News Release
The Council recently received a new question for assessment regarding the state of science culture in Canada. The question, referred to the Council by the Minister of State (Science and Technology) on behalf of the Canada Science and Technology Museums Corporation (CSTMC), Natural Resources Canada, and Industry Canada, is: What is the state of Canada’s science culture?
Over the past several years, public interest and debate has been steadily growing in Canada and abroad over the need to foster a science culture as part of the national science and technology agenda. In this period, significant government and private investments have contributed to the development of hundreds of individual science culture programs and institutions.
Now more than ever the volume of programs and data support the need for a national examination of issues, such as what performance indicators best reflect the vitality of Canada’s science culture, and a need to understand where Canada ranks internationally. The expert panel will also be asked to consider the factors that influence an interest in science among youth; the key components of the informal system that supports science culture; and the strengths and weaknesses in the Canadian system.
The Council’s Board of Governors has officially approved this question and preliminary background research has begun. An expert panel will be assembled later this year. The panel will consist of experts from a wide range of disciplines and backgrounds to ensure the most authoritative, credible, and independent responses to the question.
The Council of Canadian Academies offers science-based insights and evidence to enrich Canadian policy development and decision-making. This is achieved by harnessing the collective wisdom of the finest minds to develop independent, authoritative, and evidence-based expert assessments on the issues that matter most to Canadians.
To learn more about the Council’s active assessments, visit Assessments in Progress.