ARCHIVED - Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada - Report

• Previous Page
• Table of Contents
• Next Page

This page has been archived.

Minister’s Message

Last year, Canada was the last country to fall into the global recession. Today, our economy is beginning to emerge in the strongest position of any advanced country in the world.  Investment and key stimulus measures as part of Year 1 of Canada’s Economic Action Plan provided continued results and helped set Canada apart from its G-8 counterparts in terms of economic strength.

In 2009-10, Industry Canada worked quickly with its Portfolio Partners to deliver timely and targeted stimulus initiatives. Composed of Industry Canada and 10 other agencies, Crown corporations and quasi-judicial bodies, the Portfolio helps the department to build a more productive and competitive economy.

Industry Canada works closely with the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), which aims to make Canada a country of discoverers and innovators for the benefit of all Canadians. Last year, the Government of Canada invested $35 million over three years to expand temporarily the Canada Graduate Scholarships program, which supports Canada’s top graduate students. This funding enabled NSERC to provide an additional 200 doctoral scholarships and 400 master’s scholarships in fiscal year 2009-10. NSERC also received stimulus funding of $3.5 million over two years to fund 600 additional graduate internships in science and business through the Industrial Research and Development Internship program.

Moving forward, Industry Canada will continue to ensure that the jobs and industries of the future are created right here in Canada. We will follow through on delivering existing stimulus plans and continue to support government priorities. This means ensuring that we have the right conditions and regulatory frameworks in place to encourage investment in Canada, increasing support for R&D to improve Canada’s long-term competitiveness and developing a digital economy.

I will work with the Industry Portfolio Partners, the private sector and other governments to enhance Canada’s productivity and create the foundation for strong, sustainable and balanced growth.

It is my pleasure to present this year’s Departmental Performance Report for the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council.

Section I – Overview of the Agency

Raison d’être

Responsibilities

NSERC is a departmental corporation of the Government of Canada created in 1978. It is funded directly by Parliament and reports to it through the Minister of Industry. The functions of NSERC, based on the authority and responsibility assigned to it under the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Act (1976-1977, c.24), are to:

• promote and assist research in the natural sciences and engineering, other than the health sciences; and
• advise the Minister in respect of such matters relating to such research as the Minister may refer to the Council for its consideration.

In 2009-10, NSERC invested just over $1 billion in post-secondary research and training in the natural sciences and engineering (NSE). NSERC is the most important funder of the direct costs of research in the NSE in Canadian universities. NSERC provides nearly one-fifth of the more than $4 billion invested in R&D in the natural sciences and engineering in Canadian universities and colleges. NSERC’s budget represents 10 per cent of the federal government’s expenditures for science and technology (S&T).

NSERC Quick Facts: 2009-10
President:	Dr. Suzanne Fortier
Chair:	The Honourable James Edwards
Expenditure:	$1.05 billion
Head Office:	Ottawa, ON
Regional Offices:	Moncton, NB Montreal, QC Mississauga, ON Winnipeg, MB Vancouver, BC
Employees:	370 Full-time Equivalents
Reach:	29,500 students and postdoctoral fellows 11,844 university professors 1,549 Canadian companies More than 100 universities and colleges

Strategic Outcome(s) and Program Activity Architecture

NSERC Expenditures by Priority Area, 2009-10

Program Activity Architecture

The chart below presents NSERC’s Program Activity Architecture (PAA) in effect in 2009-10.

Strategic Outcomes

People Highly skilled science and engineering professionals in Canada	Discovery High quality Canadian-based competitive research in the natural sciences and engineering	Innovation Productive use of new knowledge in the natural sciences and engineering
Promote Science and Engineering	Fund Basic Research	Fund Research in Strategic Areas
Sub-Activities	Sub-Activities	Sub-Activities
PromoScience Centres for Research in Youth, Science Teaching and Learning (CRYSTAL) Prizes	Discovery Grants Special Research Opportunity Grants General Support	Strategic Partnerships Collaborative Health Research Projects (CHRP)
Support Students and Fellows	Support for Research Equipment and Major Resources	Fund University-Industry-Government Partnerships
Sub-Activities	Sub-Activities	Sub-Activities
Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRA) NSERC Postgraduate Scholarships (PGS) Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarships (CGS) Postdoctoral Fellowships ( Industrial Research and Development Fellowships (IRDF) Industrial Research and Development Internships (IRDI) Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE)	Research Tools and Instruments (RTI) Major Resources Support Grants Research Capacity Development in Small Universities	Collaborative Research and Development Grants (CRD) Research Partnership Agreements Networks of Centres of Excellence1 (NCE)
Attract and Retain Faculty		Support Commercialization
Sub-Activities		Sub-Activities
Canada Excellence Research Chairs (CRC) Industrial Research Chairs (IRC) Chairs in Targeted Areas of Research University Faculty Awards (UFA)		Intellectual Property Mobilization Idea to Innovation Program (I2I) College and Community Innovation Program (CCIP) Centres of Excellence for Commercialization and Research (CECR)

