Ottawa, Ontario
To solve the world's most pressing challenges, we need the best and brightest working together. It is through open and collaborative research partnerships with like-minded countries that Canada is cementing its leadership position on the world stage and supporting the discoveries and innovations that will help Canadians, and people around the world, thrive.
Today, the Honourable François‑Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, alongside Sylvie Retailleau, French Minister of Higher Education and Research, announced the creation of a joint committee between Canada and France to help strengthen the long-standing partnership between Canada and France in science, technology and innovation (STI). The committee will encourage the identification of thematic priorities for Franco-Canadian cooperation in STI, and promote new opportunities for Canadian and French researchers and innovators to work together to find evidence-based solutions to global challenges.
Co-chaired by Canada's Chief Science Advisor Dr Mona Nemer, and Dr Claire Giry, Director General of Research and Innovation at the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research, the joint committee held its meeting today to officially launch its activities and discuss ways to support bilateral research in emerging technologies, such as quantum science and artificial intelligence, which it has identified as its first priority research area. The committee also held workshops and heard from experts for both countries in the areas of pandemic preparedness, quantum science, artificial intelligence, and the energy transition.
To help facilitate increased collaboration, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the French National Research Agency (ANR) also today formed a partnership to create a framework to support new and existing collaborations between researchers in both countries, which will allow it to launch joint calls for proposals in the priority fields identified by the committee. NSERC and ANR expect to issue its first call for proposals in the coming year.
