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Biotechnology scientific activities in federal government departments and agencies, 2005/2006

Data on science and technology (S&T) expenditures and full-time equivalent (FTE) personnel allocated to biotechnology for fiscal year 2005/2006 were collected from selected federal government departments and agencies. This information contributes to the work of the Canadian Biotechnology Strategy.

The biotechnology S&T data comprise expenditures on research and development (R&D) and related scientific activities (RSA) for both intramural and extramural performers and the FTE personnel associated with these activities.

The federal government’s science and technology expenditures on biotechnology in 2005/2006 reached $861 million with research and development accounting for 96% of this spending or $823 million (table 1-1 ). Spending on biotechnology represents 9% of total federal science and technology expenditures of $9.3 billion (table 3 ).

The largest recipient of federal science and technology expenditures on biotechnology continued to be the higher education sector receiving $469 million with the federal government departments and agencies placing second with $273 million (table 1-1 ).

The main contributors for science and technology funding of biotechnology activities in the higher education sector continued to be the Canadian Institutes for Health Research at $292 million, followed by the Canada Foundation for Innovation at $107 million and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council at $63 million in 2005/2006 (table 1-2 ).

The National Research Council continued to account for the largest share of the federal government spending at $115 million followed by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada at $67 million (table 1-2 ).

In 2005/2006 a total of 1,854 FTE personnel dedicated to biotechnology science and technology activities up 3.5% from the previous fiscal year and representing the first increase in federal government personnel devoted to these scientific activities since 2002/2003 (table 5-1 ).

The largest share of FTE personnel dedicated to biotechnology science and technology activities in federal government departments and agencies was scientific and professional personnel (773 FTE) at 42% followed by technicians (639 FTE) at 34% and other (442 FTE) at 24% (table 5-2 ).

Genome Canada dedicated the highest share of its science and technology FTE personnel to biotechnology science and technology activities at 98% (table 7 ).

Genome Canada’s primary responsibility is to fund research programs for genomics and proteomics which are components of biotechnology.

The National Research Council which had the largest number of FTE personnel dedicated to biotechnology science and technology activities (686 FTE) devoted just 17% of its total science and technology personnel to biotechnology (table 7 ).