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HIGHER EDUCATION COMMISSION--INADEQUATE FUNDING HURTING REGION ----------------------------------------------------------------- Insufficient federal government support of university research in the Maritimes means short-term savings but long-term loss. That's the view the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission will present to a senate sub-committee when it meets in Halifax this week. "Research is an engine of economic growth, creating new developments, technologies and business opportunities," said Dr. David Cameron, interim chair of the MPHEC. "But research here in the Maritimes is hampered by inadequate funding." Each Maritime province can point to examples of research spinning off into companies now competing successfully in international markets and creating jobs at home, said Dr. Cameron. He cited Prince Edward Island's Diagnostic Chemicals Ltd.; Satlantic Inc., in Nova Scotia, and Universal Systems Ltd., in New Brunswick, as examples. But, he said, while the federal government talks about Canada's need to compete in the information economy and about the importance of encouraging regional self-sufficiency, the support isn't there to make that a reality. "Here in the Maritimes, we have fewer private sector research organizations than in other parts of the country. We are, therefore, particularly dependent on university research, but it isn't getting enough help," he said. Direct federal support of research does not cover such overhead and infrastructure costs as equipment, administrative support and support personnel. These indirect costs have been estimated at between 40 and 100 per cent of the direct costs. "Leaving these to be covered from other sources puts the Maritimes at a disadvantage compared to wealthier provinces," Dr. Cameron said. Meanwhile, cuts to federal transfer payments for education mean that university staff are carrying heavier and heavier teaching loads, limiting the time they can dedicate to research and making it difficult for them to compete for research funds from granting agencies. Those cuts have also put barriers in the way of students who might become tomorrow's researchers, he said. "Higher tuition costs and increased debt mean that students may well decide to choose a career path that gives them quicker returns," he said. "The result of all these cutbacks is that we are limiting current and future research. And that means we're limiting current and future opportunities here in the Maritimes." Cameron will present the MPHEC recommendations to help counter this situation when he appears before the Senate Sub-committee on Post-Secondary Education, which is on a cross-country tour as part of its examination of the state of post-secondary education in Canada. "Since 1973, the MPHEC has been working to help the whole Maritime region make the very best use of all our university resources," he said. "We represent a cross-section of views and a regional perspective. We want to stress to the subcommittee that adequate funding now is a great investment in the future, while the current situation is short-sighted and counter productive." -30- Contact: Dr. David Cameron 902-494-6626 trp Feb. 17, 1997 - 9:40 a.m.