribution across the various employee subgroups (researcher, management, administrative) and levels. Further, to ensure the perspectives of diverse populations are heard, the evaluation project will include diverse populations in key informant interviews, peer review committees, and surveys. GBA Plus success stories, if identified, could also be included as case studies.

Building on the NRC's objectives and targets laid out in the NRC 5-Year Strategic Plan, CSTIP is setting targets and collecting data on its work to build and expand diverse Canadian STEM capacity in its field and sector. The NRC's National Program Office collects representation data on applicants to the New Beginnings Initiative and will collect data on the breakdown of successful applications within the 4 designated employment equity groups.

The NRC will continue to engage TBS and Statistics Canada in 2023-24 to leverage their collaborative statistical program on Business Innovation and Growth Support (BIGS) to enable the CSTIP program to better understand business ownership composition of recipient enterprises and other GBA Plus dimensions, including the diversity in access and participation in the program.

CSTIP also compiles qualitative evidence of its Challenge and Cluster Support programs' accomplishments and impacts on diverse groups in the form of success stories. These stories are used in NRC planning, reporting and communications activities as evidence of the success and impact of CSTIP's efforts. Data collection on the representation of equity-deserving groups is done internally on an annual basis to inform decision making. The program is collecting data on hires and hiring targets for equity-deserving groups were introduced in 2022-23.

Program Name: Industrial Research Assistance Program

Program goals:

The NRC Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP) aims to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) grow through innovation and stimulate wealth creation for Canada. IRAP achieves this by providing advisory services and financial support to firms and further by contributing to partner organizations that offer support services to SMEs. NRC IRAP incorporates GBA Plus practices by fostering programs that provide funding and advisory services to SMEs owned or led by persons identifying as being from equity-deserving groups. Equally, IRAP works with SMEs that are looking to develop or improve their firm’s EDI strategies and clients that develop products and services for diverse markets.

Target Population:

All Canadians, SMEs, science and technology industry

Distribution of Benefits:

By gender – Second group: 60% - 79% men

By income level – Third group: No significant distributional impacts

By age group – No significant inter-generational impacts or impacts between youth and seniors

Specific demographic group outcomes

SMEs are the primary beneficiaries of IRAP. According to voluntary and self-reported data from StatsCan, majority ownership (51% or more) rates of SMEs in Canada are as follows: Men (68.9%), Women (16.8%), Indigenous Peoples (1.1%), Racialized Persons (9.3%), and Person(s) with Disabilities (0.6%). NRC IRAP has a voluntary process for self-declaration and uses this information to inform efforts to provide support to firms owned or led by women, Indigenous Peoples, racialized persons and persons with disabilities.

Key program impacts^Footnote* on gender and diversity:

Key program impact statistics:

Other key program impacts:

NRC IRAP has made efforts to diversify participation in its programs and build on work already underway to provide support to firms owned or led by women, Indigenous Peoples, racialized persons and persons with disabilities through a number of agreements with not-for-profit organizations. NRC IRAP uses an EDI lens in its operations when building its programs and policies for clients.

NRC IRAP has taken a number of actions to support these diversification objectives. For example, it established a target of 50% women participants in the Youth Employment Program (YEP), for which post-graduate degree holders between 15 and 30 are eligible, achieving 49% in 2022-23. In the same period, 27% of NRC IRAP YEP participants identified as racialized persons, surpassing the program’s target of 15%. Further, 4% of participants identified as Indigenous Peoples, surpassing the program’s target of 1%. Lastly, 3% of program participants identified as persons with a disability, surpassing the target of 1%.

NRC IRAP continues to use modern recruiting tools to attract, retain and develop a diverse workforce. Summary statistics of NRC IRAP hires between 2018 and 2021 were obtained and analyzed for new employees. Results indicate that between fiscal years 2018 and 2021, 42% of new NRC IRAP hires self-identified as members of 1 or more of the 4 designated employment equity groups, most commonly as women. In the same timeframe, 58% of new managers hired at NRC IRAP self-identified as a member of 1 or more of the 4 employment equity groups. IRAP also employed a recruiter to proactively build a pipeline of ITA candidates from various employment equity groups, to improve representation among the workforce and to be more representative of the Canadian landscape.

