Transition binder for the NRC President, January 2024

1. Introduction

(1) a. Overview of the NRC and ISED Portfolio

The National Research Council (NRC) is a departmental corporation within the Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) portfolio.

Appropriate minister: The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, P.C., M.P., Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

Institutional head: President

Ministerial portfolio: Innovation, Science and Economic Development

Enabling instrument[s]: National Research Council Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. N-15

Year of incorporation / commencement: 1916

Description: The NRC works in partnership with members of the ISED Portfolio to leverage complementary resources to promote science and research and integrated innovation, to exploit synergies in key areas of science and technology, to promote the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises and to contribute to Canadian economic growth.

The NRC's Council provides independent strategic advice to the NRC President. The President provides leadership and strategic management and is responsible for the achievement of the NRC's long-range goals and plans in alignment with government priorities. Each of the NRC's Vice-Presidents is responsible for a number of areas composed of programs and research initiatives, centres, the Industrial Research Assistance Program, and/or a corporate function. Vice-Presidents and NRC managers are responsible for executing plans and priorities to ensure successful achievement of objectives.

ISED Portfolio: The other organizations that form part of the ISED portfolio are:

Departmental corporations, agencies, and councils

Canadian Space Agency (CSA)
Statistics Canada (STC)
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC)

Crown corporations

Business Development Bank of Canada
Destination Canada (DC)
Standards Council of Canada (SCC)

Quasi-judicial tribunals

Copyright Board Canada (CB)
Competition Tribunal (CT)

Other Organizations Associated with ISED

(1) b. Minister Mandate Letter

Dear Minister Champagne:

Thank you for continuing to serve Canadians as Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry.

From the beginning of this pandemic, Canadians have faced a once-in-a-century challenge. And through it all, from coast to coast to coast, people have met the moment. When it mattered most, Canadians adapted, helped one another, and stayed true to our values of compassion, courage and determination. That is what has defined our path through this pandemic so far. And that is what will pave our way forward.

During a difficult time, Canadians made a democratic choice. They entrusted us to finish the fight against COVID-19 and support the recovery of a strong middle class. At the same time, they also gave us clear direction: to take bold, concrete action to build a healthier, more resilient future. That is what Canadians have asked us to do and it is exactly what our Government is ready to deliver. We will work to build that brighter future through continued collaboration, engagement, and the use of science and evidence-based decision-making. With an unwavering focus on delivering results, we will work constructively with Parliamentarians and maintain our strong partnerships with provincial, territorial and municipal governments and Indigenous partners. This decade has had an incredibly difficult start, but this is the moment to rebuild a more resilient, inclusive and stronger country for everyone.

The science is clear. Canadians have been clear. We must not only continue taking real climate action, we must also move faster and go further. As Canadians are increasingly experiencing across the country, climate change is an existential threat. Building a cleaner, greener future will require a sustained and collaborative effort from all of us. As Minister, I expect you to seek opportunities within your portfolio to support our whole-of-government effort to reduce emissions, create clean jobs and address the climate-related challenges communities are already facing.

This year, Canadians were horrified by the discovery of unmarked graves and burial sites near former residential schools. These discoveries underscore that we must move faster on the path of reconciliation with First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples. We know that reconciliation cannot come without truth and our Government will continue to invest in that truth. As Ministers, each of us has a duty to further this work, both collectively and as individuals. Consequently, I am directing every Minister to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and to work in partnership with Indigenous Peoples to advance their rights.

We must continue to address the profound systemic inequities and disparities that remain present in the core fabric of our society, including our core institutions. To this effect, it is essential that Canadians in every region of the country see themselves reflected in our Government’s priorities and our work. As Minister, I expect you to include and collaborate with various communities, and actively seek out and incorporate in your work, the diverse views of Canadians. This includes women, Indigenous Peoples, Black and racialized Canadians, newcomers, faith-based communities, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ2 Canadians, and, in both official languages.

Across our work, we remain committed to ensuring that public policies are informed and developed through an intersectional lens, including applying frameworks such as Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus) and the quality of life indicators in decision-making.

Canadians continue to rely on journalists and journalism for accurate and timely news. I expect you to maintain professional and respectful relationships with journalists to ensure that Canadians are well informed and have the information they need to keep themselves and their families safe.

Throughout the course of the pandemic, Canadians and their governments have adapted to new realities. Governments must draw on lessons learned from the pandemic to further adapt and develop more agile and effective ways to serve Canadians. To this end, I expect all Ministers to evaluate ways we can update our practices to ensure our Government continues to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.

The success of this Parliament will require Parliamentarians, both in the House of Commons and the Senate, to work together across all parties to get big things done for Canadians. I expect you to maintain constructive relationships with your Opposition Critics and coordinate any legislation with the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons. As Minister, you are accountable to Parliament both individually, for your style of leadership and the performance of your responsibilities, and collectively, in support of our Ministry and decisions taken by Cabinet. Open and Accountable Government sets out these core principles and the standards of conduct expected of you and your office. I expect you to familiarize yourself with this document, which outlines my expectations for each member of the Ministry.

Our platform lays out an ambitious agenda. While finishing the fight against the pandemic must remain our central focus, we must continue building a strong middle class and work toward a better future where everyone has a real and fair chance at success and no one is left behind.

As Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, you will lead efforts to create more jobs and achieve long-term economic and industrial transformation towards a low-carbon future, including through the strategic delivery of the Net Zero Accelerator Initiative. You will work to ensure that Canada is a world leader in clean technology, with a focus on critical minerals and the development of a sustainable battery innovation and industrial ecosystem, and position Canada to seize the opportunities of the digital economy, protecting rights and competitiveness and establishing a digital policy task force to help integrate efforts across government. You will likewise continue to implement the Biomanufacturing and Life Sciences Strategy to improve economic growth and ensure pandemic readiness for years to come. And you will ensure we continue to better understand how our programs and policies impact Canadians through the increased use of disaggregated data.

To realize these objectives, I ask that you achieve results for Canadians by delivering the following commitments.

With the support of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and the Minister of Natural Resources, lead the implementation of the Net Zero Accelerator Initiative, anchored in a robust, horizontal governance structure and a clear long-term investment strategy to support the strategic review of large-scale investments targeting key industrial sectors across all regions in order to drive industrial transition and significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions on a scale consistent with achieving Canada’s climate goals and meaningfully transform Canadian industry to lead and compete in a net-zero emissions future.
Establish a digital policy task force to integrate efforts across government and position Canada as a leader in the digital economy and in shaping global governance of emerging technologies.
Introduce legislation to advance the Digital Charter, strengthen privacy protections for consumers and provide a clear set of rules that ensure fair competition in the online marketplace.
Accelerate broadband delivery by implementing a “use it or lose it” approach to require those that have purchased rights to build broadband to meet broadband access milestones or risk losing their spectrum rights.
Work with the Minister of Health to continue demonstrating leadership in public health by strengthening surveillance and capacity to detect and act on public health threats, strengthening the security of medical supply chains, working with colleagues to advance the Biomanufacturing and Life Sciences Strategy, and investing in the study of the long-term health impacts of COVID-19, including the effects of “long COVID” on different groups, notably vulnerable populations and children.
Lead the creation of a new fund to pursue moonshot research into high-impact illnesses where a vaccine may be possible.
Continue to support the economic growth and recovery of Canada’s traditionally strong industries, including but not limited to automotive, aerospace, natural resources and agri-food, to increase productivity and innovation, and to strengthen the manufacturing base of Canada.
Support the Mines to Mobility Strategy by attracting anchor investments in key areas like minerals processing, cell manufacturing and zero-emissions vehicle parts and assembly manufacturing, and use all tools, including the Investment Canada Act, to ensure the protection and development of our critical minerals. This will include working with the Minister of Natural Resources to develop and launch a Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy to position Canada at the forefront of critical mineral exploration, extraction, processing and manufacturing, as a global leader in the production of batteries, and other clean and digital technologies, as well as to develop a sustainable battery innovation and industrial ecosystem in Canada, including to establish Canada as a global leader in battery manufacturing, recycling and reuse.
Advance efforts to ensure that Canada is a world leader in clean technology, including by:
- Building on existing advisory services to guide emerging clean technology firms from formation to export;
- With support from the Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development, helping to drive the development of Canadian clean technology companies and small and medium-sized enterprises working in the area of decarbonization;
- Working with the Minister of Public Services and Procurement to support procurement of Canadian clean technology; and
- Partnering with post-secondary institutions and Indigenous organizations to accelerate the creation and growth of Indigenous clean technology businesses.
Work with the Minister of Natural Resources on the development of model building codes, including publishing a net-zero emissions building code and model retrofit code by the end of 2024 that align with national climate objectives and provide a standard for climate-resilient buildings. You will also work to amend the National Building Code of Canada to specify firefighter and first responder safety as a core objective. To ensure effective implementation of these performance standards, work with partners to develop strategies around incentives, training programs and pilot initiatives.
Work with the Minister of Environment and Climate Change on the creation of a new infrastructure and innovation fund that will scale-up and commercialize made-in-Canada technologies and solutions for the reuse and recycling of plastics.
Work with the Minister of Natural Resources to establish a global centre for excellence on methane detection and elimination.
Support the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and the President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness to develop a climate data strategy to ensure that the private sector and communities have access to data to inform planning and infrastructure investments.
Contribute to broader efforts to promote economic security and combat foreign interference by reviewing and modernizing the Investment Canada Act to strengthen the national security review process and better identify and mitigate economic security threats from foreign investment.
Working with the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Minister of National Defence and Minister of Public Safety, and with the support of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, continue to advance the National Cyber Security Action Plan, ensuring Canada is well positioned to adapt to and combat cyber risks, and ensure the security and integrity of Canada’s critical systems.
Work with the Minister of Public Safety, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Minister of National Defence, and in collaboration with implicated ministers, to develop and implement a renewed National Cyber Security Strategy, which will articulate Canada’s long-term strategy to protect our national security and economy, deter cyber threat actors, and promote norms-based international behavior in cyberspace.
Advance the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy and additional measures, such as advancing standards and continuing to lead international efforts around coordination, to support artificial intelligence innovations and research in Canada.
Launch a National Quantum Strategy to amplify Canada’s strength in quantum research and grow our quantum-ready technologies, companies and talent.
Invest in the National Research Council’s Canadian Photonics Fabrication Centre and reinforce Canada’s leadership in photonics research, testing and prototyping.
Develop a new approach to support high-risk/high-reward transformative research and development to unleash bold new research ideas, drive technological breakthroughs, protect Canada’s competitive advantage and help Canadian companies grow and create highly skilled jobs. In moving forward with a uniquely Canadian approach modeled on the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), work with the Minister of Health to develop a plan to modernize the federal research funding ecosystem to maximize the impact of investments in both research excellence and downstream innovation, with a particular focus on the relationships among the federal research granting agencies and the Canada Foundation for Innovation.
Add 1,000 Canada Research Chairs to help attract and retain top talent at Canadian universities and support graduate research, with a focus on improving gender and racial equity among faculty, promoting interdisciplinary research and reinforcing Canada’s world-leading capabilities in life sciences and bio-medical research.
Establish a new fund to help colleges and universities commercialize leading research, including identifying and securing patent rights for research done within their institutions and connecting researchers with people and businesses to help put these innovations into action and grow our economy.
Continue to support innovation ecosystems across the country to support job creation, technology adoption and scale-up. This includes working with the Minister of Public Safety, and in close collaboration with Canadian industry and post-secondary institutions, to safeguard Canada’s world-leading research ecosystem, as well as our intellectual property (IP) intensive businesses.
As the Minister responsible for Statistics Canada, continue to support the President of the Treasury Board in their work in building a whole-of-government approach for the improved collection, analysis, availability and publication of disaggregated data.
Improve support for Black and Indigenous researchers by including a specific equity target for their representation in federally-funded scientific research delivered through the granting councils and providing dedicated funding to support promising graduate students, foster the mentorship and development of younger researchers and increase opportunities for Indigenous Peoples and Black Canadians in Canadian post-secondary institutions.
Engage with provinces and seek feedback from universities, colleges, experts, lenders and other post-secondary education stakeholders to explore ways to better protect the public interest functions of public post-secondary educational institutions in insolvency and restructuring situations.
Support the Chief Science Advisor in their work to bolster the capacity and increase the coordination of the use of science across government.
Work with the Minister of Canadian Heritage to amend the Copyright Act to further protect artists, creators and copyright holders, including to allow resale rights for artists.
To enhance consumer protection and ensure a level playing field for all businesses, undertake a broad review of the current legislative and structural elements that may restrict or hinder competition. This includes directly reviewing the mandate of the Commissioner of Competition, and in so doing, ensuring that Canadians are protected from anti-consumer practices in critical sectors, including in the oil and gas, telecommunications and financial services sectors.
With the Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development, work to strengthen and secure supply chains and support the Minister of Transport to reduce and prevent bottlenecks in Canada’s transportation networks.
Work with the Minister of Environment and Climate Change to implement a ‘right to repair’ to extend the life of home appliances, particularly electronics, by requiring manufacturers to supply repair manuals and spare parts, and by amending the Copyright Act to allow for the repair of digital devices and systems.
Work with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, and with the support of the Minister of National Revenue, to implement a beneficial ownership registry.
Support the Minister of Public Services and Procurement, the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, and the Minister of National Defence to renew the fleets of the Canadian Coast Guard and Royal Canadian Navy, advance the shipbuilding industry, including the process to add a third Canadian shipyard as a strategic partner to the National Shipbuilding Strategy, create middle class jobs and ensure Canada has the modern ships needed.

