A Number of Initiatives that will Bolster Higher Education and University Research
The Canadian Association for Graduate Studies was pleased to see that this year’s budget included a number of initiatives that will help bolster the ability of Canadian universities to continue to offer quality programs that serve the needs of Canadian society. “Graduate students, says Dean Douglas Peers, the Association’s President, will benefit from the $32M increase in funds flowing to the three research councils as these funds will help support the research activities of faculty members with whom Canadian students are working.” In addition, the Association finds helpful the increase in the budget for the Indirect Costs program which will likewise strengthen the infrastructure upon which graduate students depend. “The introduction of a new program to support postdoctoral studies is especially welcome, notes Dean Peers, as it not only provides a new source of funding for a group of researchers who are particularly critical to advancing research in Canada but it also signals that postdoctoral fellows are now an important item on Canada’s research agenda.” The Canadian Association for Graduate Studies welcomes the opportunity to participate in further discussions about how best we can build capacity at the postdoctoral level.
The Canadian Association for Graduate Studies (CAGS) is a national organization of 60 institutions engaged in graduate education and research in all academic disciplines. It includes the graduate student associations that together represent more than 165,000 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. It is dedicated to the advancement of graduate education and university research.