NRC IRAP specifically incorporates a GBA Plus lens in its program activities as an effort to encourage a more diverse program participation pool. NRC IRAP efforts to increase participation of companies owned and led by members of equity-deserving groups have been positively recognized in the program’s 2022 evaluation report. The evaluation found that NRC IRAP funded proportionally more SMEs owned by individuals from historically underrepresented groups than were operating in the Canadian economy.

NRC IRAP continues to participate and be represented on the Women's Entrepreneurship Strategy Assistant Deputy Minister Committee and Working Group collaborating on strategies in support of women entrepreneurs. NRC IRAP is also represented on Taftie, the European Network of leading national innovation agencies’ group, which is reviewing best practices on diversity and inclusivity. NRC IRAP collaborates with UK Research and Innovation to support government initiatives including EDI.

In terms of its partnerships and collaborators, in 2022-2023, an EDI budget was put in place to develop a suite of focused Contribution to Organizations (CTOs) and Contribution to Firms (CTFs) to remove barriers to growth for equity-deserving groups. NRC IRAP funded 10 CTOs (for a value of $1.4M) that focused on reducing barriers for equity-deserving groups from 116 SMEs, as well as 22 CTFs (for a value of $720,000) for clients owned or led by members of equity-deserving groups or clients developing products and/or services for diverse markets.

Equity-deserving groups that were supported:

• Ninety-seven women and gender-diverse entrepreneurs received $1,042,742 in advisory services and funding in areas such as scaling their business, becoming investor ready and accessing the Global Value Chain.
• Twenty-four Indigenous entrepreneurs received $70,000 in advisory services and funding in areas such as business plan development and growth coaching.
• Ten racialized entrepreneurs received $100,110 in advisory services and funding in areas such as business acceleration and network development.

It is important to note that these numbers do not account for intersectionality, nor do they capture other advisory services and funding provided through regular IRAP streams.

NRC IRAP also developed and piloted an EDI Literacy program for internal and external facing employees. A CTO was developed with the Diversity Institute of the Toronto Metropolitan University to provide advisory services and tools for clients wishing to develop or improve their EDI plans and value proposition.

Finally, to further celebrate and encourage diversity, the program published 2 success stories featuring entrepreneurs from equity-deserving groups.

GBA Plus data collection plan:

NRC IRAP has a voluntary data collection process for clients to self-declare employment equity information about their business ownership, leadership and board composition. In 2023-24, NRC IRAP will continue collecting and analyzing data to understand how equity-deserving groups are experiencing unintended barriers to NRC IRAP support, and to develop mitigation strategies to address these barriers.

The NRC will continue to engage TBS and Statistics Canada in 2023-24 to leverage their collaborative statistical program on Business Innovation and Growth Support (BIGS) to enable the IRAP program to better understand business ownership composition of enterprises supported and other GBA Plus dimensions, including the diversity in access and participation in the program.

The NRC will continue to engage TBS and Statistics Canada in 2023-24 to leverage their collaborative statistical program on Business Innovation and Growth Support (BIGS) to enable the IRAP program to better understand business ownership composition of enterprises supported and other GBA Plus dimensions, including the diversity in access and participation in the program.

In 2023-24, NRC IRAP’s EDI team will review the data collection and reporting processes to identify improvement opportunities to obtain more accurate results on the diversity of its clients. Moreover, NRC IRAP also plans to update their data collection strategy to ensure that they can report on all companies that self-declare, including those that have less than 50% ownership from equity-deserving groups.

Program Name: International Affiliations

Program goals:

International Affiliations (IA) maintains memberships in international science and technology organizations so that Canada can participate and contribute to international endeavours that promote the exchange and dissemination of knowledge in the most advanced areas of scientific and industrial research. The program has integrated GBA Plus into many aspects of its activities, including analyses of benefits to equity-deserving groups from its initiatives and projects and representation of diverse views in its advisory committee and selection processes.