As Minister, you are also responsible for actively engaging with your Cabinet and Caucus colleagues. As we deliver on our platform commitments, it will be important that members of the Ministry continue to collaborate and work constructively to support rigorous and productive Cabinet decision-making. I expect you to support your colleagues in delivering their commitments, leveraging the expertise of your department and your own lived experiences.

To best achieve results for Canadians, Ministers must be rigorous and coordinated in our approach to implementation. I would therefore ask that you return to me with a proposed approach for the delivery of your mandate commitments, including priorities for early implementation. Furthermore, to ensure we are accountable for our work, I will be asking you to publicly report to me, and all Canadians, on your progress toward these commitments on a regular basis.

As we have been reminded throughout the pandemic, adapting to change is not only something government should do, it is something government must do. As you work to fulfil our commitments, I expect you to actively consider new ideas and issues as they emerge, whether through public engagement, your work with Parliamentarians or advice from the public service. I also expect you to work with your Deputy Minister to assess priorities on a continual basis as we build a better future for all Canadians. In addition to achieving results, you are responsible for overseeing the work of your department and ensuring the effective operation of your portfolio.

As you staff your office and implement outreach and recruitment strategies for federally appointed leadership positions and boards, I ask that you uphold the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion. This helps ensure that federal workplaces are dynamic and reflective of the Canadians we serve. You will also ensure your Minister’s office and portfolio are reflective of our commitment to healthy and safe workplaces.

Canadians expect us to work hard, speak truthfully and be committed to advancing their interests and aspirations. When we make mistakes – as we all will – Canadians expect us to acknowledge them, and most importantly, to learn from them.

I know I can count on you to fulfill the important responsibilities entrusted in you, and to turn to me, and the Deputy Prime Minister, early and often to support you in your role as Minister.

Sincerely,

Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, P.C., M.P.
Prime Minister of Canada

*This Ministerial Mandate Letter was signed by the Prime Minister in the Minister’s first official language.

(1) c. Minister biography

Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

Saint-Maurice—Champlain

The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne was first elected in 2015 as the Member of Parliament for Saint-Maurice—Champlain. He has previously served as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, and Minister of International Trade.

Minister Champagne is a businessman, lawyer, and international trade specialist with over 20 years’ experience at large international companies in Europe, particularly in the fields of energy, engineering, and innovation.

Before entering politics, Minister Champagne was Vice-President and Senior Counsel of ABB Group, a leader in cutting-edge technology that operates in more than 100 countries. He also served as Strategic Development Director, acting General Counsel, and Chief Ethics Officer and Member of the Group Management Committee of Amec Foster Wheeler, a world leader in the energy sector.

In 2009, Minister Champagne was named Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. He has served on several boards over the years, and was notably President of the Canadian-Swiss Chamber of Commerce and the Banff Forum.

After his election in 2015, Minister Champagne served as a parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Finance until 2017, when he was appointed Minister of International Trade. During his time as Minister of International Trade, the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement entered into force, and Canada signed the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. In 2018, he was named Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, and oversaw the federal government’s ambitious $187 billion infrastructure investment plan. He was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs in 2019, and oversaw the creation of Canada’s Declaration Against Arbitrary Detention in State-to-State Relations, which more than 60 countries have endorsed.

Minister Champagne holds a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Montréal and a Master of Laws in American law from Case Western Reserve University. Minister Champagne also studied public and private international law at The Hague Academy of International Law, in the Netherlands.

2. About the NRC

(2) a. NRC Factsheet (2022-23)

The National Research Council (NRC) advances knowledge, assists government policy mandates, and supports business innovation. The NRC fact sheet provides a quick reference for key NRC statistics for a given fiscal year. The information below refers to data for the 2022-23 fiscal year as of May 2023. This information can be communicated to both internal and external audiences.

People

4,263 total NRC full-time equivalent staff including 2,293 scientists, engineers and technicians and 269 NRC IRAP industrial technology advisors
542 students, postdoctoral fellowships and research associates
39.5% women in NRC workforce (relative to Canadian market availability of 38.2%)
87 nationalities in our workforce
24 laboratory sites
106 NRC IRAP points of service

Scientific achievements

In 2022, NRC researchers published a total of 1,222 peer-reviewed publications, which represented 53 publications per 100 scientists/engineers/technicians.

The NRC field-weighted citation score on a 3 year average (2020-2022 calendar years) was 1.19 relative to world average.

In 2022, the co-authorship rate with external partners was 83% including:

United Kingdom: 10.9%
Germany: 8.5%
Japan: 5.2%

Patents

In 2022-23, the NRC:

filed 267 new patent applications
had a portfolio of 1,951 active patents (issued or pending)
- 606 under license
- 461 patent families

R&D clients and collaborators

According to the Client Satisfaction Survey, 89% of respondents said the NRC helped them achieve results such as increased jobs, sales and R&D capacity.
In 2022-23, we had 969 research and development clients and worked on 1,005 distinct research and development projects for those clients.
In 2022-23, we had 379 active collaborative research and development projects and worked with 116 funded collaborators.

Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP)

9,690 clients
- 3,486 firms funded
- 6,204 firms received advisory services only
13,973 jobs supported
35% total revenue growth of client firms – as an average compound annual growth rate (2019 to 2021)
21% employee growth of client firms – as an average compound annual growth rate (2019 to 2021)

Financials (unaudited results)

Figure 1. Total expenditures (operating, capital, and grants and contributions)

Total expenditures. Long Description follows.

Figure 1. Total expenditures - Text version

Total: $1,470.8M
- Research centres $875.5M
- NRC IRAP $595.3M

Figure 2. Funding programs $612.3M (grants and contributions expenditures)

Funding programs. Long Description follows.

Figure 2. Funding programs - Text version

Total: $612.3M
- NRC IRAP $489.4M
- TRIUMF $59.3M
- Collaborative Science, Technology and Innovation $34.8M
- Telescopes $26.6M
- Other grants & contributions $2.2M

Figure 3. Total revenues

Total revenues. Long Description follows.

Figure 3. Total revenues - Text version

Total:$179M
- 47% Industry
- 45% Other government departments
- 8% Other (academia, non‑profits, etc.)

(2) b. Organizational Chart

(2) c. NRC Onboarding

Slide 1

NRC Onboarding
November 2023

Slide 2

A century of innovation

Slide 3

We advance scientific and technical knowledge

We support government policy objectives

We support business innovation

Slide 4

Research facilities across 24 sites

NRC IRAP presence in 106 points of service

Slide 5 - NRC by the numbers (2022-2023)

2,293 scientists, engineers and technicians and 269 NRC IRAP industrial technology advisors

182 buildings and 24 laboratory locations

9,690 SMEs and 13,973 jobs supported through IRAP

Slide 6 - NRC by the numbers (2022-2023)

1,222 peer-reviewed publications

267 new patent applications and 1,950+ active patents

$179 million in total revenues and $612.3 million in funding programs

Slide 7 - The Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP)

Provides advice, connections, and funding to help Canadian small and medium-sized businesses increase their innovation capacity and take ideas to market

Serves over 9,000 clients annually (including advisory services, funding) across all industry sectors

Links innovative Canadian SMEs to global value chains and supports their growth by providing access to current technology and business market intelligence on priority industry sectors

Supports youth with an employment program

Slide 8

5 research divisions, 14 research centres and 1 business unit

This table lists the NRC Research Divisions and their associated research centers and business unit.