Program Activity Architecture Crosswalk

Modifications to NSERC’s Program Activity Architecture (PAA) were as follows:

• The Industrial Research and Development Internships (IRDI) Program was moved from program activity - Fund University-Industry-Government Partnerships to program activity - Support Students and Fellows.  This amendment better represents the expected result of the IRDI program in which opportunities are created for skilled graduates to gain experience in industry.
• The Centres of Excellence for Commercialization and Research (CECR) Program was moved from Fund University-Industry-Government Partnerships to program activity - Support Commercialization.  The program’s name and objectives best align with the expected results of this program activity.

Redistribution of financial resources following modification of PAA

Old Program Activity	New Program Activity 2009-10
	Program Activity Support Studetns and Fellows	Program Activity Support Commercialization	Total
Fund University-Industry-Government Partnerships	6.8	19.1	25.9

Summary of Performance

Financial Resources and Human Resources

2009-10 Financial Resources ($ millions)

Planned Spending	Total Authorities	Actual Spending
1,039.9	1,055.2	1,051.3

2009-10 Human Resources (FTEs)

Planned	Actual	Difference
357	371	14

Performance Summary

Given the nature of R&D support programs, the impact of NSERC’s investment in research and training in the NSE can be best assessed over the long term. Therefore,the expected results reported in NSERC’s Report on Plans and Priorities 2009-10 should be considered mostly as planned results for the future. The performance information presented in this year’s DPR is a retrospective look at outcomes resulting from NSERC funding over the past decade, and in some cases even longer.

Strategic Outcome 1: Highly skilled science and engineering professionals in Canada

Performance Indicator	Target	2009-10 Performance
Total researchers per thousand employed relative to other Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries	Maintain top 10 world ranking (Canada was 8th in 2005)	Canada currently stands in 11th position, but only slightly (less than 2%) behind Australia in 9th (see Figure 2.1). Canada’s ratio of number of researchers per thousand employed has grown by 26% over the past decade as compared to the OECD average growth rate of 19%.

($ millions)

Program Activity	2008-09 Actual Spending	2009-102				Alignment to Government of Canada Outcomes
		Main Estimates	Planned Spending	Total Authorities	Actual Spending
Promote Science and Engineering	4.7	6.6	6.6	6.6	6.6	An innovative and knowledge-based economy. (All program actvities under this Strategic Outcome are linked to an innovative and knowledge-based economy, please see note on NSERC links to government of Canada outcomes.)
Support Students and Fellows	151.4	149.4	152.2	168.8	159.9
Attract and Retain Faculty	152.8	165.7	167.2	165.2	154.6
Total	308.9	321.7	326.0	340.6	321.1

Strategic Outcome 2: Discovery - High quality Canadian-based competitive research in the natural sciences and engineering

Performance Indicator	Target	2009-10 Performance
Average number of times that Canadian papers in the NSE are cited by other researchers (Average Relative Citation [ARC] factor of Canadian publications in the NSE ― comparison with other countries)	Maintain top 10 world ranking (currently Canada is 7th)	Canada’s ARC in the NSE ranks 5th and is only slightly behind the top four countries of the G20 (see Figure 2.9). Canada has maintained its 7th place ranking in scientific publication production (see Figure 2.11) and on a per capita basis is the most productive of the G8 (see Figure 2.12).

