Two decades of stagnant funding have rendered Canada uncompetitive in biomedical research. Here’s why it matters, and how to fix it.

Canada needs to revitalize its scientific mojo, and to do so must improve research funding. (Shutterstock)

You may imagine that the hard part of being a Canadian scientist is having a bright idea. However, while curiosity, persistence and inventiveness are prerequisites for scientific success, the major obstacle to being a biomedical scientist in Canada is obtaining research funding.

Canadian biomedical scientists receive funding to hire scientific staff and buy experimental materials by applying for federally funded grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).