Division	Research centre/Business unit
Digital Technologies	Digital Technologies
Emerging Technologies	Advanced Electronics and Photonics Canadian Photonics Fabrication Centre (Business unit) Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics Metrology Nanotechnology Security and Disruptive Technologies Note: The Advanced Electronics and Photonics, Nanotechnology and Security and Disruptive Technologies Research Centres will be merged into a single research centre on April 1, 2024.
Engineering	Construction Energy, Mining and Environment Ocean, Coastal and River Engineering
Life Sciences	Aquatic and Crop Resource Development Human Health Therapeutics Medical Devices
Transportation and Manufacturing	Aerospace Automotive and Surface Transportation

Slide 9 - NRC's national lab footprint

Slide 10 - Collaboration centres

NRC-University of British Columbia Collaboration Centre for Clean Energy Transition
Centre for Research and Applications in Fluidic Technologies (CRAFT)
CIC-NRC Cybersecurity Collaboration Consortium
Karluk Collaboration Space
NRC-University of Toronto Collaboration for Green Energy Materials
NRC-uOttawa Joint Centre for Extreme Photonics
NRC-Waterloo Collaboration on Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, and Cybersecurity
NRC-CHU Sainte-Justine Collaborative Unit for Translational Research (CUTR)
NRC-Fields Mathematical Sciences Collaboration Centre
Canadian Centre for Advanced and Digital Manufacturing

Slide 11 - Challenge Programs

Slide 12 - Ideation Fund: Supports exploratory research through the New Beginnings and Small Teams Initiatives

New Beginnings:Small-scale exploratory research led by NRC employees working with collaborators ($2 million in annual funding for projects of up to 18 months)

Small Teams: Explores transformative ideas by NRC teams working with collaborators ($4 million in annual funding for 3-year projects)

Ideation Fund Results as of March 31, 2023: $11 million in grants & contributions delivered to 72 collaborating institutions for 200 projects

Slide 13 - Role of NRC Council

Reviews strategic directions, oversees performance and provides challenge function

Independent perspective based on knowledge + expertise in fields important to our mandate

Chair provides leadership to NRC Council

Slide 14 - NRC's 2024-29 Strategic Plan Focus

Slide 15 - Modernizing the NRC

Government of Canada invested $962.2M over 8 years (starting in 2022-23) and $121.1M ongoing to renew the NRC's facilities and real property

Goal of modernization: to better invent, innovate and prosper.

Revitalization is an opportunity to:

advance research excellence
better partner with universities and industry
increase the impact of NRC's work in support of Canada's science, technology and innovation goals

Slide 16 - Target end points

Scientifically excellent
Measured by awards, bibliometrics, patents and academic collaborations.

Business relevant
Measured by our business collaborations, revenues and our clients' growth.

An employer of choice
Measured by diversity and inclusion, positive Public Service Employee Survey results.

3. Governance

(3) ai. NRC Council Terms of Reference

Introduction

The National Research Council of Canada (NRC) is the Government of Canada's largest science and research organization. The mandate of the organization is set out in the National Research Council Act.

The Terms of Reference for the NRC Council (which according to the NRC Act, consists of "a President, a Chairperson and not more than 10 other members, to be appointed by the Governor in Council" and hereafter referred to as "NRC Council"), define the role of the NRC Council and its key roles and responsibilities.

The NRC Act uses the word "Council" in different ways – sometimes referring to the Council as the advisory body comprised of members (subsection 3(1)), hereafter referred to as "NRC Council" and sometimes referring to the body corporate (subsection 3(2)), hereafter referred to as "the National Research Council of Canada (NRC)".

Roles and Responsibilities

NRC Council

The NRC Council acts as a governance body providing a challenge function and an independent perspective based on the knowledge and expertise of each NRC Council member. At its meetings, members may seek to influence the President in how the President will discharge his or her primary duty to supervise and direct the work of the NRC. The NRC Council has the power of persuasion in the manner by which it controls and directs the work of the NRC through the President.

The members of the NRC Council fulfill this role by:

providing advice on strategic direction for the NRC;
providing advice to ensure sound financial management;
receiving reports from the NRC Departmental Audit Committee (DAC) on NRC's risk management, control and governance systems;
assessing NRC's performance annually and the performance of the NRC President, if requested by Ministers;
providing advice on the appointment of senior officers; and
acting as ambassadors for the NRC.

NRC Council members act as individuals, not representatives of a group or organization.

NRC Council Chairperson

The Chairperson is responsible for providing effective leadership to the NRC Council and for all matters pertaining to the operations of the NRC Council.

This includes:

presiding over meetings;
approving agendas;
ensuring that members understand the role of NRC Council;
ensuring the NRC Council fulfills its duties;
ensuring that the NRC Council functions within the terms of the NRC Act; and
advising the NRC President on all matters relevant to the role of the NRC Council.

NRC Council Membership

Composition

As stated in the NRC Act, the NRC Council comprises:

the NRC President;
a Chairperson (to be appointed by the Governor in Council); and
not more than 10 additional members (to be appointed by the Governor in Council).

Tenure of Office

As stated in the NRC Act, each member of NRC Council, other than the President, shall be appointed to hold office for a term of not more than three years.

Any retiring President or other retiring member of NRC Council is eligible for re-appointment.

Disclosure of Conflict of Interest

As Governor in Council (GIC) appointees, members of the NRC Council are subject to the provisions of the Conflict of Interest Act and accountable to the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner.

The Statement on Conflict of Interest (see Appendix A) is included in the materials sent to members for each meeting. This statement is reviewed by NRC Council members at the beginning of each meeting with a view to identifying any potential conflicts of interest. Any conflicts shall be declared by NRC Council members at the outset of each meeting.

It is the duty of each NRC Council member to inform the President and Chairperson of any planned or potential business interactions between their private interests and NRC that could give rise to conflict of interest concerns and accept guidance on measures to avoid a conflict of interest in such matters.

NRC Council Meetings

Frequency of Meetings

As stated in the NRC Act, the NRC Council shall meet at least three times a year at the times and places in Canada that the Chairperson determines.

It is recent common practice for the NRC Council to have four meetings per year, one taking place outside of Ottawa.

Meetings of NRC Council members may be held at any time and at any place without formal notice if all members are present and those who are unable to attend have provided written consent to the Chairperson for the meetings taking place in their absence. Consent shall be effective whether given before or after a meeting to which it relates.

Notice of Meetings

Meetings of NRC Council members are convened by the Chairperson by email to all members not less than 14 days before the meeting is to take place. If a member is appointed to NRC Council less than 14 days before a meeting, the meeting notice will be sent as close to the appointment date as possible.

Quorum

A quorum of NRC Council is a majority of members of NRC Council appointed under the NRC Act at the time of the meeting. No alternates are permitted.

Voting

Questions arising at any meeting of NRC Council members are decided by majority of votes. The Chairperson does not vote except to break a tie.^{Footnote 1}

Preparation and Attendance

Materials for each meeting will be sent electronically to NRC Council members no later than 7 days before a meeting date. If a member is appointed to NRC Council less than 7 days before a meeting, materials will be sent as close to the appointment date as possible.

To enhance the effectiveness of the NRC Council meetings, each member should:

devote the time needed to prepare for and participate in each meeting by reading provided meeting materials; and
maintain an excellent meeting attendance record.^{Footnote 2}

If an NRC Council member is unable to attend a meeting, they must inform the Chairperson. Members who are unable to attend a meeting are permitted to provide written comments on agenda items for the Chairperson to share at the meeting.

Attendance by Non-Members

NRC's Secretary General is responsible for supporting the operations of NRC Council, overseeing its Secretariat, and is expected to attend all the NRC Council meetings. The Chairperson may request attendance of other NRC officials.

Generally, members of the NRC's Senior Executive Committee attend the NRC Council meetings, including tours, dinners, etc., at the discretion of the Chairperson.

Non-members may attend portions of the NRC Council meetings to make presentations to NRC Council and/or participate in discussions on certain agenda items as required.

Minutes of Meetings

Minutes of each meeting will be kept and will contain a record of the persons present. The minutes provide a record of decisions taken and a high-level summary of discussions, providing insight on the topics and subtopics discussed.

Minutes from the previous meetings are reviewed at the beginning of each NRC Council meeting, amended as necessary and endorsed by NRC Council members.

In-Camera Meetings

The NRC Council members will normally meet in-camera at the beginning and end of each meeting, at the discretion of the Chairperson.

Telephone Meetings

When exceptional circumstances dictate, a member of NRC Council may participate by telephone/videoconference with the consent of the other members. A member participating by telephone/videoconference is considered to be present at the meeting.^{Footnote 3}

Official Languages

NRC Council meetings are conducted in both official languages. Simultaneous translation services are provided at all NRC Council meetings allowing NRC Council members to listen to the meeting in the official language of their choice.

Executive Committees of NRC Council

As per the NRC Act (subsection 14(1)), there is "an executive committee of the Council [advisory body comprised of members] consisting of the President and at least six other members to be selected by the Council".

It is recent common practice that all NRC Council members be appointed to the Executive Committee negating the need for the Executive Committee to meet outside of regular NRC Council meetings.

Operations

Support to the NRC Council

The NRC Council is to be provided, by the NRC, resources that are sufficient to carry out its roles and responsibilities.

Secretariat support to the operation of the NRC Council is to be provided by the NRC. This includes:

the timely preparation of all notices and agendas of meetings;
coordination of presentations and distribution of reports and/or related materials that are prepared for the NRC Council member's information or consideration;
the timely preparation of minutes of meetings
orientation program that will include written information about the business and operations about NRC; and
the performance of other duties as may be assigned by the President or Chairperson.

Contacting NRC Management

If NRC Council members wish to contact an NRC senior executive outside of NRC Council meetings, they should contact:

Christina Stachulak,
Chief of Staff to the President
343-550-1564
Christina.Stachulak@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca

Hélène Roche,
Director Corporate Governance and Procurement Oversight
343-549-2941
Hélène.Roche@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca

Remuneration

The members of the NRC Council, other than the President, shall serve without remuneration but each of those members is entitled to be paid reasonable travel and other expenses incurred while absent from his or her ordinary place of residence in the course of performing duties under the NRC Act.

NRC's Travel Procedure for NRC Council Members can be found in Appendix B.

Assessing NRC Council Performance

NRC Council assesses its overall performance every two years. The objective of this review is to contribute to a process of continuous improvement in the NRC Council's execution of its responsibilities. The review is intended to identify areas where NRC Council members believe that the NRC Council could make a better collective contribution to NRC.

Review of the Terms of Reference for NRC Council

The NRC Council reviews, periodically, the appropriateness of its Terms of Reference, for reaffirmation by the Chairperson.
Approved: 27 September 2019
Effective Date: 27 September 2019
13 August 2020 (version 1.1): Updates by the Secretariat to reflect change to Chief of Staff in President's office.
28 November 2023 (version 1.2): Update by Secretariat to reflect change to NRC contacts.

Appendix A - NRC Council Statement on Conflict of Interest

As GIC appointees, members of the NRC Council are subject to the provisions of the Conflict of Interest Act and accountable to the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. On 12 February 2016, the following simplified statement on conflict of interest was approved by NRC Council.