($ millions)

Program Activity	2008-09 Actual Spending	2009-103				Alignment to Government of Canada Outcomes
		Main Estimates	Planned Spending	Total Authorities	Actual Spending
Fund Basic Research	375.6	366.8	366.8	365.1	362.9	An innovative and knowledge-based economy. (All program actvities under this Strategic Outcome are linked to an innovative and knowledge-based economy, please see note on NSERC links to government of Canada outcomes.)
Support for Research Equipment and Major Resources	76.5	30.4	46.4	40.3	74.2
Total	452.1	397.2	413.2	405.4	437.1

Strategic Outcome 3: Innovation -Productive use of new knowledge in the natural sciences and engineering

Performance Indicator	Target	2009-10 Performance
Percentage growth in the number of partner companies annually	Greater than 5%	NSERC partnered with 1,539 Canadian firms in 2009-10 to transfer knowledge created in the university sector to private firms that create economic wealth. Over the past ten years the average annual growth rate in the number of partners has been 9.3%. Sixty-two of the top 100 R&D firms in Canada are partners with NSERC.

($ millions)

Program Activity	2008-09 Actual Spending	2009-104				Alignment to Government of Canada Outcomes
		Main Estimates	Planned Spending	Total Authorities	Actual Spending
Fund Research in Strategic Areas	84.3	98.4	124.1	124.2	104.0	Alignment to Government of Canada Outcomes: An innovative and knowledge-based economy. (All program actvities under this Strategic Outcome are linked to an innovative and knowledge-based economy, please see note on NSERC links to government of Canada outcomes.)
Fund University-Industry-Government Partnerships	168.9	98.4	109.3	110.5	119.9
Support Commercialization	15.6	26.8	46.4	44.5	41.5
Total	268.8	223.6	279.8	279.2	265.4

Strategic Outcome 4: Internal Services

Program Activity	2008-09 Actual Spending	2009-105
		Main Estimates	Planned Spending	Total Authorities	Actual Spending
4.1 Internal Services	N/A	25.9	25.9	30.0	27.7
Total	N/A	25.9	25.9	30.0	27.7

