The Government of
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
's Chief Science Advisor is a post in the Canadian government that was created in 2017 by the
Justin Trudeau government. The current advisor is
Mona Nemer, who is a specialist in the genetics of heart disease and was vice-president of research at the
University of Ottawa
The University of Ottawa (), often referred to as uOttawa or U of O, is a Official bilingualism in Canada, bilingual public research university in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on directly to the northeast of Downtown Ot ...
for 11 years. Dr. Nemer served an initial three-year term from September 2017 to September 2020, and has been reappointed three times. Her fourth appointment is scheduled to end in September 2027.
The Chief Science Advisor is distinct from the discontinued
National Science Advisor, which was abolished under the
Stephen Harper government in 2008.
The main functions of the advisor are to develop guidelines, advise the government on science and improve processes within the government related to scientific research.
Key functions
In its September 26, 2017 announcement, the Government of Canada defined the following key functions for the Chief Science Advisor:
* provide advice on the development and implementation of guidelines to ensure that government science is fully available to the public and that federal scientists are able to speak freely about their work;
* provide advice on creating and implementing processes to ensure that scientific analyses are considered when the Government makes decisions;
* assess and recommend ways to improve the existing science advisory function within the federal government; and
* assess and recommend ways for the Government to better support quality scientific research within the federal system.
The Advisor provides an annual report to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Science on the state of federal government science which is made public.
Office and reporting
The Office of the Chief Science Advisor is housed at
Innovation, Science and Economic Development and supported by a secretariat.
The CSA reports to both the
Prime Minister
A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
and the
Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry
The minister of industry () is the minister of the Crown in the Cabinet of Canada, Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.
The minister of industry is also the minister responsible for Sta ...
.
Annual reports
Every year the CSA publishes an annual report and makes it available on the internet.
* Chief Science Advisor Annual Report 2019-20
* Chief Science Advisor Annual Report 2018-19
See also
* The
Council of Canadian Academies, an independent science advisory body for the Government of Canada
*
Government Chief Scientific Adviser in the United Kingdom
*
Science advice
References
External links
* for Office of the Chief Science Advisor
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Federal departments and agencies of Canada
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
Science and technology in Canada
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
2017 establishments in Canada