Management Response to the Canada Research Chairs Program 15th-Year Evaluation

Covering memo

The Steering Committee 1 is pleased to note that the evaluation of the Canada Research Chairs Program (CRCP) confirms that the program continues to be aligned with federal and tri-agency priorities, and that the objectives of the program remain relevant. The committee is also pleased that the evaluation finds that the CRCP is effective and cost-efficient; is selecting candidates who meet the program’s high standards of excellence in research and training; and is contributing to research production, research centres, and research collaborations.

While most components of the program’s design and delivery were found to be appropriate, the evaluation has indicated a few areas that require attention. It recommends seven areas for exploration (listed in the chart below). The evaluation also confirms that the CRCP operates in a complex environment and plays a major role in supporting top-tier researchers and institutional research strategies. Program management recognizes and would like to draw attention to the fact that some of the recommendations are likely tied to the larger postsecondary research context. Because of this, the CRCP alone cannot address them fully.

Program management will take the time necessary to more closely examine the recommendations and fully consider the impact that potential changes may have on institutions and researchers prior to approving and implementing them. During this time, it will review potential options and determine how to address the issues raised in the evaluation in a manner that best reflects the strategic interests of the program. A measured approach to program changes will ensure the continued success of the program going forward.

The Steering Committee wishes to reiterate program management’s strong commitment to equity and ensuring that all qualified candidates have access to the program. Despite the work done to date by the Tri-agency Institutional Programs Secretariat (TIPS) to promote equitable practices, the majority of institutions do not meet their equity targets for the four designated groups: women, visible minorities, persons with disabilities and Aboriginal Peoples. Therefore, the consideration of future changes to the program will be made using an “equity lens” to ensure that equity gaps within the program are addressed. In the meantime, we invite institutions to sustain, review and intensify their efforts in order to address, as soon as possible, the underrepresentation in the program of individuals from the four designated groups.

The Steering Committee wishes to thank institutions, Canada Research Chair holders and stakeholders for their invaluable contributions to the 15th-year evaluation of the program. Their dedicated collaboration will help ensure that the program continues to contribute toward making Canada one of the world’s top countries for research and development.



Management response matrix
Evaluation Recommendations Program Management Response
Theme or category of recommendation Recommendation Response (action items) Responsibility Priority

Relevance

Recommendation 1: Management should investigate the feasibility of increasing the award value and/or indexing it to the inflation rate.

Agree.

The Steering Committee supports this recommendation.

Program management will prepare a strategy for addressing this recommendation, taking into account program objectives, existing program strengths and contextual complexities.

Responsible for follow-up:

Executive Director, TIPS

 

Medium

Relevance

Recommendation 2: Management should examine options to ensure more robust chairholder packages are offered by institutions, in order to support the continued achievement of the program’s objectives in the future.

Agree.

The Steering Committee acknowledges that there is variation in the robustness of chairholder packages. Additional analysis will be required to determine what role the CRC program should play in determining what an appropriate institutional support package should include.

Responsible for follow-up:

Executive Director, TIPS

Medium

Performance and effectiveness

Recommendation 3: Management should set targets for the attraction of researchers from abroad, and, if necessary, develop a plan to better support this group in order to ensure that the program’s objective of attracting top researchers from outside Canada is realized.

Partially agree.

The Steering Committee acknowledges that the proportion of researchers attracted from abroad has declined since the start of the program. However, further analysis is required to determine whether targets are needed.

Responsible for follow-up:

Executive Director, TIPS

 

Medium

Performance and effectiveness

Recommendation 4: Management should examine the extent to which the “fit with SRP” review criterion remains relevant, and whether or not it should be replaced with a criterion assessing alignment to demonstrated priority areas.

Agree.

The Steering Committee supports this recommendation.

Program management will prepare a strategy for addressing this recommendation, taking into account both the existing program strengths and contextual complexities.

Responsible for follow-up:

Executive Director, TIPS

Medium

Performance and effectiveness

Recommendation 5: Management should require institutions to adopt greater transparency in their processes for allocation of chair positions and selection and renewal of chairholders, in order to ensure institutions have greater accountability in terms of meeting their equity targets.

Agree.

The Steering Committee agrees with this recommendation, and has made the following decision:

That the Tri-agency Institutional Programs Secretariat be mandated to work with the Management Committee, using the evaluation findings and considering other input received, to develop a strategy to promote adherence to equity targets by universities, in collaboration with the CRCP Advisory Committee on Equity Policy, as soon as possible.

Responsible for follow-up:

Executive Director, TIPS

 

High

Performance and effectiveness

Recommendation 6: Management should investigate ways to minimize the impact of loss of occupied Chairs in the re-allocation process.

Agree.

The Steering Committee supports this recommendation.

Program management will prepare a strategy for addressing this recommendation, taking into account both the existing program strengths and contextual complexities.

Responsible for follow-up:

Executive Director, TIPS

 

Medium

Performance and effectiveness

Recommendation 7: Management should consider imposing a limit of one renewal for Tier 1 Chairs.

Agree.

The Steering Committee supports this recommendation.

Program management will prepare a strategy for addressing this recommendation, taking into account both the existing program strengths and contextual complexities.

Responsible for follow-up:

Executive Director, TIPS

 

Medium

Footnotes

Footnote 1

1 The Steering Committee is composed of the presidents of the three federal research granting agencies (Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council), the president of the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the deputy minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (or delegate) and the deputy minister of Health Canada (or delegate).