Target Population:

All Canadians, researchers, international organizations or alliances

Distribution of Benefits:

By gender – Broadly gender-balanced

By income level – No significant distributional impacts

By age group – No significant inter-generational impacts or impacts between youth and seniors

Specific demographic group outcomes:

The national and international scientific research community benefits directly from this program. The program itself is broadly gender-balanced and shows no significant distributional impacts, inter-generational impacts, or differences in impacts between youth and seniors. Since one of the program’s main goals is to ensure that 100% of funded organizations have programs to support equity, diversity and inclusion, researchers from groups that have historically been underrepresented in the scientific research community, such as women, Indigenous Peoples, racialized person, and persons with disabilities may benefit directly from this program.

Key program impacts^Footnote* on gender and diversity:

Key program impact statistics:

Other key program impacts:

The Grants for International Affiliations (GIA) program has a target of ensuring that 100% of funded organizations have programs to support equity, diversity and inclusion. The GIA program funds a wide variety of scientific discipline based international unions or committees with varying equity, diversity and inclusion goals. It is notable that all organizations are now sensitized to these issues and moving from data tracking to actions that will address EDI issues. The GIA program funds organizations (scientific discipline based international unions or committees) that are committed to transparency and equity and it did not fund any individuals in 2022-23.

The International Affiliations program is responsible for Canada's membership in international science and technology (S&T) organizations that promote international research and innovation, networking, advocacy, leadership opportunities, as well as access to benchmarking possibilities, enabling Canadian science, technology, and industry to remain competitive. The program has integrated GBA Plus into many aspects of its activities, including analyses of benefits to equity-deserving groups from its initiatives and projects, and the representation of diverse views in its advisory committee and selection process.

The program engages with representatives of each Canadian National Committee (CNC) responsible for specific international affiliations to assess evolving priorities, most valued benefits of the program to participants and to understand the needs of each CNC. GBA Plus has been integrated into the annual performance review process to track the initiatives and projects of the CNCs that benefit equity-deserving groups.

In addition, the International Affiliations program has integrated GBA Plus into its governance structure. An advisory committee for the program has now met through 4 full fiscal years, drawing on cross government science departments and agencies and deploying diverse expertise to leverage Canadian international science objectives. In 2021, the program piloted an EDI sub-committee to provide input for any nominations, awards or positions to support diversity and inclusion and address under-representation of certain groups, and this sub-committee became permanent in 2022.

GBA Plus data collection plan:

The International Affiliations program has incorporated GBA Plus data collection in its planning and reporting activities to ensure participation of equity-deserving groups and understand the benefits to diverse groups. The program continues to engage with the CNCs managing international affiliations to better gauge impacts and plans, and ensure continued recipient engagement in the program. This will inform the Canadian STI management community of the science diplomacy needs of Canadian practitioners in light of track records of international affiliations, and the associated level of required support. Moreover, as part of the GBA Plus data collection plan, regular engagement continues to take place in 2023, including completion of a reporting questionnaire and short interviews to assess performance and program direction.

The International Affiliations program will continue to set targets and collect data (where possible) on its work to build and expand diverse Canadian STEM capacity.

Program Name: TRIUMF

Program goals:

TRIUMF is a national laboratory that seeks to transfer knowledge, train highly skilled personnel and commercialize research for the economic, social, environmental and health benefit of all Canadians. The NRC plays an important oversight and stewardship role for TRIUMF Inc. on behalf of the Government of Canada, but is not directly involved in designing and running the organization's operations.

Target Population:

All Canadians, academia, students, researchers

Distribution of Benefits:

N/A

Specific demographic group outcomes:

TRIUMF Inc. directly benefits the academic community, specifically students and researchers in the STEM field. Since the program directly benefits students and STEM researchers, the impact on diverse groups often depends on the demographic make-up of post-secondary students and their chosen fields of study.