As Governor in Council appointees and "Public Office Holders" as defined under the Conflict of Interest Act (S.C. 2006, c. 9, s. 2), NRC Council members are subject to relevant provisions of the Act in the performance of their official duties on NRC Council.
Consistent with the Act, NRC Council members are said to be "in a conflict of interest when they exercise an official power, duty or function that provides an opportunity to further their private interests."
NRC Council members serve part-time without remuneration and are appointed on the basis of their knowledge of the Canadian research and innovation system.
Therefore, they are often active participants in industrial sectors and research disciplines of relevance to NRC programs and priorities with connections to NRC partners, clients and collaborators and will have private interests that intersect with NRC operations.
NRC Council has therefore established the following process to ensure that members manage conflicts of interest and meet legislated standards while working with NRC to serve the national interest.
NRC Council members will therefore
- Manage their private affairs to prevent conflicts of interest in relation to their NRC Council duties.
- Not seek preferential treatment for themselves or others through their position on NRC Council and not use information provided to NRC Council that is not available to the public to further private interests.
- Not accept any gift or other advantage that might reasonably be seen to have been given in order to influence the member in the carrying out of NRC Council duties.
- Inform the President and Chair of any planned or potential business interactions between their private interests and NRC that could give rise to conflict of interest concerns and accept guidance on measures to avoid a conflict of interest in such matters.
- Inform the Chair and NRC Council of apparent or potential conflicts of interest before or at the outset of a relevant meeting and recuse themselves from NRC Council discussions and decisions that would directly benefit their private interests.

Appendix B – NRC's Travel Procedure for NRC Council Members (July 2019)

Introduction

The Government of Canada travel policy seeks to achieve fair, reasonable and modern travel practices across the public service. NRC Council members are asked to make travel choices that demonstrate fiscal responsibility and set an appropriate example for the rest of the organization. Members will be reimbursed for reasonable travel expenses directly related to the execution of their NRC Council duties. This document highlights and summarizes specific areas of travel policy that typically apply to NRC Council travel and reflects NRC's commitment to sound stewardship of resources as well as good accountability practices.

Air Travel

NRC has selected economy class as the travel standard in continental North America. Business class fares are generally only applicable for international travel. NRC Council members are asked to also respect this travel standard. Please purchase tickets well in advance of NRC Council meetings so as to obtain economical fares. Reasonable financial penalties which result from changes or cancellations of non-refundable tickets, related to NRC business, will be reimbursed.

Loyalty Programs

No reimbursements may be claimed for purchases made using points accumulated using loyalty programs as the Government of Canada only reimburses out of pocket expenses. Provided there are no additional costs to the Crown, NRC Council members may participate in loyalty programs and retain benefits for their personal use.

Travel by Car

NRC will reimburse travel by private vehicle at the appropriate kilometric rate. However, this cost should be compared to the cost of renting a vehicle as this may be more economical, particularly for longer distances. Reimbursement for travel by car (private or rental) should not exceed the cost of an economy class airfare.

Business Travel To or From Destination other than Home Location

NRC recognizes that NRC Council members may, for business or personal reasons, occasionally need to travel on NRC business to or from locations other than their usual home location. In such cases, the restriction on fare class should be respected. Under this circumstance and when the fare is more than 50% greater than travel from the member's normal home location, authorization should be obtained from the Secretary General prior to making travel arrangements.

Accommodation

NRC will normally secure preferential rates for NRC Council meetings by reserving a block of rooms at a local business class hotel. Members may choose alternate accommodations provided that this does not result in additional cost to NRC.

Meal Allowance

NRC reimburses meal expenses using a standard allowance. Meal expenses need not be supported by receipts. A meal allowance will not be paid with respect to a meal that is provided by NRC and attended by a NRC Council member (e.g. NRC Council dinner).

(3) aii. NRC Council Member profiles

NRC Council Chair

Douglas Muzyka (Ph.D., M.E.Sc., and B.E.Sc. Chemical Engineering, Western University) retired as the Senior Vice President and Chief Science and Technology Officer at E.I DuPont de Nemours. He joined DuPont in 1985 as a research scientist and held a variety of research and research management roles in North America through 1994. He was named Director of Technology and New Business Development for DuPont Nylon, Asia Pacific, in 1994 and relocated to Hong Kong. From 1994 to 1998 he participated in many plant start-ups and new venture developments throughout Asia Pacific. Subsequently, he held a number of senior leadership positions with the company, including President and CEO of DuPont Canada, President of DuPont Mexico and President of DuPont Greater China.

Dr. Muzyka has served on advisory boards for universities in Singapore, the US and Canada, as well as on boards of chambers of commerce, industry associations and business councils on sustainable development in Canada, Mexico and China. He currently is Chair of the Board of Chemtrade Logistics, headquartered in Toronto, and serves as a board member of CCL Industries (Toronto), Stella-Jones (Montreal) and Modern Meadow (New Jersey).

Dr. Muzyka was appointed to the NRC Council in April 2019 and was appointed for a second mandate in April 2022.

NRC Council members

Norma Beauchamp is the former President and Chief Executive Officer of Cystic Fibrosis Canada. An accomplished business and non-profit leader, she has three decades of senior leadership experience in Canada and globally based in Germany, including executive positions at Bayer Inc. and Sanofi Canada.

Ms. Beauchamp currently serves on the boards of Extendicare, Aurora Cannabis Inc, Accerta, HLS Therapeutics, and Dialogue Health Technologies. She volunteers her time as a member and Ambassador of Women Get on Board. BMO recognized her contributions to the boardroom by making her an honoree in its annual Celebrating Women on Boards in 2021.

Ms. Beauchamp completed the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management Director's Education Program (ICD.D) and graduated from Bishop's University with a Bachelor of Business Administration.

Ms. Beauchamp was appointed to the NRC Council in June 2019. She was re-appointed for a second mandate in September 2022.

David Berthiaume is the Executive Director at Kemitek, a college centre for technology transfer specialised in green chemistry and process scale-up, an organisation that he helped found in 2003. Through multiple industrial collaborations, Kemitek contributed to the commercialization of innovative technologies in the chemical industry. Before his time at Kemitek, Mr. Berthiaume was involved in the production of specialty chemicals at Matrix Innovation as the director of production and special projects manager.

As a dedicated and active member in fields such as sustainability, energy and chemistry, Mr. Berthiaume has served as a board and committee member for Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC), Tech-Access Canada, Quebec Biodiesel Council (CQB), Trans-tech Network/Synchronex, Thetford Technopole, and Thetford Economic Diversification Committee.

Mr. Berthiaume holds an MBA from Laval University and an M.Sc. in physiology-endocrinology from the CHUL Research Centre. Currently, he pursues a law certificate at Laval University.

Mr. Berthiaume was appointed to the NRC Council in April 2022.

Dr. Susan Blum is the Associate Vice President Applied Research and Innovation at Saskatchewan Polytechnic. Previously, she was the Director of Research Services and Ethics at the University of Saskatchewan and Director of Finance and Administration at the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation and has spent over 23 years working in research administration. Prior to these roles, Susan had a strong research background in ecotoxicology and was a polar bear biologist for the Government of Nunavut.

Susan is currently a member of the World Federation Colleges and Polytechnics Applied Research Group, is Chair of Polytechnic's Canada research group, and is a member of the NSERC Committee on Research Partnerships, the NSERC Canadian Association of Research Administration (CARA) Working Group, the Colleges and Institutes of Canada National Research Advisory Committee, the Tri-Agency Grant Management System External Advisory Board and serves as a Board of Director member for the Refined Manufacturing Acceleration Process (ReMAP) and the Mining Innovation Commercialization Accelerator (MICA).

Dr. Blum was appointed to the NRC Council in June 2019. She was re-appointed for a second mandate in September 2022.

Ray Hoemsen is the President and Managing Director of Hoemsen & Associates Inc. (trading as NEXUS Manitoba). He provides professional services related to the Business of Science™, with a focus on applied research, innovation, technology transfer and Canada's SR&ED program.

Mr. Hoemsen has specialized in The Business of Science™ since 1986, after first working with Versatile Farm Equipment and the Manitoba Research Council. Recently retired (May 2020) as the Executive Director, Research Partnerships & Innovation at Red River College, he has served as the University of Manitoba's founding Director of the Industry Liaison Office, the Vice-President/Director of Operations for the University's Smart Park Development Corporation, and the inaugural Visiting Executive/Manager of NSERC-Prairies; as well as with the Manitoba Institute of Child Health, TRLabs, and the University of Winnipeg.

Ray has volunteered with over 70 professional, technical, sports, and community organizations; and continues to serve with boards or governing bodies of organizations such as the EnviroTREC Canadian Environmental Test Research and Education Center, the International Society for Structural Health Monitoring of Intelligent Infrastructure, Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and (Manitoba) Vehicle Technology Centre.

Mr. Hoemsen holds a B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Agricultural Engineering (University of Manitoba) and is an alumnus of the Governor General's Canadian Leadership Conference.

Mr. Hoemsen was appointed to the NRC Council in June 2019. He was re-appointed for a second mandate in September 2022.

Dr. Digvir S. Jayas is a distinguished professor at the University of Manitoba.

Dr. Jayas spent more than a decade in academic leadership roles at the University of Manitoba including as its vice-president (research and international) for nearly 14 years. He has served as president, chair and board member of many organizations in fields including food science, health policy, bioengineering, marine, arctic research and many more. He has acted as interim president of Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada (NSERC).

Dr. Jayas has received multiple awards recognizing his research and professional contributions to agriculture in Canada, India and the Unites States, including the Sukup Global Food Security Award in 2017 and the Brockhouse Canada Prize (NSERC) in 2008. For his important contributions of knowledge in multiple domains, he received the Sir John William Dawson Medal from the Royal Society of Canada in 2009. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, an inductee to the Manitoba and Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame and an Officer of the Order of Canada.

Dr. Jayas has authored or co-authored over 1000 technical articles in scientific journals, conference proceedings and books. He holds a Ph.D., M.Sc. and B.Tech, and is a registered professional engineer and agrologist.

Dr. Jayas was appointed to the NRC Council in March 2022.

Dr. Pierre Rivard has been a champion of cleaner and renewable energy for three decades, and a passionate supporter and developer of the energy technology industry. He has served as CEO, co-founder, chairman, board member, angel investor, advisor, and philanthropist for several innovative companies in California and Canada, from hydrogen fuel cells and electrolysers, to energy storage, wind, flywheels, electric vehicles, aerospace, waste management, and water treatment. He has also chaired national and regional industry and research associations. More recently, he served on Canada's Clean Technology Economic Strategy Table.

Dr. Rivard's successes include the launch and IPO of NAS DAQ-listed hydrogen fuel cell company Hydrogenics (HYGS), where he served 12 years as founding President & CEO and later as Executive Chairman. At Hydrogenics, he built an award-winning, high-performance team that was recognized as Canada's fastest-growing company (#1 on Profit 100 list in 2003).

