Released yesterday, the second iteration of The State of Science and Technology in Canada report is great news for the humanities, arts and social sciences (HASS) community.

And here’s why: in 2010, the Minister of Industry asked the Council of Canadian Academies (CCA) to explore how Canada was faring in all fields in which research is conducted in this country. And, as the report revealed, the expert panel concluded that Canada’s S&T community—including the HASS disciplines—is “healthy and growing, in both output and impact,” and is met with high international regard.

That’s not all—the report also found six research fields in which Canada excels. Here’s where the HASS community is clearly highlighted: clinical medicine, historical studies, information and communication technologies (ICT), physics and astronomy, psychology and cognitive...

CFHSS is pleased to congratulate one of its Executive Committee members, Karen Grant, on her new appointment to Provost and Vice-President, Academic and Research of Mount Allison University’s. Currently Vice-Provost (Academic Affairs) at the University of Manitoba, Professor Grant has been a board director for the Canadian Research Knowledge Network (CRKN), where she contributed to prepare a successful application for CFI funding for the Digital Content Infrastructure for the Human and Social Sciences.

We wish her continued success in her new role.

You can read Mount Alison’s release here.    

In May 2010, the federal government put out a call for submissions around Canada’s digital economy, asking for Canadians’ ideas around what a national digital strategy should include. With the help of a Taskforce comprised of leading Canadian researchers, the CFHSS submitted a brief. Since the consultation ended, the federal government has been developing a digital economy strategy.

While we won’t know the contents of that – or any – federal digital strategy until after the election, the issue has remained on the political parties’ agendas throughout the campaign so far. The Liberal’s platform includes a new tax credit for digital start ups – they also released a more detailed...

Malinda S. Smith, Vice-President, Equity Issues

As a political scientist, I think election debates are an important opportunity for citizens to assess the various party positions on the issues that matter to Canadians. As Vice-President, Equity Issues for the Federation, I thought it would be a useful exercise to identify some of the equity, diversity and social justice themes that emerged in the elections debates. Although the debate found me abroad, speaking at a Canadian Studies Symposium in Cuba, I had television access to the debates both in English (via CTV global) and French (via Radio Canada), as well as to live blogging via the Globe and Mail’s web site.

The two nationally televised federal election debates were held on Tuesday, April 12 and Wednesday, April 13. The leaders of four of Canada’s national parties – Conservative leader and prime minister Stephen Harper,...