Contribution of Priorities to Strategic Outcomes

Operational Priorities	Type	Status	Links to Strategic Outcome(s)
1.  People Advantage
Enable more students to gain research experience in industry while undertaking advanced studies in Canada	On-going and new	Met All – Canada’s Economic Action Plan increase for the Industrial R&D Internship program funded an additional 600 students to work with industry.	Highly skilled science and engineering professionals in Canada Through research and research training, NSERC fosters the development of skilled workers who will become leaders across the private and public sectors.
Launch the Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE) program to encourage collaborative and integrative approaches, address significant scientific challenges associated to Canada’s research priorities, and facilitate the transition of new researchers from trainees to productive employees in the Canadian workforce.	New	Met All - The first CREATE awards were funded in 2009-10. A total of 20 awards were made for an expenditure of $3.0 million in 2009-10 and $6.0 million per year over the next five years.  Awards include the NSERC CREATE Training Program in Nanoscience and Nanotechology at the University of Toronto.
Launch the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship (CGS) and the CGS Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplements programs and review NSERC’s suite of scholarships and fellowship programs to ensure optimal results in relation to the evolving environment.	New	Met All – Programs were successfully launched with 54 Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships and 82 CGS Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplements awarded in 2009-10. Evaluations of NSERC’s PGS and CGS programs were completed in 2009-10.
2. Knowledge Advantage
Enable new faculty with high research potential to firmly launch their research programs and demonstrate their capabilities as competitive contributors to Canada’s research, research training and innovation base.	On-going	Met All –  365 new professors were awarded an NSERC Discovery Grant in 2009-10. Theses new professors will be able to fund their research expenses, including student stipends, and generate new knowledge over the next five years.	High quality Canadian-based competitive research in the natural sciences and engineering NSERC is committed to creating a strong foundation for research and research training in Canada. This is embodied in NSERC’s Discovery Grants Program, which provides a base from which researchers can establish and build their research programs, and gives them the opportunity to unleash their creative power.
Expand the Discovery Accelerator Supplement (DAS) program to provide timely additional resources to scientists/engineers to accelerate progress and maximize impact, particularly in the priority areas identified in the Federal S&T Strategy.	On-going	Met All – In 2009-10, 231 Discovery Accelerator Supplements were awarded for $9.2 million, a 37% increase over the 161 awards in 2008-09 for $6.5 million. Over 70% of the awards were in the priority areas.
Adopt peer review structures and processes that ensure flexibility and continuously adapt to the changing research environment following the recommendations of the International Review of the Discovery Grant Program and the Grant Selection Committee Structure Review.	New	Met All – A new committee structure was implemented for the Discovery Grants program and the second year of a revised review process was in effect. These changes are ensuring that funding is allocated to world-class Canadian researchers at the forefront of their disciplines.
3. Entrepreneurial Advantage
Implement the industry-driven strategies addressed in Budget 2008 aimed at the following sectors:  automotive, manufacturing, forestry, and fisheries; explore means to increase and sustain existing partnerships across all sectors during the current economic situation.	New	Met All – For the automotive sector, NSERC has (with partners) developed the Automotive Partnership Canada and is working to invest $85 million in partnered research. In manufacturing, NSERC has allocated $31 million over five years to three new Strategic Networks, and at least 22 Strategic Projects.  In forestry, NSERC is investing $36.5 million over five years in projects identified and developed in collaboration with FP Innovations. In the fisheries sector NSERC is investing $24 million over five years in two Strategic Networks and at least 27 Strategic Projects.	Productive use of new knowledge in the natural sciences and engineering in Canada NSERC aims to maximize the value of public investments in research for the benefit of all Canadians by promoting research-based innovation, university-industry partnerships, and technology transfer activities.
Expand the National Research Council (NRC)-NSERC-Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) partnership to accelerate commercialization of publicly funded research.	On-going	Met All – The NSERC-NRC-BDC partnership funding increased from $2.2 million in 2008-09 to $2.4 million in 2009-10.
Continue to increase the number of partnerships in priority areas identified in the Federal S&T Strategy: environment, energy, information and communication technology (ICT).	On-going	Met All – Nearly 90% of NSERC’s partnership program funding was devoted to Federal S&T priority areas in 2009-10, involving more than 100 new firms.
Develop an NSERC Strategy for Partnership and Innovation (SPI).	New	Met All – The SPI initiative was launched in November of 2009. There has been a strong response and participation in new initiatives created under the Strategy including the new Engage and Interaction grants.
Review NSERC’s intellectual property policy to remove any barriers to commercialization of research and to facilitate research agreements.	New	Met All – NSERC’s Intellectual Property (IP) Policy has been revised to allow for more flexible access to IP developed as a result of NSERC funding, while at the same time ensuring that the rights of all participants are protected. As of December 1, 2009, all Intellectual Property Agreements must contain the mandatory elements outlined in the new IP Policy. This new policy was featured as an action in the SPI.
Assess the need for a Pre-Collaborative Research and Development (Pre-CRD) grant pilot program to increase the number of university-industry interactions and partnerships.	New	Met All – The pre-CRD initiative was launched as the Engage Grants Program at the end of November 2009, to foster new partnerships between academics and Canadian based companies that have previously never worked together. The program has been very well received by the academic and industrial communities. In 2009-10, 56 Engage awards for $1.4 million were made.