Presently, Dr. Rivard serves as Executive Chairman and Co-Founder of TUGLIQ Energy Corp., dedicated to energy diversification of Northern mining sites through renewable energy. Earlier on, he served 21 years in the Canadian Air Force.

Dr. Rivard holds a Doctor of Engineering degree from the University of Toronto (Honoris Causa, for lifetime achievements in clean technology), an MBA from the University of Western Ontario's Ivey School of Business, and a Baccalaureate in Mechanical Engineering from Kingston's Royal Military College of Canada. He is a Professional Engineer licensed in Quebec and Ontario, and formerly in California and Norway. Mr. Rivard is married to Catherine Paquet-Rivard, a Cisco-Press author and network security architect, and is the loving father of a daughter Laurence and a son Simon.

Dr. Rivard was appointed to the NRC Council in June 2019. He was re-appointed for a second mandate in September 2022.

Dr. Steven Murphy joined the OntarioTech University as its fourth President and Vice‐Chancellor on March 1, 2018 and has recently been reappointed for another term beginning July 1, 2023. He envisions the university as a bastion for alternative ways of thinking about why diversity in all forms is important. He believes experiential and co‐operative learning opportunities are fundamental training for successful careers. Dr. Murphy strives to reimagine higher learning as an ongoing pursuit that will fuel Canada's knowledge economy. He encourages students to embrace a collaborative approach that champions diversity and strives to make society and our planet a better place.

Dr. Murphy is renowned for his organizational and human behaviour expertise across business and industry. Even more notably, his dedication to equity, diversity and inclusiveness underscores every facet of how he lives his life. Beyond the lens of race and gender, he believes firmly in the diversity of thoughts and ideas.

As Dean of the Ted Rogers School of Management at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson), Dr. Murphy transformed the school's brand, established novel interdisciplinary programs and fostered innovative and entrepreneurial co‐op opportunities for students. Previously, he spent more than a decade in progressive academic leadership roles at Carleton University's Sprott School of Business, as Associate Dean, Research and External. He holds an esteemed record of academic achievement awards for his work examining the role of emotions in strategic decision‐making, leadership and boards, as well as his insightful approach to student‐driven teaching.

He earned a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) in Human Resource Management, a Master in Management Studies (with Distinction) in the Management of Technology and completed his Doctorate in Management, Organizational Behaviour, at Carleton University.

Dr. Murphy was appointed to the NRC Council in June 2019. He was re-appointed for a second mandate in September 2022.

Dr. Ali Tehrani is a venture partner at Amplitude VC and was recently named one of British Columbia's Top 500 Influential Business Leaders by Business in Vancouver. He encourages innovation through risk-taking and is a passionate advocate for the development of Canada's biotech sector.

In 2003, Dr. Tehrani co-founded Zymeworks and set the company's vision and growth strategy to become a leader in Canadian biotechnology. With an emphasis on a corporate culture of caring, diversity and inclusiveness, he led the company through many key corporate achievements, including the development of multiple protein engineering platforms and the advancement of 2 internal multi-specific antibody therapeutics into clinical trials. With an initial public offering (IPO) on the New York Stock Exchange, he established 9 partnerships with major pharma and biotech companies and initiated a global Phase 3 study for the lead program. Since stepping down from the role of president and CEO he continues to serve as an advisor to Zymeworks and he recently joined Amplitude VC. With his wealth of experience, he has also served as a board member at 7 Canadian bioscience and industrial research organizations and was a member of British Columbia's Premier's Technology Council from 2016 to 2018.

Dr. Tehrani holds a doctoral degree in microbiology and immunology from the University of British Columbia, and an M.Sc. and a B.Sc. in biochemistry from the University of Massachusetts.

Dr. Tehrani was appointed to the NRC Council in March 2022.

(3) bi. Senior Executive Committee (SEC) Terms of Reference

Mandate

The Senior Executive Committee (SEC) acts as the main internal decision-making body in all matters pertaining to the National Research Council's (NRC's) operations. SEC ensures the achievement of NRC's performance, objectives and outcomes; maintains compliance with policy and regulatory requirements; and maximizes the impact of NRC's investments in compliance with NRC's mandate and priorities.

SEC derives its authority from its Chair, the President of the NRC.

Membership

SEC is composed of the President and all Vice-Presidents, Vice-President equivalents who report to the President, the Chief Information Officer (CIO), and any other officials identified by the Chair.

The Director General of the Communications Branch and the Director General for Audit and Evaluation attend SEC meetings as observers.

Along with the Secretary to the Committee, the President's Chief of Staff attends SEC meetings.

Responsibilities and duties

Key areas of responsibility for SEC

Establishes overall strategic direction, including the approval of multi-year strategic plans
Approves NRC's high-level overarching frameworks, strategies and plans related to:
- program design
- communications and engagement
- real property and security
- health and safety
- information management and information technology
- human resources
Approves annual corporate priorities and the corporate risk profile
Approves progress reports on the implementation of corporate priorities and risk response strategies
Provides input and approves management responses to audit reports before they go to the Departmental Audit Committee for endorsement
Approves annual budgets and operating plans
Approves internal financial, HR and other administrative policies (e.g. OSH, environmental)
Acts as the NRC Performance Measurement and Evaluation Committee (PMEC)
Approves recommendations made by the Finance, Resource and Programs Committee (FRPC)
Provides general coordination among the responsibility areas of its members

Key areas of responsibility for the Chair

SEC meetings are chaired by the NRC President.

The major responsibilities of the Chair include:

setting the agendas for committee meetings;
setting the schedule of meetings; and
convening and presiding over the meetings.

If the Chair is unavailable, they may name a replacement Chair.

Support to the Committee

Secretarial support is provided by the Corporate Secretariat, reporting to the Secretary General.

Meetings

Frequency

SEC meets every two weeks, with additional meetings as needed, as determined by the Chair.

Quorum

To achieve quorum, a meeting requires the participation of the Chair (or their replacement), four Line VPs (i.e., research divisions and IRAP), and two Corporate VPs.

Members may be replaced by an alternate (at the Director General or Executive Director level for VPs and at the Director level for the CIO) who has delegated authority for that member.

Meeting Materials

The secretariat will generally post meeting materials 5 to 7 days in advance of the meeting. Documentation will be made available to committee members and any designated alternates.

Preparation and attendance by members

To enhance the effectiveness of committee meetings, each member is expected to devote the time needed to prepare for, and participate in, each meeting by reading background and reference materials provided by the secretariat in advance of the meeting.

Committee meetings will generally be held in person with video and teleconference options offered as needed.

Attendance by non-members

Committee members may ask other representatives of the NRC to attend meetings as deemed in the interests of the committee, the individual and the NRC.

Records of decision

Minutes of each meeting are prepared by the Secretariat. The minutes will contain a record of the persons present and decisions taken, as well as a high-level summary of the discussion.

Minutes will be submitted for SEC approval a maximum of 30 days from the date of the meeting.

Committee members will inform the appropriate staff in their divisions of decisions taken by SEC.

Decision making

SEC makes decisions based on general agreement, with final decisions taken by the Chair. Between meetings, decisions may be made secretarially where the responses meet the quorum established above (section 4.2).

Operations

Committees reporting to SEC

SEC regularly (at least annually) receives reports and recommendations from the Chairs of the following standing committees:

Finance, Resource and Programs Committee (FRPC)
Outstanding Achievement Awards Committee
National Committee on Safety and Health (NCOSH)
SEC representatives regarding the business of the Joint Consultation Committee

(3) bii. Senior Executive Committee (SEC) member profiles

Shannon Quinn
Secretary General

Dr. Shannon Quinn was appointed Secretary General in September 2021. In this role, she supports NRC senior executives in advancing the Government of Canada's science, research and innovation agenda. Her responsibilities include: international relations, communications, policy, strategy and performance. Her team also provides governance support to the NRC Council.

Shannon is an experienced executive, with a background in science and technology, both in the private and the public sectors. Prior to joining the NRC, Shannon was Vice-President, Science, Technology and Commercial Oversight at Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL), where she was responsible for the science and technology mission, as well as internal and external communications and Indigenous engagement.

While at Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), Shannon was part of the leadership team that restructured AECL, including the sale of its commercial division, and the implementation of the current government-owned, contractor-operated model. She was also responsible for medical isotope policy and programming. Before joining NRCan, she held various technical and leadership positions in the steel industry, and was an adjunct professor at McMaster University.

She holds a B.Sc. and B.A.Sc., from the University of Ottawa in Biochemistry and Chemical Engineering, respectively; a PhD. in Chemical Engineering from Queen's University; and an MBA from the University of Ottawa.

Dale MacMillan
Vice-President, Corporate Services and Chief Financial Officer

Dale MacMillan is an experienced executive. She was appointed Vice President, Corporate Services and Chief Financial Officer in January 2017. In this capacity, she oversees the operations of the Finance and Procurement Services, Client Service Centre, Real Property and Planning and Management, Communications, Health, Safety and the Environment as well as Security branches.

Prior to joining NRC, Ms. MacMillan served as Director General, Financial Operations and Deputy Chief Financial Officer at the Department of National Defence where she held responsibility for financial accounting and reporting, policy, systems, internal controls and accounting operations.

From 2006 through 2014, she worked with the Office of the Auditor General of Canada leading financial and performance audits involving numerous federal government organizations. She also led the Service Delivery and Information Management audit team as a specialist in these types of audits.

In addition, Ms. MacMillan spent more than 18 years working with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in various roles. She started her career with CBC in corporate finance, followed by several years in Toronto with the English Services networks before returning to regional operations in Ottawa, all in various financial roles. She was a leader on the team that implemented the organization's SAP solution in 1999 as well as leading several initiatives as part of the network's transformation of their business processes and tools for the management of broadcast services in 2005.

Ms. MacMillan is a graduate from Carleton University with both a Bachelors and Masters degree in Public Administration and holds a designation as a Chartered Professional Accountant.

Maria Aubrey
Vice-President, Business and Professional Services

As Vice-President of Strategic Initiatives, Maria Aubrey is the executive lead on transformational initiatives that optimize outcomes for the National Research Council of Canada and support and advance its growth and sustainability.

From mid-2020 to December 2022, Ms. Aubrey led the establishment and operationalization of the good manufacturing practices (GMP)-compliant Biologics Manufacturing Centre. During this time, Ms. Aubrey oversaw the facility's construction, which was completed ahead of schedule, and ensured the facility received its drug establishment licence, enabling the production of vaccines and other biologics for human use.

Ms. Aubrey then took an 11-month leave of absence from the NRC to act as the Biologics Manufacturing Centre's interim CEO to oversee the successful transition of the facility's governance and operations to the not-for-profit corporation, Biologics Manufacturing Centre (BMC) Inc.

Since joining the NRC, Ms. Aubrey has held senior management positions including Vice-President, Business and Professional Services from May 2015 to July 2020, and Acting President from March to August 2016.