In Canada, some demographic groups show lower rates of participation in post-secondary education and representation in the STEM field. This includes Indigenous youth, youth from low-income backgrounds, and youth from rural areas. Additionally, due to the demographic composition of the pipeline in STEM fields, it is likely that there will be more male participants. TRIUMF Inc. aims to identify the barriers to participation faced by equity-deserving groups and find solutions to remove them. In addition to campaigns to raise awareness about its activities among youth and equity-deserving groups, TRIUMF Inc. has put in place an undergraduate fellowship (Richard E. Azuma Summer Fellowships) that actively recruits members of equity-deserving groups, and has actively hired students from traditionally underrepresented groups in STEM.

Key program impacts^Footnote* on gender and diversity:

Key program impact statistics:

Other key program impacts:

A consortium of Canadian universities owns TRIUMF Inc., which receives funding from several federal government organizations, including operational funding through a contribution agreement with the NRC. TRIUMF Inc. has its own governance and management team that operates and manages TRIUMF Inc. As part of its oversight and stewardship role, the NRC serves on the governance committees of TRIUMF Inc. and provides advice on its implementation of GBA Plus data collection activities.

A recent evaluation of the TRIUMF program in 2022-23 concluded that TRIUMF Inc. was taking steps to improve diversity in hiring through workshops on implicit bias and preferential hiring, and creating HR targets for gender equity in hiring. It also indicated that TRIUMF Inc was allocating the use of its facilities in a fair and equitable manner through Experiments Evaluation Committees. These committees are gender-balanced and have demonstrated a lack of bias in gender bias reviews.

In 2022-23 TRIUMF Inc. implemented GBA Plus activities which included the release of its inaugural 20-year vision. The 20-year vision positions EDI as a core pillar in the organization’s approach to ensuring TRIUMF Inc is a world-class research facility. In 2022-23, TRIUMF Inc. targeted undergraduate recruitment via the Richard E. Azuma Summer Fellowship, which actively recruits members of designated groups. TRIUMF Inc. also provided continued support and resources for the its ombudsperson for students and postdoctoral fellows, and hosted 2 sets of focus groups related to equity-deserving groups. The first focus group was specifically for women (in 2022) and the second was for 2SLGBTQIA+ people (in 2023) at TRIUMF. These focus groups provided a platform for TRIUMF employees to share experiences, voice concerns and collaborate on solutions. The outcomes of both focus groups helped guide the development of objectives within TRIUMF’s EDI Action Plan. TRIUMF also hired a full-time EDI Officer to oversee and manage activity in this space, including the development of an EDI Action Plan that will follow next year and include the collection of updated data from across the organization.

GBA Plus data collection plan:

The NRC supports requirements related to monitoring the advancement of equity across gender and other dimensions through its oversight and stewardship role in TRIUMF’s governance structure. However, TRIUMF’s current process does not allow for data collection on an ongoing basis. A comprehensive survey and data collection exercise is identified as a priority within the organization’s EDI Action Plan and is expected to take place in 2023-24.

Program Name: National Science Library

Program goals:

The goal of the National Science Library (NSL) is to support the advancement of knowledge through a range of information-related services to the public and other libraries. The NSL program incorporates GBA Plus in its activities by ensuring that content is easily accessible to all Canadians, and that a NSL catalogues contain resources that support and represent EDI.

Target Population:

All Canadians and OGDs

Distribution of Benefits:

By gender – Broadly gender-balanced

By income level – No significant distributional impacts

By age group – No significant inter-generational impacts or impacts between youth and seniors

Specific demographic group outcomes:

All Canadians directly benefit from the NSL since it is a public platform that seeks to support and encourage the advancement of knowledge through a range of public information-related services. The program is working to actively digitalize content in order to improve accessibility for those that are unable to access physical repositories. However, it is important to note that individuals living in remote regions and rural areas with limited access to the internet or NSL resources may continue to face barriers to participating and accessing NSL services.