Management Priorities	Type	Status	Links to Strategic Outcome(s)
Demonstrate NSERC’s accountability and how the results of its investments in Canadian research and training benefit Canadians.
Meet the commitments of the federal S&T Strategy related to governance, accountability and value for money.	On-going	Met All - NSERC continues to update and improve its governance structure and practices. The research funding agencies are coordinating programs and processes to facilitate multidisciplinary research and activities that span agency mandates, to improve coordination between programs and to improve client service to the research community. The agencies have completed the harmonization of a financial administration guide and have made progress on harmonized web pages for common initiatives.	All Strategic Outcomes NSERC will place a strong emphasis on measuring and demonstrating results to Canadians, and will continue to assure high standards of accountability and client service.
Ensure compliance with all new policies and frameworks (i.e. Internal Audit, Evaluation, Management Accountability Framework [MAF]).	On-going	Met All -NSERC has developed new terms of reference for the Committee on Research Integrity, updated the conflict of interest guidelines for Council and increased the Executive Committee’s role in governance, Council membership and Council evaluation.  In April 2009, an Audit Committee was formed, as required by the Treasury Board Secretariat’s (TBS) Policy on Internal Audit. Also in April 2009, the Executive Management Committee of NSERC took on the role of Departmental Evaluation Committee. A review of transfer payment practices was also conducted.
Reduce paper-based processes and harmonise business solutions (i.e.Enterprise Award Management System [EAMS] and Canadian Common CV [CCV]).	On-going	Somewhat Met – The EAMS pilot was completed in March 2010. Whereas the technical solution was not deemed to meet Council's requirements, significant advances have been made in identifying areas for harmonizing business processes across programs. Valuable lessons learned will serve to provide direction for a more integrated system in the future.  Significant progress has been made in the definition of a standard data set related to CCV project. NSERC is working closely with its partners in planning the replacement of the current application with a modern, flexible and standardized new solution.
With SSHRC and CIHR, develop an action plan to revise the Tri-Council Policy Statement:  Integrity in Research and Scholarship (TCPS-I)	New	Somewhat Met – The granting agencies released an update in February 2010 on the work they are doing, to improve the agencies' process for research and scholarly integrity, and financial accountability. A report reviewing the integrity policy framework was published in October 2009. It is expected that a revised Tri-agency draft policy on research integrity will be completed and ready for consideration by stakeholders in time for their annual meetings in spring 2011. The revised Tri-Agency policy is expected to be finalized by December 2011. Institutions will be asked to ensure that their institutional research integrity policies conform with the revised policy within one year of the launch date. The Council of Canadian Academies report on research integrity (Fall 2010) will also be used to shape future policies.
With SSHRC and CIHR, finalize, approve and release the second edition of the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans (TCPS-E);	New	Somewhat Met – In 2009-2010, the Interagency Advisory Panel on Research Ethics (Panel) consulted nationally on comprehensive revisions to the TCPS .  The policy was first adopted by NSERC, SSHRC and CIHR in 1998. Key changes include a new structure, the TCPS eight principles distilled to three, emphasis on a proportionate approach to research ethics review, and new chapters focused on multi-jurisdictional research, qualitative research and research involving Aboriginal Peoples. The consultation, a national outreach, involved meetings with roughly 2,000 members of the research community and yielded 370 written submissions. The draft policy is now under consideration by NSERC, SSHRC and CIHR with a view to officially adopting the TCPS second edition in fall 2010 and subsequent release to the community in winter 2011.
Enhance capacity and stay at the forefront of the field of performance measurement for S&T investments.	New	Met All –A comprehensive database system, NSERC-STATS, has been developed that presents NSERC, Canadian and international S&T data in a user-friendly way. The evaluation group has been expanded and some new performance measures (e.g. econometric) have been adopted.
With CIHR, SSHRC and CFI, work to improve reporting and integrated measurement of results and impacts of investments in post-secondary research and advanced training.	New	Mostly Met – A comprehensive data gathering and analysis of baseline information on performance indicators common to all agencies was carried out and work is now underway to produce a streamlined report highlighting results and impacts.
Increase Visibility of Canadian Research
Develop new outreach mechanisms and tools to target new audiences and demonstrate the benefits and results from Canadian research.	New	Met All - As part of the SPI launch, a full range of new vehicles were developed including an interactive website, an e-newsletter, as well as a series of printed materials to be used by Regional Offices as they promote SPI in their regions. Developed a series of high-impact fact sheets that highlight NSERC investments in research that support and advance the Government of Canada’s Science and Technology Strategy both at a national and regional level. Through more than 160 events and announcements, NSERC was also able to reach new audiences and showcase the benefits of research in science and engineering to Canadians. Another avenue for highlighting the impact of NSERC-funded research is a partnership we secured with the Government of Canada’s science gateway - science.gc.ca.	All Strategic Outcomes The ongoing work to improve our communications products will help to demonstrate the value and impact of NSERC funding.
Increase Canada’s awareness of research achievements by leveraging existing relationships with core audiences through the NSERC regional offices, former NSERC Council members, former NSERC prize winners and journalists, to ensure that audiences are reached at national, regional and local levels.	On-going and New	Met All - NSERC has been planning and implementing a series of presentations hosted by Dr. Fortier, on topics of importance to both scientists and key opinion leaders. We recently partnered with the Canada 2020 Oil Sands Symposium on a panel that featured NSERC-funded researchers from the University of Alberta who discussed topics related to “greening the oil sands”. NSERC has been leveraging the reach of Council members by inviting them to serve as representatives at announcements across the country. For example, NSERC Council members have assisted with the roll-out of the new Strategy for Partnership and Innovation and have served as presenters at other important announcements such as the College and Community Innovation program.