Prior to joining the NRC, Ms. Aubrey had an extensive career in the private sector and in a not-for-profit organization, where she held progressive senior management positions, which provided her with solid knowledge and experience in day-to-day operations, leadership, business management, stakeholder engagement, governance and compliance.

Alain Beaudoin
Vice-President, Business and Professional Services

Alain Beaudoin was appointed Vice-President of Business and Professional Services in October 2022, taking on the responsibility for Knowledge, Information and Technology Services, National Programs and Business Services, International Innovation Office and Design and Fabrication Services.

Prior to joining the NRC, Alain was at the Privy Council Office as Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, Results and Delivery since January 2018.

In June 2014, Alain joined FedDev Ontario as the Vice-President, Policy, Partnerships and Performance Management, where he also assumed the role of Vice-President, Business, Innovation and Community Development from April 2015 to May 2016.

Alain has had a varied career with the federal government beginning with a series of increasingly senior roles at the Privy Council Office (Intergovernmental Affairs), before joining Health Canada. He also worked in the Prime Minister's Office and joined Industry Canada in 2003 as Senior Director, Policy (Industry Sector).

Starting in 2005, Alain has held a number of positions at the director general level at Industry Canada, notably with the Innovation Partnership Branch, the Security and Prosperity Partnership Secretariat, the Communications and Marketing Branch, and the Information and Communications Technologies Branch. Alain was also the Acting Assistant Deputy Minister of Spectrum, Information Technologies and Telecommunications (SITT) from October 2012 until July 2013.

Alain holds a master's and bachelor's degree in arts and sciences (political science) from the University of Montréal.

François Cordeau
Vice-President, Office of Facilities Renewal Management

François Cordeau was appointed Vice-President, Office of Facilities Renewal Management in October 2022. In this role, he leads the prioritization and delivery of future NRC facility recapitalization projects.

Since joining the NRC in 2013, Mr. Cordeau occupied various senior management roles. From General Manager of the Information and Communications Technologies portfolio, he went on to serve as Vice-President of the Emerging Technologies – Platforms division, and later as Vice-President of the Engineering division. He was appointed as Vice-President of the Transportation and Manufacturing division in 2017 where he spearheaded the NRC's Advanced Manufacturing program and the new research facility in Winnipeg.

More recently, he served as Vice-President of Business and Professional Services (2020-2022). His extensive experience at the NRC and in the private sector also served him well in leading a special project to simplify internal processes in order to find efficiencies that will benefit both the NRC and its employees.

Prior to joining the NRC, he was heavily involved in the high-tech sector, as President of Roctest Ltd. and its subsidiary FISO Technologies Inc. He also held various leadership positions at Mitel Corporation including Senior VP and General Manager of its semiconductor division. He was involved in many acquisitions throughout the world.

Mr. Cordeau is a graduate of the Université de Sherbrooke in electrical engineering and holds a master's degree in the same field from the University of Waterloo. He also has a diploma in Business Administration from the Université de Sherbrooke.

Emily Harrison
Vice-President, Human Resources; Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Champion

Emily Harrison was appointed Vice-President of Human Resources in 2018 and is responsible for leading all aspects of the NRC Human Resources (HR) Branch's strategy and operations.

During her tenure at the NRC, Emily has held a number of leadership positions including Director of Planning, Development and Performance, Director of HR Operations and Director of Learning and Executive Services. Her recent accomplishments include establishing the five-year Strategic HR Plan and leading the implementation of a new, cloud-based HR management system. Passionate about the real and potential impact of research and innovation, Emily is committed to creating a workplace where all NRC employees can be at their best.

Prior to joining the NRC, Emily worked in the private sector for high-tech and manufacturing organizations. She holds a Master of Industrial Relations from Queen's University and a Bachelor of Psychology from the University of Ottawa.

Jean-Francois Houle
Vice-President, Engineering

Dr. Jean-François Houle joined the NRC as Director of Research and Development for the Medical Devices Research Centre in June 2014. In March 2017, he was named to the position of General Manager. Between March 2020 and October 2022, he was Vice-President of the Pandemic Response Challenge program, and in April 2022 became the Vice-President of the Engineering division.

Prior to joining the NRC, Dr. Houle had spent 14 years leading business, corporate and product development activities in private and public biotechnology firms at various stages of development, from university spin-offs to more established companies. Most recently, as COO of Kapplex, he guided the company through its initial spin-out of the university into a full-fledged funded start-up. He rapidly struck collaborations with leading pharmaceutical, diagnostic and life sciences companies and leveraged this interest to raise additional funds to support co-development projects and the start-up.

Prior to Kapplex, Dr. Houle held a leadership role in product and business development as well as customer service at Axela, a company in the field of multiplexed protein and nucleic acid biomarker detection. He led cross-functional teams through the development and successful launch of several products and authored several publications and patents.

Dr. Houle began his industrial career at SYNX Pharma, a proteomics and diagnostics company, where he sought out, structured and fostered collaborations and alliances. These activities led to a diagnostic development agreement with Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics and the eventual merger of SYNX with Nanogen Inc in 2004.

Dr. Houle holds a Ph.D. in Experimental Medicine from McGill University.

Lakshmi Krishnan
Vice-President, Life Sciences

Dr. Lakshmi Krishnan was appointed as Vice President of Life Sciences on a continuing basis as of April 1, 2022. In this capacity, she oversees the Human Health Therapeutics, Aquatic and Crop Resource Development and Medical Devices research centres.

As a globally recognized Life Sciences researcher, Dr. Krishnan has been a leader for driving innovation in the area of vaccine technologies and novel biologics for the improvement of human health. Over the course of her career, she has represented the NRC and the Government of Canada at various national and international joint committees and has been invited as a guest speaker on many occasions. In her current role, she is committed to health innovation and sustainable bio-economy.

Dr. Krishnan joined the NRC in 1997 and, as a scientist, built expertise in immunology research at the Institute for Biological Sciences (IBS), in the areas of vaccine adjuvants and host pathogen interactions. Prior to her current appointment, she was the Director General (DG) of the Human Health Therapeutics (HHT) Research Centre (2018-2022), Program Lead for Vaccines and Immunotherapy (2015-2018), Director of R&D for Immunobiology at HHT (2016-2018), and a research officer (1997-2014) at IBS and HHT. Over the course of her career, Dr. Krishnan has been the recipient of numerous competitive research grants from various agencies including the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH – USA). She has published over 75 primary research articles in peer-reviewed journals in the field of vaccine technologies, host-pathogen and cancer immunity, and is listed as an inventor on several patents. She has significant experience in technology transfer to industrial clients and at the same time has a strong academic background, having mentored several graduate students who have all gone on to have successful research careers. She is member of the board of the Canadian Cancer Research Alliance, National Synthetic Biology Steering Committee and also chaired the Federal Vaccine Research Innovation and Development DG committee, which consists of membership from 13 different federal departments across the Government of Canada.

Dr. Krishnan received her Master's Degree in Bio-medical Genetics from the University of Madras (India) and Ph.D. in Immunology from the National Institute of Immunology in India, following which, she completed post-doctoral studies at the University of Alberta through an Alberta Heritage Foundation scholarship. In her spare time, Dr. Krishnan enjoys travel and outdoor activities with her family and she also volunteers with several not-for-profit organizations for mentoring leadership skills among youth.

David Lisk
Vice-President, Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP)

David Lisk is the Vice-President of the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP)

Prior to this assignment, David was the Executive Director for IRAP Ontario region and also served as an Industrial Technology Advisor (ITA) with IRAP Business Advisory responsibilities in the Ontario region from 2009 to 2012.

David is a seasoned industry veteran with approximately 35 years of experience in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) industry with emphasis on semiconductor manufacturing, hardware system development, operations and business. Prior to IRAP, David spent four years as CEO of DFT Microsystems, a venture backed semiconductor test equipment firm in Montreal.

Previous to DFT, David served as VP of Operations at Tundra Semiconductor with responsibility for manufacturing, QA, systems, product engineering, production testing and customer service. David joined Newbridge Microsystems in 1993 and played a key role as the company spun-out from parent Newbridge Networks (now Alcatel Canada) to become Tundra Semiconductor in 1995. He was involved in Tundra's subsequent successful IPO in 1998.

In addition, David worked at Canadian Marconi Company for five years in the cockpit display group and at General Dynamics (formerly Computing Devices) for five years in the ported coax intrusion detection system group.

David holds an MBA from the University of Ottawa and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Waterloo.

Julie Lefebvre
Vice-President, Emerging Technologies

Dr. Julie Lefebvre joined the NRC as Director General of the Security and Disruptive Technologies Research Centre in August 2019. In January 2023, she was also appointed Acting Director General of the Nanotechnology and Advanced Electronics and Photonics Research Centres. In September 2023, she became the Vice President of the Emerging Technologies Division.

Prior to joining the NRC, she worked for 20 years at Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC), where she acquired considerable skills both as a researcher and as a science manager. Dr. Lefebvre started her career as a scientist in computer network operations and pursued it as the head of the network information operations. In 2012, she became the Director of Science and Technology Joint Force Development. In 2014, she was appointed Director General of the Science and Technology Joint Force and led 6 different programs in the fields of cyber operations, space operations and sensing technologies. She gained in-depth knowledge of federal scientific organizations through her experience at DRDC, which confirmed and nourished her passion to work towards the national interest.

As a distinguished scientist and an exceptional leader, Dr. Lefebvre has earned awards for creative management and exceptional leadership. In her managerial practice, she values equity, diversity and inclusion for all employees.

Dr. Lefebvre has a PhD in Theoretical Physics from McMaster University and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Washington State University. She is also a graduate of the Canada School of Public Service's Executive Leadership Development Program.

Joel Martin
Vice-President and Chief Digital Research Officer

Dr. Joel Martin is the NRC's Chief Digital Research Officer and Chief Science Officer. He holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science, Machine Learning, from the Georgia Institute of Technology and completed post‑doctoral studies at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Martin has received awards for exceptional leadership and for innovative approaches to technology transfer. He has published dozens of peer-reviewed research articles and taught Computer Science courses at both the University of Ottawa and Carleton University.

Since joining the NRC in 1994, he has been a researcher and served in multiple leadership roles in the Digital Technologies Research Centre, including Acting Director General, Senior Director, Director of Research and Development, Program Lead of the Multimedia Analytic Tools for Security program, Team Leader, and project lead.

His strategic leadership has resulted in an increase in the impact of digital technology research at the NRC and beyond, including advances and applications in data science and analytics, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, machine translation, computer vision and graphics, cybersecurity, human-computer interfaces, natural language processing, medical and bioinformatics, and the Internet of Things (IoT). For example, under his leadership, the Research Centre has been successful in introducing digital technologies to detect disease outbreaks, some of which are now used worldwide, and digital technologies that promote Indigenous languages in Canada. In addition, Dr. Martin has established research and development programs drawing interest and collaboration from universities and other government departments. These initiatives include the NRC's Data Analytics Centre, the Multimedia Analytic Tools for Security program, and the AI for Design Challenge program. They have increased both scientific output and impact of the NRC's Digital Technologies Research Centre to Canada and Canadians.

