Plant biology and food science in Canada: a vision for the future

Abstract

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) recently announced a plan to undertake a "reallocations exercise" designed to provide support for new initiatives and emerging fields of research in a period of fiscal restraint. NSERC's Grant Selection Committees (GSC) were instructed to establish committees charged with preparing reports that respond to the question "Why is it important for Canada that your research community should receive some of the funds available for reallocation?" The Plant Biology and Food Science Grant Selection Committee (GSC03) responded by striking a committee representing the breadth of research it supports. Extensive input was obtained from the scientific community through a web site and electronic discussion group. A discussion document was then prepared and distributed to 34 "consultants" representing NSERC-funded researchers and leaders in the agricultural, food, and forest industries. After refining the report, a second draft was circulated to more than 90 scientists for further review. This process provided us with a collective "vision" of our discipline that focuses on the importance of fundamental research, guided by excellence, innovation through multidisciplinary approaches, international leadership potential, and relevance to Canada and Canadians. To achieve this vision, NSERC must introduce a strategy to attract, train, and retain our best young minds, establish a broad, realistic funding base, and create opportunities for more interaction among disciplines. Six specific recommendations were put forward to achieve these goals with a total request for $15.3 million in reallocated and new money. If funded, this initiative will provide GSC03 researchers with the support required to generate the ideas, communicate the insights, develop the skills, and educate the personnel that will be essential for Canada's participation in the biotechnology revolution that is transforming global agriculture, food, and forest industries. Moreover, fundamental knowledge of the interaction between plants and their environment will also help Canada play a leading role in the effective, responsible stewardship of planetary resources in the 21st century.Key words: Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, reallocations exercise, plant biology, food science, biotechnology, fundamental research.