Risk Analysis

NSERC’s operational and management priorities are ongoing and are monitored according to NSERC’s integrated Results-based Management and Accountability Framework (RMAF) and Risk-based Audit Framework (RBAF).  In the development of the RMAF-RBAF, 16 different types of risks were identified and three risks are considered significant. These 3 significant risks which may impact NSERC’s performance over the reporting period are summarized below:

Risk	Mitigation
Ability to remain relevant and make and implement strategic decisions that align with evolving context.	NSERC ensures the relevance of its activities and investments by aligning very closely with the priorities of the Federal S&T Strategy.  NSERC actively consults stakeholders through various governance and advisory committees.  NSERC conducts surveys and consultations to keep abreast of issues, opportunities and challenges.
Ability to ensure optimal funding decisions and to maintain control and accountability over expenditures.	NSERC funding decisions are informed by a rigorous peer review process to foster excellence and ensure that the research supported is gauged against the highest international standards. The blue-ribbon committee that conducted the International Review of the Discovery Grants Program concluded that the program “is an unusually effective and efficient method of research support, particularly in the Canadian context.”  NSERC, together with SSHRC and CIHR, have a Memorandum of Understanding with the institutions that administer funds from the federal granting agencies on behalf of researchers, to ensure that the funds entrusted to NSERC are well managed and are used effectively, economically and in the best interest of the research supported by the award.
Ability to ensure integrity in research.	NSERC grant recipients must abide by the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Integrity in Research and Scholarship which provides a formal process to investigate possible breaches of scientific integrity brought to NSERC’s attention.

In addition, NSERC experiences risks related to the current circumstances that are integral to all of its programs and that could influence performance.  For example, the reduced capacity of Canadian industry to engage in R&D in times of economic uncertainty may compromise NSERC’s ability to deliver on partnership programs that require contributions from industrial partners.

While NSERC administers a significant budget, the Council’s overall risk level compared to other government entities is considered low, in terms of continuity of government operations and the maintenance of services to, and protection of interests of, the Canadian public.  This assessment of risk level is further supported by the Blue Ribbon Panel Report on Grants and Contributions which stated, "The record of performance by the federal research granting agencies, including CFI, has been deemed high by international standards.  The two councils and CIHR have successfully managed their own research portfolios, using a rigorous system of oversight, including detailed memoranda of understanding signed by all recipient institutions and regular financial monitoring visits of recipient universities."

Expenditure Profile

During the 2009-2010 fiscal year, NSERC spent $1,051.3 (including the Employee Benefit Plan) million to meet the expected results of its program activities and contribute to its strategic outcomes.

The figure below illustrates NSERC’s spending trend from 2007-2008 to 2009-2010.  For the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 periods, all figures appear as reported in previous Departmental Performance Reports.

Departmental Spending Trend

Over the three-year period NSERC has received base budget increases in Budgets 2007 and 2008, and funding for specific programs including: the Alexander Graham Bell and Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships programs, the Centres of Excellence for Commercialization and Research (CECR) program, the International Polar Year Program, the College and Community Innovation program, the Industrial Research and Development Internship Program, the Business-Led Networks of Centres of Excellence and funding for the Canadian Light Source.

Canada’s Economic Action Plan (CEAP)

In 2009-10, NSERC received additional funding for the Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarships program ($14 million) and the Industrial R&D Internship program ($2.5 million). The $16.5 million in CEAP funding represented 1.6% of NSERC’s total expenditures in 2009-10. The figure below presents NSERC’s spending trends highlighting CEAP funding.

Spending Trend Graph

Voted and Statutory Items

The table illustrates the way in which Parliament approved NSERC's resources.

($ millions)

Vote # or Statutory Item (S)	Truncated Vote or Statutory Wording	2007-08 Actual Spending	2008-09 Actual Spending	2009-10 Main Estimates	2009-10 Actual Spending
1	Operating expenditures	39.0	43.7	41.4	42.1
5	Grants and contributions	969.6	981.8	922.9	1,004.2
(S)	Contributions to employee benefit plans	3.9	4.3	4.1	5.0
Total		1,012.5	1,029.8	968.4	1,051.36

• Previous Page
• Table of Contents
• Next Page