Dear partner,
It is with a sense of accomplishment that I announce that the House of Commons Standing Committee on Science and Research (SRSR) has released its report on the Government of Canada’s Postgraduate Scholarships and Postdoctoral Fellowships programs.
This is the culmination of several months’ work and collaboration with valuable partners from the student, university and research communities, who have called on me successively to correct this flagrant inequity, which is harmful to our next generation of scientists. To be clear : federal master and doctoral scholarships have not increased by a single cent in 20 years!
In all, the testimonies of 38 actors and organizations were gathered during the committee meetings, in addition to 39 others in the form of written briefs. The report, which I strongly encourage you to read, presents a factual and exhaustive assessment of the current situation, as well as a number of concrete courses of action available to the government. It is therefore an excellent starting point for reflection, to which the government will have to respond in the coming months.
Here are a few extracts that I find particularly revealing :
- “The stagnation in the amount and number of federal graduate scholarships, combined with the difficulties of funding research, are having a very negative impact on some students and postdoctoral fellows, as well as on training the next generation of scientists in Canada.”
- “The evidence generally highlighted that the graduate scholarships available in Canada are not competitive with those available in certain other countries.”
- “The committee recommends that the government of Canada :
- Increase the value of Tri-Agency graduate scholarships and postdoctoral fellowships by 50%, and index them to inflation moving forward;
- Increase the number of Tri-Agency graduate student scholarships by 50%;
- Increase the number of Tri-Agency postdoctoral fellowships by 100%; and
- Increase the Tri-Agency research grant budget provided to faculty by at least 10% per year for the next five years, to allow for increased graduate student and postdoctoral pay.”
In addition to initiating this study, I also sponsored the e-4604 petition, whose demands are in line with the recommendations of the SRSR committee’s report.Thanks to the work of the Union étudiante du Québec and its president, Catherine Bibeau-Lorrain, as well as the concerted efforts of the student community, the petition obtained nearly 3,500 signatures, sending out a strong political message.
I was able to table the petition in the House on the last day of parliamentary proceedings in 2023, which activates a period of 45 working days at the end of which the government must officially respond to the petition. I’ll be sure to keep you informed of future developments in this matter.
With the holiday season on the horizon, I’d like to take this opportunity to wish you happiness, health and prosperity for the coming year. I’ll be back in 2024, ready to continue carrying the voice of the Quebec and Canadian research community on the SRSR committee and beyond.
Please do not hesitate to contact me regarding any issue or demand you may have relative to the federal government.
Thank you for your valuable collaboration.
Yours sincerely,
Maxime Blanchette-Joncas Député de Rimouski-Neigette–Témiscouata–Les Basques Vice-président du comité permanent de la science et de la recherche Porte-parole en matière d’innovation et de science Porte-parole concernant la voie maritime du Saint-Laurent Porte-parole en matière d’infrastructures maritimes | |
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