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Analysis
Estimation of research and development expenditures in the higher education sector, 2005/2006
In 2005/2006, expenditures on research and development (R&D) in the higher education sector (HERD) increased $459.5 million to reach $9.5 billion, an increase of 5.1% over 2004/2005 (table 1-1 ). The health sciences and other natural sciences, combined for 345.0 million or 75.1% of the HERD increase for 2005/2006 (table 1-2 ).
In the previous years, expenditures increased by 11.2% and 9.2% in 2004/2005 and 2003/2004 respectively (table 1-1 ).
In 2005/2006, the largest contributor to the HERD were the higher education institutions at $4.4 billion an increase of 5.1% from 2004/2005. Additionally, federal government funding of R&D in the higher education sector increased 8.9% to $2.5 billion over the same period. These sources of R&D funding in the higher education sector were the two largest contributors providing 73% of the total (table 1-1 ).
Allocation of total R&D expenditures among social sciences and humanities, health sciences and other natural sciences and engineering remained stable in 2005/2006 from the previous year with social sciences and humanities accounting for 20%, health sciences 39% and other natural sciences and engineering at 41% (table 1-2 ).
In 2005/2006, the provincial government of Alberta funded 19.0% of R&D expenditures in its own higher education institutions, the highest rate in any Canadian province.The Québec and Ontario provincial governments followed with each providing one-tenth respectively, of the R&D fundings from all sources for their higher education sectors (table 1-3 ).
In 2005/2006 Newfoundland and Labrador led all provinces with an increase of 28.4% in R&D expenditures in the higher education sector over the previous year, followed by New Brunswick at 13.7%, and Manitoba at 13.0%. Amongst the other provinces that showed strong increases in R&D expenditures in the higher education sector over the previous year, were British Columbia at 8.7% and Alberta at 7.1%.(table 1-4 ).
