Science Policy in Canada

The formation and current state of science policy in Canada are analyzed. Attention to this topic is explained by the fact that the country is a member of the G7 of the leading industrialized countries, although its population is only 0.5% and its GDP is about 2% of the global numbers. By international standards, Canada is not a leader in scientific and technological advance, its specificity being that, with relatively low R&D spending, it occupies leading positions in terms of indicators such as the number of scientific publications in international databases and the number of Nobel laureates (in the last 13 years alone, seven Canadian scientists have become Nobel prizewinners). Canadian affiliation makes up 3.6% of articles published in peer-reviewed journals worldwide. The evolution of the mechanisms of government support for science in Canada is traced, and current practices are summarized. The strengths and weaknesses of the Canadian model of organization of science are identified. This experience may be of interest to Russia.