Ibrahim Yimer
Vice President Transportation and Manufacturing

Dr. Ibrahim Yimer is Vice-President of the Transportation and Manufacturing division where he oversees the Aerospace and Automotive and Surface Transportation Research Centres. Between September 2020 and 2021, he served in the same role in an acting capacity. Previous to this role he was Director General of the NRC's Aerospace Research Centre since January 2018.

Since 1999, Dr. Yimer has occupied a series of roles at the NRC, including Director of the Gas Turbine Laboratory, Program Manager of the Gas Turbine Aerodynamics and Combustion Group, and a Senior Research Officer. He began his career as a research scientist in the private sector with Fives North American in Cleveland, USA.

Dr. Yimer has successfully led the creation and implementation of various large-scale, R&D partnerships with industry and government stakeholders both nationally and internationally. He is a renowned expert in the field of gas turbine combustion and fuels with years of applied research in alternative fuels, combustion and optical diagnostics. He is well recognized in the science and technology community, having led and played instrumental roles in numerous leading international scientific associations such as ASME International, the International Forum for Aviation Research (IFAR), International Society of Air Breathing Engines (ISABE), and International Congress on Aeronautical Sciences (ICAS), in which he currently serves as a board member and national representative.

Dr. Yimer earned a BSc in Chemical Engineering from Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia, followed by a MSc and Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, while specializing in Low-emission Combustion. He currently serves as Chair and ICAO representative of IFAR and as a Director on the boards of WestCaRD, and Aero Montréal.

Alexandra Dagger
Director General, Audit and Evaluation

Alexandra Dagger is the Director General of the NRC's Office of Audit and Evaluation. In this role, she is the Chief Audit Executive and the Head of Evaluation for the organization and is responsible for the operations of the Departmental Audit Committee.

Alex joined the NRC in 2003 as a senior evaluation officer. Subsequently, she has held a number of leadership roles with responsibility for corporate risk, planning, performance measurement and corporate reporting as well as internal audit and evaluation. Her focus in recent years has been on the transformation of the audit and evaluation functions to provide trusted evidence and strategic advice for management decision making.

Prior to joining the federal government, Alex worked for over 12 years as a management consultant in evaluation, performance measurement and strategic planning. She also worked in the high-tech industry, focusing on usability design and the development of customer success metrics for engineering teams.

Alex holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts from the University of Western Ontario and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Ottawa. She is a Certified Internal Auditor and a Credentialed Evaluator.

(3) ci. Departmental Audit Committee (DAC) Terms of Reference

Introduction and purpose

The purpose of this document is to set out the Terms of Reference governing the role, responsibilities and activities of the Audit Committee of the National Research Council of Canada (NRC). This Terms of Reference is effective as of the date of the joint signature by the President and the Chair of the Audit Committee.

The current Treasury Board (TB) Policy on Internal Audit for the federal government came into effect on April 1, 2017. The objective of the 2017 TB Policy on Internal Audit is to ensure that the oversight of public resources throughout the federal public administration is informed by a professional and objective internal audit function that is independent of departmental management. In this context, the NRC Departmental Audit Committee is an essential component of the National Research Council's governance structure and a critical aspect of a strong and credible internal audit regime.

The President for NRC, in consultation with the Comptroller General of Canada, is responsible for establishing and maintaining an independent departmental audit committee that includes a majority of external members recruited from outside the federal public administration and appointed by Treasury Board in order to bring the perspective of Canadians at large to NRC governance, policies, compliance, impact, performance, and results. Authority in this regard is derived from the Treasury Board Policy on Internal Audit (2017).

The Directive on Internal Audit (2017) sets out the mandatory attributes for the composition and operation of the Departmental Audit Committee; while the Policy on Internal Audit(2017) sets out the Departmental Audit Committee's responsibilities.

Committee’s mandate

The NRC Departmental Audit Committee is advisory to the President. The Committee provides the President with objective advice and recommendations regarding the sufficiency, quality and results of internal audit engagements related to the adequacy and functioning of NRC's frameworks and processes for risk management, control and governance.

Using a risk-based approach, the Committee reviews departmental management, control and accountability processes for all departmental audit committee areas of responsibility as determined by the Comptroller General of Canada (see Appendix B). The Committee also provides advice and recommendations on matters for which the President, as accounting officer, is responsible, and other related matters as needed or requested by the President.

Audit committee membership

Composition

The Committee is typically composed of up to four members^{Footnote 4}, and is intended to reflect Canada's diversity in terms of gender, official languages, Indigenous Canadians, minority groups, persons with a disability, and regional representation.

At least two members are external to the federal public service
A maximum of one member from NRC Council
All members of the Committee are to be familiar with financial reporting, or are to become familiar with such reporting within the first year of their appointment
At least one external member is to be a financial expert holding a professional accounting designation in good standing
The President is an ex officio and non-voting member of the Committee

Chair

An external DAC member, appointed by the President, chairs the Committee. The Chair is to be from outside the federal public administration unless an exception is granted by the Comptroller General of Canada. The primary role of the Chair is to lead and support the Committee in executing its duties under the DAC areas of responsibility, as detailed in Section 6 and Appendix B, in support of the Committee's mandate.

The Chair is expected to prepare, in consultation with the other members of the Committee, an annual plan for recommendation to the President, and to ensure that the responsibilities of the Committee are scheduled and fully addressed. In consultation with the President, the Chair calls the meetings of the Committee, sets the meeting agenda, and manages the meetings. The Chair also establishes effective relationships with NRC management and, as applicable to the business of the Committee, external stakeholders.

Members (non-Council)

External DAC members are appointed by the Treasury Board on the recommendation of the President of the NRC, the Comptroller General of Canada, and the President of the Treasury Board. The role of the DAC members is to participate and collaborate in the delivery of the DAC plan, agenda, and mandate, as led by the Chair and President.

Council representative on DAC

A maximum of one member of NRC's Council may be appointed by the Council Chair to serve as a Council Representative on the DAC. The role of the Council Representative is to serve as a liaison between the Council and the DAC, sharing information of importance to both bodies. In addition to supporting this objective, the Council Representative on the DAC is also expected to participate and collaborate in the delivery of the DAC plan, agenda, and mandate, as led by the Chair and President.

Tenure and terms of office

An external member of the Committee is to serve no more than two terms and up to a maximum of six years. A single term must not exceed four years. To ensure adequate continuity, the terms for the members of the Committee should be staggered.

Audit Committee members must disclose all new activities, interests or appointments in order for the NRC to assess whether they may impair, or be seen to impair, the member's ability to discharge his or her duties in an independent and objective manner. This should be done at least annually and for the duration of the member's term. More detail on the declaration of conflict of interest, independence and objectivity can be found in Appendix A.

All documents and information received by Committee members are the property of NRC and, as such, shall be destroyed or returned to NRC at the end of a member's tenure.

Audit committee meetings

Frequency

The frequency of Audit Committee meetings will be set annually in accordance with the approved annual plan and in consideration of a minimum of four meetings per year, with the authority to convene additional meetings if circumstances dictate. The Committee's meeting schedule for in-person meetings will normally be set out one year in advance so that NRC management and internal auditors can prepare the information and reports required to support the Committee's work. Rescheduling of Committee meetings will be by exception only.

The Chair is required to call a meeting if requested to do so by the President or another Committee member.

Quorum

The quorum for a meeting is a simple majority of the Committee members. No alternates are permitted.

Preparation and attendance by members

To enhance the effectiveness of the Committee's meetings, each member:

devotes the time needed to prepare for and participate in each meeting by reading the reports and background materials provided for the meeting
maintains an excellent meeting attendance record

While in-person meetings are preferred, meetings may be held through video and telephone conferences and other electronic means.

Attendance by non-members

The Chief Audit Executive (CAE) and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) are expected to attend all Audit Committee meetings. The Chair may request the attendance of other NRC officials. As appropriate, the Chair invites representatives from external assurance providers such as the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) of Canada or the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat to attend Committee meetings to discuss plans, findings, and other matters of mutual concern.

Minutes of meetings

In-camera meetings

As part of each meeting, the Committee may meet in camera alone and/or with any of the following individuals, where appropriate:

the CAE (at least two meetings scheduled per year)
the CFO (at least two meetings scheduled per year)
External Auditors, when in attendance
any other officials the Committee may determine

Operations

Briefing NRC's Council

NRC's Council is to be kept informed of the activities of the Departmental Audit Committee by:

written reports prepared by or on behalf of the Chair summarizing each Committee meeting
responses by the President and/or Council Representative on DAC to specific questions posed at Council

Access by / to the Committee

The Committee has unfettered access to the CAE, CFO and other NRC employees and documentation (subject to applicable legislation) as may be required to fulfill its responsibilities.
The CAE and CFO have unfettered access to the Committee and to the Committee Chair.

Annual plan of the Committee

Each year, the Chair of the Committee prepares a plan to ensure that the annual and ongoing responsibilities of the Committee are scheduled and fully addressed. The plan is to be presented to the Committee for its approval at the beginning of the fiscal year.

Committee orientation, training, and continuing education

The role of the Committee can be fulfilled only if its members are well informed. Members will receive formal orientation and training on the Committee's purpose, responsibilities, and objectives and on the business of NRC. Members are expected to take advantage Audit Committee training events provided by the Office of the Comptroller General of Canada.

Support to the Committee

The Committee is to be provided with resources that are sufficient to carry out its role, responsibilities, and duties. To the extent it is appropriate to meet its responsibilities, and in keeping with these Terms of Reference, the Committee has the authority to retain independent advice and assistance.

Secretariat support to the operation of the Committee is to be provided by NRC-Internal Audit. This includes:

the timely preparation of all notices and agendas of meetings
coordination of presentations and distribution of reports and / or related documents that are prepared for the Committee's information or consideration
the timely preparation and distribution of minutes of meetings
the performance of other duties as may be assigned

Responsibilities and duties

The Comptroller General of Canada has prescribed a list of the areas of management for committee review and established detailed responsibilities for each. These areas are:

Values and ethics
Risk management
Management control framework
Internal audit function
External assurance providers
Follow-up on management action plans
Financial statements and public accounts reporting
Accountability reporting

In addition to the eight areas of responsibility above, the Committee may also review large transformation projects focussing on both risk management and management control frameworks. Additional detail for each area of management is provided in Appendix B.

The particular emphasis and priorities from among the committee's key areas of responsibility are to be set by the President in consultation with the Committee. Consideration should be given to NRC's mandate, objective and priorities, as well as the corresponding risks affecting NRC and the government.