Key program impacts^Footnote* on gender and diversity:

Key program impact statistics:

Other key program impacts:

The NRC National Science Library (NSL) offers a range of information-related services to the public and other libraries. Services include online access to digital content through NRC's publicly available repositories (NRC Publications Archive and the Digital Repository), a searchable catalogue and information discovery platform, and reference/interlibrary loan services with other libraries. The NSL is a member of the Federal Science Libraries Network (FSLN), a partnership of 7 federal science libraries that have joined together to establish a 1-stop, self-serve portal where you can access library services and search the print collections and repositories of all the libraries from a single place.

The NSL is committed to open science and open government principles in making its research outputs accessible through its repositories. The program established operations for the Federal Open Science Repository of Canada, a portal that will provide public, web-based access to federally authored scientific articles and publications, which will launch in 2023. Through the NSL program, the NRC also provided transformative agreements that facilitated free open access to 100 federal authored peer-reviewed scientific articles that would have otherwise been published behind a paywall. To improve accessibility and transparency, the NRC-NSL completed the digitization of NRCs annual reports dating back to volume 1 issue 1 (88 reports), making this high demand collection publicly available in 2023.

With the impact of COVID-19 on in-person and telephone services, the NRC has been increasing digitization of its historical research products to reduce barriers in accessing federal research efforts and increasing accessibility to all Canadians, including those facing financial barriers. The NSL continues to support information-related services in a variety of ways to diverse user groups. This includes providing NRC-related historical research services to other libraires as well as serving NRC and non-NRC clients through in-person, telephone and online means. The FSLN public site, the NRC Publications Archive, and the Digital Repository provide access to Government of Canada scientific information and research whilst following all requirements under the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. The NRC is also making improvements to NSL and FSLN services through the development and promotion of a service catalogue to increase access to services for internal clients and expanded access to global library collections through inter-library loans.

The NRC made efforts to increase anti-racism resources for NRC employees, and content specific to equity-deserving groups such as women in STEM and Indigenous Peoples. Through the NSL, the NRC purchased library resources related to anti-racist and Indigenous engagement practices, developed resource guides related to anti-racist and Indigenous engagement practices in research and the workplace, including books, reports, statistics and academic articles, and replaced library of Congress and Canadian subject headings in the FSLN catalog related to Indigenous Peoples with more current terminology to support reconciliation (e.g. replacing the term "Indians of North America" with Indigenous Peoples). The NRC also curated archival collections about NRC female scientists to support women in STEM and facilitated discovery by participating in the University of Ottawa's Canadian Archive of Women in STEM portal and supported national print preservation efforts to ensure access to federal STEM materials.

GBA Plus data collection plan:

The NSL has a GBA Plus data collection plan to ensure participation of equity-deserving groups and to understand the benefits to diverse groups. Data is collected on specific GBA Plus initiatives in the form of qualitative evidence of NSL's accomplishments and impacts on diverse groups. This includes an initiative to digitize the NRC's annual reports since 1917 to reduce barriers in accessing information on NRC's historical activities and increase accessibility to all Canadians. The program is collecting data on the number of reports that are converted to a digital format by the end of 2023-24. The NSL will release digitized copies of the NRC's annual reports since 1917 on the NRC website in 2023 to reduce barriers in accessing information on the NRC's historical activities and increase accessibility to all Canadians. The program is also collecting data on the number of downloads and views of the content on the platform in order to better gauge the success of the digitization initiatives. Furthermore, data will continue to be collected in 2023-24 on the progress made under other initiatives such as the development and promotion of the service catalogue for NSL and FSLN and increasing library resources related to GBA Plus.

The NSL program continued to set targets and collect data (where possible) on its work to build and expand diverse Canadian STEM capacity.

Another initiative is the launch of the Federal Open Science Repository of Canada in 2023. The repository provides equal access to federally authored scientific articles and publications from 8 science departments and agencies to users worldwide regardless of location, nationality, race, gender, income, religion, disability, or ethnicity. The program plans to implement advanced reporting that will capture country views from where the visits originate to understand the benefits of access for different populations. Finally, the program will continue to monitor federal open access publishing as a result of transformative agreements, as well as the global usage, citations, and altmetrics.

