The federal government believes that “strengthening Canada’s productivity performance” is a key factor in the nation’s “long-term resilience and prosperity.”
In this vein, Canada has unveiled an investment of $6 million over 15 years to support a novel national research partnership that will aim to drive solutions which boost the country’s productivity over the coming years.
Boosting Canada’s productivity “requires bold ideas, strong partnerships, and research that drives real‑world impact,” posits Minister of Industry Mélanie Joly. “The Government of Canada is proud to support this innovative, collaborative work that strengthens Canada’s competitiveness and builds a more prosperous future for all Canadians.”
The investment, Joly says, “brings together leading experts from across the country and will generate the evidence and insight needed to shape smarter economic policy for the long term.”
The grant is a first-of-its-kind funding opportunity, bestowed by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada through its new pilot Policy Innovation Partnership Grants program.
SSHRC developed the Policy Innovation Partnership Grants “as a way to fund long-term research programs that have the sustained focus and flexibility needed to tackle enduring policy challenges,” according to Ted Hewitt, who serves as President of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
“Increasing Canada’s productivity is a pressing issue with far-reaching implications,” Hewitt stated, “and one that is ideally suited to the strengths of the social sciences and humanities.”
“This innovative partnership will demonstrate how researchers, higher education institutions and policy-makers can work together to develop actionable solutions to Canada’s most important issues,” he continued.
The new multistakeholder partnership will be led by the University of Calgary with an intent to leverage long-term, high-impact research in the social sciences and humanities to develop and enact transformative economic policy.
The initiative is being directed by Trevor Tombe, Professor of economics at the University of Calgary and Director of economic and fiscal policy at its School of Public Policy.
“Productivity is at the heart of nearly every economic challenge Canada faces today,” suggests Tombe, “from affordability and trade competitiveness to the sustainability of our public finances.”
“This partnership is about turning world-class research into practical insight for decision-makers on a national scale,” he continued. “The University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy is bringing together a broad network of researchers and policy partners and creating a long-lasting platform whose impact can compound over time—strengthening prosperity in Canada not just next year, but for decades to come.”
