Appearance at the Standing Committee on Science and Research
October 1, 2025 (4:30 PM - 5:30 PM ET)
Room 125-B, West Block
111 Wellington St.

You have been invited by the House of Commons Standing Committee on Science and Research (SRSR) to provide testimony on October 1, in support of its study on the Impact of the Criteria for Awarding Federal Funding on Research Excellence in Canada. Marcel Turcot, Vice-President, Strategic, Corporate and Public Affairs will also appear as a co-witness. Also attending will be CIHR President Paul Hebert, CIHR Associate Vice-President, Government and External Relations, Jeff Moore, and SSHRC President Ted Hewitt, along with SSHRC Vice-President of Research, Sylvie Lamoureux and Valérie Laflamme, Associate Vice-President, Tri-agency Institutional Programs Secretariat.

You will give opening remarks and answer committee members’ questions for the study on the Impact of the Criteria for Awarding Federal Funding on Research Excellence in Canada. The official wording for the study (dated June 18, 2025) directs SRSR to “Undertake a study on the impact that the various criteria for awarding federal funding have on research excellence in Canada; that the Committee evaluate whether the criteria used are still appropriate within the evaluation committees, allow for the achievement of program objectives, strengthen the development of knowledge, and contribute to innovation, research, and science in Canada; that the Committee assess whether modifications should be made to these criteria; That the evidence and documentation received by the committee during the 1st Session of the 44th Parliament on the subject be taken into consideration by the committee in the current session. Furthermore, that the Committee devote at least 4 meetings to this study and report its findings to the House.”

The mandate of the SRSR Committee includes, among other matters, reviewing and reporting on all issues relating to science and research, including any reports of the Chief Science Advisor, and any other matter which the House refers to the standing committee.

The committee is now chaired by Salma Zahid (Liberal member for Scarborough Centre—Don Valley East, ON)

Recent additions to committee membership include the following new members:

• Salma Zahid (Liberal MP for Scarborough Centre-Don Valley East, ON)
• Tony Baldinelli (Conservative MP for Niagara Falls-Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON)
• Jennifer McKelvie (Liberal MP for Ajax, ON)
• Taleeb Noormohamed (Liberal MP for Vancouver Granville, BC)
• Aslam Rana (Liberal MP for Hamilton Centre, ON)
• Kelly DeRider (Conservative MP for Kitchener Centre, ON)
• Vincent Neil Ho (Conservative MP for Richmond Hill South, ON)
• Jagsharan Singh Mahal (Conservative MP for Edmonton Southeast, AB)

MPs that remained from the last session:

• Hon. Helena Jaczek (Liberal MP for Markham-Stouffville, ON)
• Maxime Blanchette-Joncas (Bloc Québécois MP for Rimouski-La Matapédia, QC)

The SRSR Committee is working concurrently on the following studies:

• Antimicrobial Resistance (4 meetings remain)
• Innovation, science, and research in recycling plastics (drafting report).

Since its formation in 2021, the Committee has completed studies on the following topics:

1. Successes, challenges, and opportunities for science in Canada
2. Top talent
3. Small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs)
4. International moonshot programs
5. Research and scientific publication in French
6. Role and value of citizen scientists
7. Commercialization of intellectual property
8. Government of Canada graduate scholarships and post-doctoral fellowships
9. Pay gaps among faculty at Canadian universities
10. The security of research partnerships between Canadian universities, Research Institutions and Entities Connected to the People’s Republic of China
11. Incorporating Indigenous knowledge and science in Canadian research and policy development
12. The distribution of federal government funding among Canada's post-secondary institutions (tabled again for the new Parliament)
13. Science and research in Canada's Arctic in relation to climate change (tabled again for the new Parliament)

• The current study began on Thursday Nov 28, 2024, and there have been 9 meetings to date. Five meetings have been scheduled during the first session of 45^th Parliament.
• The tone of the meetings so far has been inquisitive and cordial.

A complete list of witnesses can be found in Appendix A.