Program Name: Business Management Support

Program goals:

The goal of the Business Management Support program is to provide critical client engagement, technology transfer and commercialization support to NRC research programs. The Business Management Support program applies GBA Plus to its activities by ensuring that its hiring practices reflect an EDI lens that facilitates candidates from diverse backgrounds applying to the program’s job openings.

Target Population:

N/A

Specific demographic group outcomes:

Since the primary beneficiaries of the program are internal NRC employees, this program supports government operations that benefit all Canadians. Some NRC employees who require special accessibility requirements may face barriers in accessing the program’s services. Business Management Support is committed to identifying these barriers and adjusting the program to fit the accessibility needs of all employees.

Key program impacts^Footnote* on gender and diversity:

Key program impact statistics:

Other key program impacts:

The Business Management Support program provides critical client engagement, technology transfer and commercialization support to NRC by: identifying and developing a pipeline of opportunities that enable the research programs to meet their objectives (impact and revenue); negotiating agreements with third parties for research and testing-related activities and ensuring that these agreements do not expose the NRC or the Government of Canada to undue risk; managing, and administrating the NRC’s intellectual property assets; and providing technical business intelligence to our internal clients. For 2022-2023, the Business Management Support Program used a GBA Plus lens in its hiring practices. Specifically, 2 new positions were created in the directorate and preference was given to under represented groups. Both positions were filled by women.

GBA Plus data collection plan:

The enabling programs are internal programs providing client engagement, technology transfer and commercialization support to NRC employees, enabling the delivery of other NRC programs. The NRC branch under which the BMS program is located continued to set targets and collect data (where possible) on its work to build and expand diverse Canadian STEM capacity.

Program Name: Design and Fabrication Services

Program goals:

Design and Fabrication Services (DFS) includes a comprehensive and national set of services to all NRC programs and Science and Technology (S&T) initiatives in custom and innovative computer-aided design, high-precision mechanical engineering, expert fabrication and advice on quality. DFS applies GBA Plus in its program activities by ensuring that the services it provides do not pose any accessibility barriers for any equity-deserving groups.

Target Population:

NRC employees (internal programs)

Distribution of benefits:

N/A

Specific demographic group outcomes:

Since the primary beneficiaries of the program are internal NRC employees, DFS supports government operations for all Canadians. Some NRC employees who require special accessibility requirements may face barriers in accessing the program’s services. DFS is committed to identifying these barriers and adjusting the program to fit the accessibility needs of all employees.

Key program impacts^Footnote* on gender and diversity:

Key program impact statistics:

Other key program impacts:

Design and Fabrication Services (DFS) delivers a comprehensive and national set of services to all NRC programs and their Science and Technology (S&T) initiatives in custom and innovative computer-aided design, high-precision mechanical engineering, expert fabrication and advice on quality. These services directly enable the creation of experimental and client deliverable prototypes (both virtual and physical), highly precise and calibrated test instrumentation and new national facility designs using the practice of professional engineering to assure performance, quality and the reduction of risks in health and safety and environmental stewardship for the NRC. The outputs of DFS directly contribute to the success of research, technology development and the advancement of knowledge for the NRC. Furthermore, efficiencies are generated through a managed work environment across 13 DFS locations to maximize utilization of its people and resources.

As a support group, the impact of DFS’ work on GBA Plus can be seen in the results of the Research Centre projects to which the program has contributed.

GBA Plus data collection plan:

The enabling programs are internal programs providing client engagement, technology transfer and commercialization support to NRC employees, enabling the delivery of other NRC programs. The NRC branch under which the BMS program is located continued to set targets and collect data (where possible) on its work to build and expand diverse Canadian STEM capacity.

Program Name: Research Information and Technology Platforms

Program goals:

Research Information and Technology Platforms (RITP) ensures that researchers at the NRC have access to a multitude of IT tools and support services that are critical to delivering research outcomes. The program integrates GBA Plus in its activities by following the NRC’s 2023-2025 Accessibility Plan to ensure that services are fully accessible to all end-users.

