Universities continue to be strong contributors to research and development in Canada. According to Statistics Canada, Ontario’s higher education sector spent almost $4.6 billion dollars on R&D in 2009-10.
Higher education in fact is the largest single source of R&D funding, accounting for almost half. The federal government was the source of one-quarter of funding for university R&D in Ontario, slightly less than the rest of Canada. Provincial governments in the rest of Canada accounted for 11 per cent of funding, compared to eight per cent in Ontario.
In the meantime, business contributed 10 per cent of funding in Ontario and eight per cent in the rest of Canada.
And university R&D has increased over the years. After adjusting for inflation, Ontario’s universities and colleges spent 62 per cent more than in 2000-01. The rest of Canada increased spending by 53 per cent, although Prince Edward Island’s and British Columbia’s rates of growth are both higher than Ontario’s.
This article originally appeared in the OCUFA Report. To receive stories like this every week in your inbox, please subscribe.