In the prior meetings, committee questions have focused on the following key themes:

• Progressivism in academia and the research community
  • Some witnesses voiced concerns about a lack of ideological diversity in academia owning to the prevalence of progressives.
• Equity, diversity, and inclusion in research funding and hiring
  • The committee heard from witnesses who would like to remove EDI considerations from all funding decisions.
  • The committee also heard from witnesses who defended the virtues of EDI considerations in removing barriers, in HQP training, in producing more rigorous, innovative and impactful research, and in ensuring a diverse pool of researchers in Canada.
• Indigenous research
  • The committee heard from witnesses on the importance of Indigenous research and meaningful collaboration with Indigenous communities.
• Peer review
  • The committee asked about how peer review works and what criteria are used in the evaluation of research proposals.
• The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA)
  • The committee heard from witnesses and asked about the nature of DORA and how to implement its principles to improve the review process.
• Institution sizes and funding distribution
  • The committee heard from witnesses about the impact of institutional prestige on the distribution of federal research funding.
• Research in French
  • Questions were asked about mechanisms for promoting science in French and improving the success rates of French applications.
  • Members and witnesses discussed the relationship between the size and type of institution (college vs. university) in funding research in French.
• Scientific fraud
  • The committee asked about how to prevent fraud in scientific publishing.
• Multidisciplinary and applied research
  • Discussions touched on how review processes could best support multidisciplinary and applied research, as well as colleges and institutes involved in the latter.
• Other
  • The committee asked questions on the importance and value of the social sciences and Indigenous knowledge.
  • Members and witnesses discussed the importance and feasibility of post-grant monitoring to ensure a return on investments and implementation of research and EDI commitments.

Salma Zahid (Scarborough Centre—Don Valley East, ON) (LPC)
New member
Chair

Background: First elected in 2015 and re-elected in 2019 and 2021 for Scarborough Centre. Re-elected for Scarborough Centre—Don Valley East in April 2025. Has been a member of SRSR since June 2025 and also sits on the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration (CIMM) and the Liaison Committee (LIAI). Former chair of the CIMM and has sat on numerous committees since 2015. Before entering politics, was a community organizer working to support women, their families and youth, and served the public in several positions with the Government of Ontario. Holds a master’s in educational management and administration from the University of London’s Institute of Education, and a MBA from Quaid e Azam University in Pakistan.

Interests and areas of intervention: gender equality, diversity, immigration, housing, national security, international conflicts, federal spending and regulations, anti-palestinian racism.

Legislative activities: Sponsored Bills: C-331 An Act to amend the Canadian Security Intelligence Service Act (duty of candour) (Outside the Order of Precedence).

Tony Baldinelli (Niagara Falls—Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON) (CPC)
New member
Co-Chair

Background: First elected in 2019 and re-elected in 2021 for Niagara Falls. Re-elected for for Niagara Falls—Niagara-on-the-Lake in 2025. Member of SRSR since June 2025 and from December 2021 to January 2022. Previously served on numerous committees, including the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology (INDU), Standing Committee on International (CIIT) and the Special Committee on the COVID-19 Pandemic (COVID). In September 2020, Conservative leader Erin O'Toole appointed MP Baldinelli special adviser on Tourism Recovery.
Before being elected, he worked at Niagara Parks Commission for 18 years and, before that, served as an assistant to conservative MPs and as a Public Relations specialist with Hill and Knowlton Strategies in Toronto (1996-2001). Graduate of McMaster University in Political Science with a Public Relations Certificate from Humber College.

Interests and areas of intervention: tourism, correctional services, international trade, automative industry, border crossing (US-Canada), industry, science and technology, transport, infrastructure and communities, defence.

Legislative activities: Sponsored Bills: C-324 An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (maximum security offenders) - Outside the Order of Precedence.

Maxime Blanchette-Joncas (Rimouski—La Matapédia, QC) (BQ)
Co-Chair

Background: First elected in 2019 and re-elected in 2021 for for Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques. Re-elected for Rimouski—La Matapédia in 2025. Has been a member of SRSR since December 2021, and served previously as the Vice-Chair for SRSR and the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (PACP). He was a member of the Special Committee on the COVID-19 Pandemic (COVI) Obtained a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Quebec in Rimouski. He briefly held a job at the Business Development Bank of Canada, then was hired as deputy director general of the municipality of L'Isle-Verte. Work in the House of Commons has focused on Public Accounts and Tourism. His files for the BQ are the Saint Lawrence Seaway and Innovation and Sciences.

