National Research Council Canada


The National Research Council Canada is the primary national agency of the Government of Canada dedicated to science and technology research and development. It is the largest federal research and development organization in Canada.
The Minister of Industry is responsible for the NRC.

Mandate

NRC is an agency of the Government of Canada, and its mandate is set out in the National Research Council Act.
Under the Act, the NRC is responsible for:
  • Undertaking, assisting or promoting scientific and industrial research in fields of importance to Canada;
  • Providing vital scientific and technological services to the research and industrial communities;
  • Investigating standards and methods of measurement;
  • Standardization and certification of scientific and technical apparatus and materials;
  • Operating and administering Canadian astronomical observatories;
  • Establishing, operating and maintaining a national science library; and
  • Publishing and distributing scientific and technical information.
Approximately 4200 people across Canada are employed by the NRC. In addition, the NRC also employs guest workers from universities, companies, and public and private-sector organizations.

History

Formation during World War I

The National Research Council was established as the Honorary Advisory Council for Scientific and Industrial Research in June 1916, under the pressure of World War I. In both Britain and Canada, the onset of the war had disrupted scientific and industrial supply chains, and drawn political and public attention to a perceived failure of government to coordinate research and development. Following the founding of the British Committee for Scientific and Industrial Research in 1915, the Honorary Council was founded to advise the Canadian government on matters of science and industry.
Within its first years, the Council, chaired by University of Toronto Biochemist Archibald Macallum, focused on scientific solutions to manufacturing, agricultural and energy issues connected to impact of the war. In 1918, The Honorary Council completed a report on the state of Canadian research which criticized the lack of central organization and funding available to Canadian researchers, and proposed a National Research Institute with its own government-run laboratories to conduct research.

Interwar period

Early on, the Council was commonly referred to as the National Research Council, and it adopted this as its official name in 1925. Henry Marshall Tory served as the first NRC President from 1928-1935. Early projects for the NRC included research into the fungal grain disease Wheat Rust, the resistance of concrete to deterioration, and the use of lignite coal as a viable fuel source. The Council also provided funding for university scientists conducting research. In 1932, laboratories were built on Sussex Drive in Ottawa and the Medical Research Committee was formed with Dr. Frederick Banting as the inaugural Chair.

World War II

With the impetus of World War II, the NRC grew rapidly and for all practical purposes, became a military science and weapons research organization. It undertook a number of important projects, which included participation with the United States and United Kingdom, in the development of chemical and germ warfare agents, the explosive RDX, the proximity fuse, radar, and submarine detection techniques. Many inventions and innvoations during this period and beyond drew upon the skills of engineer George J. Klein, who is often touted as the most productive inventor in Canada during the 20th century. A special branch, known as the Examination Unit, was involved with cryptology and the interception of enemy radio communications. According to the Canadian Security Intelligence Service website, the NRC headquarters in Ottawa "was a prime espionage target" during the Cold War. The NRC was also engaged in atomic fission research at the Montreal Laboratory, and later the Chalk River Laboratories in Ontario.

Post-World War II

Post-WWII, the NRC reverted to its pre-war civilian role, and a number of wartime activities were spun off to newly formed organizations. Military research continued under a new organization, the Defence Research Board, while inventions with commercial potential were transferred to the newly formed Canadian Patents and Development Limited; and atomic research went to the newly created Atomic Energy of Canada Limited. Foreign signals intelligence gathering officially remained with the agency when, by Order in Council, the Examination Unit became the Communications Branch of the NRC in 1946. The CBNRC was transferred to the Department of National Defence in 1975, and renamed the Communications Security Establishment. During the 1950s, the medical research funding activities of the NRC were handed over to the newly formed Medical Research Council of Canada.
On 1 May 1978, with the rapid post-war growth of Canadian universities, the NRC's role in university research funding in the natural sciences was passed under the GOSA Act to the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.
In the 1980s, the NRC was responsible for selecting the first Canadian astronauts. The first Canadian in space, Marc Garneau, flew on the Space Shuttle Challenger on mission STS-41-G in October 1984. The NRC's role in the space program was transferred to the Canadian Space Agency following its foundation in 1989.

21st century

From 1994 to 2004, the NRC was led by Arthur Carty whose "energetic leadership and clear vision have made the Council a major player in the development and expansion of new frontiers of scientific exploration." In 2004, Carty was chosen by Prime Minister Paul Martin to serve as the first National Science Advisor of Canada. He was succeeded at NRC by Pierre Coulombe.
In April 2010, John McDougal was appointed President of the NRC by the Harper government The tenure of John McDougall was marked by budget cuts and controversies. Under his, and Minister of State Gary Goodyear's leadership, the NRC became a "toolbox for industry" with dented basic-research infrastructure, according to a former Clerk of the Privy Council.
In 2015, Kirsty Duncan was installed as Minister of Science in the new Trudeau government. The focus of the NRC shifted toward partnerships with private and public-sector technology companies, both nationally and internationally. John McDougall left suddenly in 2016 and Iain Stewart became the new President of the NRC.
In August 2020 under Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry Navdeep Bains and President Iain Stewart, the NRC announced it was building the Biologics Manufacturing Centre, a facility that can produce vaccines and other biologics. The construction of the facility was started as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Canada's inability to produce COVID-19 Vaccines.
In September 2020, President Iain Stewart was shuffled to the troubled Public Health Agency of Canada, and in December 2020 Bains named Mitch Davies to fill the vacancy. In October 2021, Iain Stewart returned to his position as President of the National Research Council. In January 2024, Mitch Davies was appointed as President of the National Research Council following the retirement of Iain Stewart.
See also: Complete list of NRC Presidents.

Organizational structure

Divisions of the NRC include:
The NRC highlights 12 research centres and 9 collaboration centres on its website:

Research centres

  • Aerospace Research Centre
  • Aquatic and Crop 'Resource Development Research Centre
  • Automotive and Surface Transportation Research Centre
  • Clean Energy Innovation Research Centre
  • Construction Research Centre
  • Digital Technologies Research Centre
  • Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Centre
  • Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre
  • Medical Devices Research Centre
  • Metrology Research Centre
  • Ocean, Coastal and River Engineering Research Centre
  • Quantum and Nanotechnologies' Research Centre

    Collaboration centres

  • Centre for Research and Applications in Fluidic Technologies
  • NRC-Canadian Institute for Cybersecurity Cybersecurity Collaboration Consortium
  • NRC-Centre hospitalier universitaire Sainte-Justine Collaborative Unit for Translational Research
  • NRC-Fields Mathematical Sciences Collaboration Centre
  • NRC-Memorial University Karluk Collaboration Space for Ocean Engineering, Technology, and Science
  • NRC-University of British Columbia Collaboration Centre for Clean Energy Transition
  • NRC-University of Toronto Collaboration for Green Energy Materials
  • NRC-University of Ottawa Joint Centre for Extreme Photonics
  • NRC-University of Waterloo Collaboration on Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, and Cybersecurity

    Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP)

The NRC 'Industrial Research Assistance Program' was introduced in 1947 to support product developments in small to medium-sized businesses. The NRC provides grants and financial support to companies looking to bring new and innovative technologies to the market. More than 250 field staff and 130 offices across Canada provide businesses with access to the program. In In 2012, the program became international by joining Eureka, the largest international collaboration network for industrial R&D.
Some of the many innovations by NRC personnel included the artificial pacemaker, development of canola, one of the first electric wheelchairs for quadriplegics, the Crash Position Indicator, and the Cesium Beam atomic clock. For the 75th-year anniversary in 2022, NRC provided a detailed history of IRAP on its website.