Target Population:

NRC employees (internal programs)

Distribution of benefits:

N/A

Specific demographic group outcomes:

Since the primary beneficiaries of the program are internal NRC employees, RITP supports government operations that serve all Canadians. Some NRC employees who require special accessibility requirements may face barriers in accessing the program’s services. RITP follows the NRC’s 2023-2025 Accessibility Plan and is committed to identifying these barriers and adjusting the program to fit the accessibility needs of all employees.

Key program impacts^Footnote* on gender and diversity:

Key program impact statistics:

Other key program impacts:

RITP oversees and delivers on 3 research platforms: specialized research equipment, high performance computing, and research-relevant infrastructure. Specialized research equipment (IT equipment embedded within or linked to non-IT laboratory equipment) is used to provide control in the formation and gathering, storing and analyzing of research data. High performance computing is a primary research tool in a wide range of research areas, such as gene sequencing and astronomy. Research-relevant infrastructure ensures that researchers have access to a multitude of IT tools and support services, such as end user devices, research development environments, and source code repositories. All of these services are critical for delivering research outcomes.

The NRC finalized its 2023-2025 Accessibility Plan that outlines concrete actions and priority areas for the program to create a respectful and inclusive workplace and culture, and to better serve the Canadians accessing its services. The Accessibility Plan assigned action items for the Knowledge, Information and Technology Services (KITS) Branch, which RITP is under, to improve the NRC’s overall digital accessibility. KITS is assigned to lead or work with other branches to improve the necessary tools, processes and resources to support technology-related accommodation requests, make all internal and external communications products (print and online) fully and consistently accessible, ensure that procurement documentation is consistently available in accessible formats. RITP intends to continue implementing the NRC’s 2023-2025 Accessibility Plan to ensure that all end-users are able to fully access its services.

GBA Plus data collection plan:

The enabling programs are internal programs providing client engagement, technology transfer and commercialization support to NRC employees, enabling the delivery of other NRC programs. The NRC branch under which the RITP program is located continued to set targets and collect data (where possible) on its work to build and expand diverse Canadian STEM capacity.

Additionally, in 2022-2023, RITP identified key areas for improvement in its utilization of GBA Plus strategies. These areas include developing training requirements for IT professionals on end-user accessibility and creating an inventory of digital resources in 2024, and commencing regular accessibility assessments in 2025.

Program Name: Special Purpose Real Property

Program goals:

NRC’s Special Purpose Real Property (SPRP) program engages in a wide range of activities in support of its real property portfolio. Those activities may be broadly grouped into 3 general classes: routine maintenance of existing real property assets; capital improvements and major modifications to existing real property assets; and changes to the NRC real property portfolio though purchase, sale, lease or license. SPRP incorporates GBA Plus in its activities by leading initiatives that improve the accessibility of NRC’s real property (buildings, parking facilities and designated drop-off zones) as per the NRC’s 2023-2025 Accessibility Plan.

Target Population:

NRC employees (internal programs)

Distribution of benefits:

N/A

Specific demographic group outcomes:

Since the primary beneficiaries of the program are internal NRC employees, this program supports government operations that serve all Canadians. Some NRC employees who require special accessibility requirements may face barriers in accessing the program’s services. SPRP is committed to identifying these barriers and adjusting the program to fit the accessibility needs of all employees.

Key program impacts^Footnote* on gender and diversity:

Key program impact statistics:

Other key program impacts:

The NRC recently launched its Accessibility Plan for 2023-2025. The plan outlines concrete actions and priority areas for the NRC to promote a respectful and inclusive workplace and culture, and to better serve Canadians accessing its services. The Real Property Planning and Management (RPPM) Branch, where the SPRP is located, leads various initiatives of the NRC Accessibility Plan. The Accessibility Plan noted that not all of the NRC’s parking facilities and designated drop-off zone are fully accessible. As such, RPPM was tasked with action items to remove these barriers. Action items for 2023 include, completing the remaining 3 accessibility assessments for NRC buildings. For 2024, action items include: establishing the process to engage with persons with disabilities for the planning, implementation and post-implementation stages of new builds and retrofits to existing buildings, utilizing tools to help identify deficiencies with respect to accessibility issues in the management of real property assets (buildings), and engaging with building owners for all NRC-leased facilities to develop strategies to address accessibility deficiencies.