Interests and areas of intervention: province of Quebec, merit-based research funding, investments in R&D, research funding distribution, support for french language research and publications, support for small and medium-sized universities.

Legislative activities: Sponsored Bills:

44-1: C-346 - An Act to amend the Canada Shipping Act, 2001 (certificate of competency) - Outside the Order of Precedence.

43-2: C-281 - An Act to amend the Canada Shipping Act, 2001 (certificate of competency) - Outside the Order of Precedence, and C-295 An Act to amend the Income Tax Act (recent graduates working in a designated region) – made to second reading in the House of Commons.

Hon. Helena Jaczek (Markham—Stouffville, ON)

Background: First elected to the House of Commons in 2019, and re-elected in 2021 and 2025. She has served as the Minister of Public Services and Procurement (Aug 2022 – July 2023) and the Minister Responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (Oct 2021 – Aug 2022). Before her work at the federal level, she was an Ontario MLA and served as Ontario’s Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, Chair of Cabinet (Feb 2018 – June 2018), Ontario’s Minister of Community and Social Services (June 2014 – Feb 2018) and Vice-Chair of the Health, Education and Social Policy Cabinet Committee. She received her medical degree and Master of Health Sciences from the University of Toronto and a Master of Business Administration from York University. She spent many years in general practice before working 18 years as the Medical Officer of Health and Commissioner of Health Services for the Regional Municipality of York. She served on the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology (INDU) and the the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities (TRAN) previously and has been a member of SRSR since September 2023.

Interests and areas of intervention: healthcare and data collection, mental health and addiction, public health, individuals with disabilities, artic science, climate change, traditional knowledge, government operations, national security.

Legislative activities: Sponsored Bills: C-303 An Act to establish a national strategy for health data collection - Outside the Order of Precedence.

Jennifer McKelvie (Ajax, ON)
New member

Background: Elected in April 2025, she’s been a member of SRSR since June and is the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure. Before entering federal politics, she was Toronto’s Deputy Mayor (Nov 2022 - May 2025), City Counselor for or Ward 25 Scarborough—Rouge Park (Dec 2018 - May 2025) and Chair of the Infrastructure and Environment Committee. Prior to her election, she worked as an environmental geoscientist and researcher, serving as a senior scientist at the Nuclear Waste Management Organization, and as a research director at the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR). She holds a BA in Environmental Science from the University of Toronto Scarborough, a Master of Science and PhD in Geology from the University of Toronto. Her research has earned prestigious awards, including the L’Oréal UNESCO Women in Science Fellowship and the NSERC Canada Graduate Scholarship.

Interests and areas of intervention: environmental sustainability & climate action, infrastructure & urban development, science & research.

Taleeb Noormohamed (Vancouver Granville, BC)
New member

Background: First elected in September 2021. Since June 2025, he has been a member of SRSR and serves as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation. Previously, he served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance and Intergovernmental Affairs (Canada-U.S.) (Feb 2025 - March 2025) andwas the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage  (Sept 2023 – Feb 2025). He has previously served on a number of committees, including the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage (CHPC) and the Standing Joint Committee for the Scrutiny of Regulations (REGS). He has also worked for Privy Council Office and Public Safety Canada. Holds a BA from Princeton University, a master's degree in education from Harvard University and a PhD from Oxford University.  From 2011 until his election in 2021, he held senior executive roles in with a number of technology firms, including Farfetch and VRBO.

Interests and areas of intervention: affordable housing, national security, foreign influence, gun legislation, technology and innovation, science and research, AI, media and technology.

Aslam Rana (Hamilton Centre, ON)
New member

Background: First elected in April 2025, has been a member of SRSR since June 2025. Immigrated to Canada in 2003 and has been involved in the Liberal Party of Canada for the last fifteen years. Prior to his election, he worked in Civil Engineering for the City of Toronto. Holds a master and bachelor degree in civil engineering (transportation) and has worked as a professional engineer, focusing on sustainable development and innovative solutions. MP Rana stated that he would focus on housing and infrastructure in Hamilton Centre, drawing on his engineering background.

Interests and areas of intervention: transportation, innovation.

Kelly DeRider (Kitchener Centre, ON)
New member

Background: First elected in April 2025, has been a member of SRSR since June 2025. Prior to entering politics, DeRidder was a professor at Conestoga College and project manager for Rockwell Automation. She attended Conestoga College, specializing as a mechanical engineering technologist. Has a technology career as an automation and engineering project manager.

Interests and areas of intervention: innovation.

Vincent Neil Ho (Richmond Hill South, ON)
New member

Background: First elected in April 2025, has been a member of SRSR since June 2025.  He’s a corporate lawyer and a partner at a law firm based in Toronto and York Region, with experience in working with and advising entrepreneurs, non-profits, and Canadian and international businesses of all sizes on regulatory compliance and transactional matters. Studied finance and economics at the University of Toronto and holds an MBA from the Schulich School of Business. He went to law school at Osgoode Hall Law School and later completed an LLM. He is a CFA charter holder and is admitted to the bar in Ontario and New York.

Interests and areas of intervention: business, innovation, defence and security.

Jagsharan Singh Mahal (Edmonton Southeast, AB)
New member

Background: First elected in April 2025, has been a member of SRSR since June 2025.  Prior to being elected, MP Singh Mahal worked as a lawyer for 12 years.

Interests and areas of intervention: Not available

Opening Remarks for Anne-Marie Thompson
Vice-President, Research Grants and Scholarships, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada

October 1, 2025

• Good afternoon, Madam Chair and Members of the Committee.
• My name is Anne-Marie Thompson, Vice-President of the Research Grants and Scholarships Directorate for the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).
• On behalf of NSERC President Alejandro Adem who is out of the country on work-related travel, I am pleased to provide remarks to support your important study.
• I’m joined here today by Marcel Turcot, NSERC’s VP for Strategic, Corporate and Public Affairs.

• NSERC invests over $1.4 billion each year in natural sciences and engineering research in Canada to deliver impact locally, nationally, and globally.
• These investments build a national knowledge base in the natural sciences and engineering through broad-based discovery-oriented research at Canada’s world-class universities and colleges.
• This research catalyzes the development of highly-qualified research professionals to create talent that innovative organizations need, creating over 35,000 training opportunities annually, with over 83% of trainees going on to work in either R&D or research following the completion of their degrees.
• Canada is certainly well-regarded by its peers internationally for supporting research excellence. Since 2015, three NSERC-supported researchers based in Canada have won Nobel Prizes in Physics.
• NSERC investments also power industry partnerships with universities and colleges to create a culture of academic entrepreneurialism and connect the creators and users of discoveries.
• Over 2,500 partners participate in NSERC projects each year, many of which are industry partners. 91% of these partners report benefits from the collaboration. In 2023-24, these collaborations attracted $356M in partner contributions.
• NSERC funding is awarded following competitive processes of independent merit review by scientific experts and peers from the Canadian and international research community.
• This merit review process evaluates applications based on the applicant’s demonstration of producing meaningful and impactful research as well as the extent and quality of the training and mentoring they provide.
• Review also focuses on the novelty and expected contributions of the proposed research.

• As research funders, we understand the need for ongoing modernization and evolution to remain relevant within the research enterprise.
• Continuous reflection and improvement in the assessment of research quality and impact has been a consistent theme in our agency.
• For example, NSERC is a signatory to DORA, also referred to as the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment.
• NSERC is also implementing the Tri-agency EDI Action Plan, recognizing that the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion are foundational to research quality and impact.
• In line with these commitments, NSERC released revised guidelines in 2022 to encourage reviewers and applicants to consider a more comprehensive range of contributions to research, training and mentoring, with the overarching goal of promoting research excellence in Canada.
• NSERC asks reviewers to recognize that research contributions can take many forms: publications, shared datasets, public engagement or outreach, technology licencing and other outputs that benefit society as a whole or enhance Canada’s research ecosystem.
• Different programs have different objectives, and we approach the evaluation of proposals in ways that take this into account.

• With our suite of programming and our continued commitment to impact, NSERC is helping drive the growth of Canada’s research enterprise.
• We are continually working to modernize our programming and our underlying process – including our research evaluation processes – to deliver the most impact for Canadians.

• Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today. I look forward to answering any questions you may have, and I would be happy to share with you more examples of the work NSERC is doing to promote research excellence in Canada.