GBA Plus data collection plan:

The enabling programs are internal programs providing client engagement, technology transfer and commercialization support to NRC employees, enabling the delivery of other NRC programs. The NRC branch under which the SPRP program is located continued to set targets and collect data (where possible) on its work to build and expand diverse Canadian STEM capacity.

In 2023-24, RPPM will also track progress based on specific indicators against action items included in the NRC’s Accessibility Plan, including the number of projects completed that have a defined GBA Plus implication that can be measured and reported.

Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits

Response to parliamentary committees

• Economic recovery in Canada’s forestry sector: green and inclusive

  • The House of Commons Standing Committee on Natural Resources undertook a study on the Economic Recovery in the Forestry Sector. Forests are a key part of the Canadian economy, both for their recreational use and as the source of numerous products. The forest industry generates significant revenues for Canada’s economy and supports thousands of jobs on which many rural and Indigenous communities depend. Many of these communities are also closely connected to forests as a form of natural and cultural heritage. Sustainable and effective management of forests is critical to ensuring the future of the forestry sector and for reaping all the benefits that wood products have to offer.
  • Committee Report No. 2 - RNNR (44-1) - House of Commons of Canada
  • Government Response - 8512-441-07 - House of Commons of Canada
  • The NRC was not named in the report’s recommendations, but was named by witnesses for its role in coordinating the National Building Code and its advice on the use of laminated timber in high-rise construction.
  • Similarly, the NRC was not named in response to the recommendation. However, it was named in the government’s response with respect to its published Wildland Urban Interface Guide, which is intended to enhance life safety, property protection and community resilience to fires by providing guidance on hazard and exposure assessment, construction measures, vegetation management and community planning.
• Development and support of the aerospace industry

  • The House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry and Technology (the Committee) agreed to undertake a study on issues related to the development and support of the aerospace industry.
  • Committee Report No. 5 - INDU (44-1) - House of Commons of Canada
  • Government Response - 8512-441-105 - House of Commons of Canada
  • The NRC was not specifically named in the report, however, it was featured in Part D of the government response to the report, accounting for its contributions in support of the aerospace sector.
• How can Canada remain a leader in the global quantum marathon

  • The House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry and Technology undertook a study of the Canadian quantum computing landscape to assess Canada’s current capabilities and efforts to ensure the correct policy tools and investment vehicles are in place to keep Canada globally competitive.
  • Committee Report No. 6 - INDU (44-1) - House of Commons of Canada
  • Government Response - 8512-441-128 - House of Commons of Canada
  • The NRC was named in the report and in the government’s response with respect to several recommendations:
    • Funding for technology development and commercialization (response to recommendations 1, 2, 3, 5, 8 and 9).
    • Supporting talent development and retention (response to recommendation 6).
    • Creating a cohesive and coordinated National Quantum Strategy (response to recommendations 3, 7, 10 and 11).
    • Protecting encryption systems (response to recommendation 4).
• Successes, challenges and opportunities for science in Canada

  • The new House of Commons Standing Committee on Science and Research decided to begin its work with a study of successes, challenges and opportunities for science in Canada, with a special focus on government science, research during the pandemic, big science, and emerging opportunities.
  • Committee Report No. 1 - SRSR (44-1) - House of Commons of Canada
  • Government Response - 8512-441-90 - House of Commons of Canada
  • There were no recommendations for the NRC, however, it was named in the government response addressing recommendations:
    • Optimizing the research ecosystem (response to recommendations 2, 3, 4).
    • Supporting research in colleges, CEGEPs and institutes (response to recommendations 10, and 11).

Response to audits conducted by the Office of the Auditor General of Canada (including audits conducted by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development)

The NRC was scoped into the OAG Audit of COVID-19 Vaccines (Report 9, 2022) but there were no recommendations for the NRC.

Response to audits conducted by the Public Service Commission of Canada or the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages

There were no audits in 2022-23 requiring a response.