Assessment of the committee’s performance

External practice inspection

At least every five years, the Committee is to be required to participate in an external inspection of NRC's Internal Audit function that will include an examination of the performance of the Committee.

Review of the committee terms of reference

The Committee reviews, periodically, the appropriateness of its Terms of Reference, for reaffirmation by the President.

Conclusion and approvals

NRC's Departmental Audit Committee abides by the terms and conditions contained herein that meet or exceed the Government of Canada's Policy and Directive on Internal Audit and the International Professional Practices Framework (IPPF) of the Institute of Internal Auditors.

Alexandra Dagger, Chief Audit Executive
(Submits the Departmental Audit Committee Terms of Reference for review and approval)

Kevin Lindsey, Audit Committee Chair
(Recommends approval of the Departmental Audit Committee Terms of Reference to the President)

Iain Stewart, President, NRC
(Approves the Departmental Audit Committee Terms of Reference)

Appendix A - Departmental audit committee member declaration – conflict of interest, independence and objectivity

Based on the following Treasury Board Directive and Policy, and the Terms and Conditions of Appointment, members are required to submit the NRC Departmental Audit Committee Member Conflict of Interest, Independence and Objectivity Declaration Form annually. For each DAC meeting, Committee members are also required to disclose any conflicts in relation to specific agenda items.

The Directive on Internal Audit requires that:

Section B.1.2.8 - Audit committee members must disclose all new activities, interests or appointments in order for the department to assess whether they may impair, or be seen to impair, the member's ability to discharge his or her duties in an independent and objective manner. This should be done at least annually and for the duration of the member's term.

The Policy on Internal Audit indicates that Deputies are responsible for:

Section 4.2.9.2 - Ensuring that audit committee members are selected so that they are free of any real or apparent conflict of interest.
Section 4.2.11 - Ensuring that any situation that might give rise to a real or apparent conflict of interest with the audit committee member's responsibilities is prevented or effectively managed.

Part III of the Terms and Conditions of Appointment for Audit Committee Members (2022) requires that:

3.1 Principles – Consistent with the principles of the International Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing, Appointees are expected to maintain an independent and objective perspective when providing advice to the deputy head on their areas of responsibility.

Appointees must abide by the values and expected behaviours outlined in the Values and Ethics Code for the Public Sector and the provisions of the organization's code of conduct for the committee on which they serve, with such modifications as the circumstances may require.

Appointees must prevent and avoid situations that could give rise to a real, apparent or potential conflict of interest during the term of their appointment and after the end of the Appointees' term.

3.2 Disclosure – Appointees must disclose all new activities, interests or appointments in order for the department to assess whether they may impair, or be seen to impair, the Appointee's ability to discharge his or her duties in an independent and objective manner. This assessment must be done at least annually and for the duration of the Appointee's term.

Prior to completing their tenure on the committee, Appointees are to disclose to the deputy head their intentions regarding any future employment or activities that may pose a risk of real, apparent or potential conflict of interest.

Appendix B – DAC areas of responsibility

The following key areas of responsibility fall within the scope of concern of the Audit Committee and are reviewed with an appropriate risk-guided focus and cycle:

Values and Ethics. To review and provide advice on the NRC systems, policies, programs and practices established to reflect public service values and ethics, to monitor compliance with laws, regulations, policies and standards of ethical conduct and identify and deal with any legal or ethical violations.
Risk Management. To review and provide advice on key elements of the NRC's risk management framework and strategy, including the Corporate Risk Profile.
Management Control Framework. To review and provide advice on internal control arrangements, and be informed on all matters of significance arising from work performed by others who provide assurances to senior management and the President.
Internal Audit Function. The Audit Committee will:
- recommend, and periodically review, the Internal Audit Charter for approval by the President
- provide advice on the sufficiency of resources of the internal audit function
- recommend for approval the multi-year risk-based internal audit plan
- monitor and assess the performance of the internal audit function
- advise the President on the recruitment and appointment as well as performance of the CAE
- recommend for approval, internal audit engagements and corresponding management action plans
- review regular reports on progress against the risk-based internal audit plan
- be made aware of tasks that do not result in a report to the Committee (including requests from the Senior Executive Committee members and special investigations and requests from the OCG and the Auditor General), and be informed of all matters of significance arising from such work
External Assurance Providers. The Audit Committee will be informed and advise the President on:
- all audit work relating to the NRC to be undertaken by external assurance providers, including management's response
- audit-related issues and priorities raised by external assurance providers
Follow-Up on Management Action Plans. The Audit Committee will review regular reports on the progress of the implementation of approved management action plans resulting from prior internal audit recommendations as well as management action plans resulting from the work of external assurance providers.
Financial Statements and Public Accounts Reporting. The Audit Committee will review and provide advice to the President on the key financial management reports and disclosures, including quarterly financial reports, annual financial statements and Public Accounts. The Audit Committee will also review the annual Statement of Management Responsibility including Internal Control over Financial Reporting and provide advice to the President on the risk-based assessment plans and associated results related to the effectiveness of system of Internal Control over Financial Reporting.
In addition, the Audit Committee will review:
- the audited financial statements with the external auditor and CFO, discuss any significant adjustments to the statements required as a result of the audit, and any issues with management encountered in the course of the audit;
- management letters arising from the external audit of the financial statements or the Public Accounts
- the auditor's findings and recommendations relating to the internal controls in place for financial statement reporting and consider their impact on controls, risk management and governance processes
Accountability Reporting. The Audit Committee will review and provide advice on the draft the Departmental Plan (DP), and the draft Departmental Results Report (DRR). The Committee will also receive and have the opportunity to discuss the Management Accountability Framework (MAF) report, Five-Year Investment Plan, and other significant accountability reports. These reports provide context for the deliberations of the Audit Committee and advice to the President. The Committee will receive draft reports sufficiently in advance of reporting deadlines to allow for their review.
The Audit Committee may also receive, as information, copies of plans and reports prepared by the NRC's Evaluation function.
Large Transformation Projects: The Audit Committee may review and advise the President on current, in development, and future transformational initiatives and projects of significance. For such projects, the DAC will determine its area(s) of focus and oversight requirements, including the substance and timing of updates on the project, taking into consideration the underlying risks and opportunities of the project.
Other Responsibilities. The Audit Committee will perform other activities related to these Terms of Reference as requested by the President.

(3) cii. Departmental Audit Committee (DAC) Member profiles

Kevin Lindsey
NRC DAC Chair

Mr. Lindsey retired from the federal public service after 34 years in economic, security and defense, and central agency roles. He held a number of Assistant Deputy Minister positions, including those of Chief Financial Officer at Industry Canada, and at the Department of National Defense. He also held, executive positions in the economic and expenditure management sectors at the Treasury Board Secretariat

After retiring from the federal public service in December 2014, Mr. Lindsey established a consulting business providing strategic financial and governance advice to clients in the private and public sectors. He has served as an independent advisor on a number of comprehensive reviews, and major project design and workout files.

Since 2009, corporate governance issues have been central to his activities. Mr. Lindsey served on the board of one of Canada's largest credit unions in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, chairing its finance committee and serving on several others; the board of a public exploration company; and the advisory board of a private export financing company. From 2016 to 2022, he served on the Departmental Audit Committee of Elections Canada, and presently chairs the Departmental Audit Committee of the National Research Council.

Mr. Lindsey is a graduate of St. Mary's University and holds the FCPA and ICD.D designations. He has pursued executive studies at Queen's University, the University of Western Ontario, and the University of Toronto, and completed the Canadian Securities Course. He has been recognized for his professional accomplishments and volunteer activities with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal, the Chief of Defense Staff Distinguished Service Medallion, and was made a Fellow of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario in 2019.

Kevin and his wife Robin live in Ottawa with their rescue dog Doyle.

Raymond Leduc
NRC DAC member

Mr. Raymond Leduc has held executive positions in the microelectronics, aerospace, and automotive sectors. He is now President and CEO of Numetrix Technologies, a 3D vision and IA systems company serving the automotive sector.

Past roles include Vice President, Product Development, Volvo Group Nova Bus and Prevost Divisions where his team developed solutions for the Canadian and US transit bus and motorcoach markets, including electric and intelligent vehicles. Prior to joining Volvo Group in 2016, he was President, Bell Helicopter Textron Canada Limited in Mirabel, Quebec, named to this position after his roles as VP, Engineering and Canadian Government Programs, and VP, Operations. He joined Bell Helicopter Textron Inc. in August, 2012.

Prior to these roles, Mr. Leduc worked for over 30 years at IBM Canada, where he led the IBM Bromont microelectronics plant delivering solutions for IBM's servers and major ICT industry clients. His multi-functional background includes time in product and business development, engineering, manufacturing, finance, and executive management.

Mr. Leduc is a graduate of McGill University with a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering and an M.B.A. He is a member of the Order of Engineers of Quebec, and a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD.D).

Mr. Leduc served on the NRC Council from 2009 to 2018. In 2018, he joined the Departmental Audit Committee as the NRC Council Representative. In November 2018, Treasury Board appointed Raymond as a Departmental Audit Committee member for four years.

Gayle Gorrill
NRC DAC member

Ms. Gayle Gorrill has spent her career as a Chartered Professional Accountant working as a strategic leader to bring about positive change in organizations. Her primary industry focus has been within higher education and health care, with additional involvement in information technology and financial sectors. Before her retirement, Ms. Gorrill most recently served as Vice President of Finance and Operations at the University of Victoria.

Past roles include Associate Vice President of Finance at the University of Calgary and several executive positions for the Calgary Health Region including Executive Director of Finance, Executive Director of Operations, and Acting Vice President of Finance. Prior to serving in these positions, Ms. Gorrill worked as a management consultant at Ernst and Young in various positions including as Principal.

During the course of her career, Ms. Gorrill developed extensive knowledge and experience related to internal and external audit. During her tenure at the Universities of Calgary and Victoria, she held administrative responsibility for the internal audit function. Early in her career, Gayle also spent seven years working as an external auditor. Ms. Gorrill has also served as Chair of the Audit Committee for the British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCI), Chair of the Audit Committee of Capital City Savings Credit Union, and member of the Finance and Audit Committee for Ocean Networks Canada.

Ms. Gorrill's Board experience includes serving as a current chair for BCI Audit Committee, former Chair for the BCNET research and educational network, and former Chair, Vice-Chair and Treasurer for the Canadian Association of University Business Officers. She also provided strategic advice to CANARIE as member of the Advisory Committee for Cyber Security and as Chair of the Cyber Security Measurement and Metrics Working Group. CANARIE is a not-for-profit organization which operates a national ultra-high-speed internet network that connects Canadian researchers, educators and innovators.

Ms. Gorrill is a graduate of the University of Regina with a Bachelor of Business Administration. She is member of the Institute of Corporate Directors and holds the ICD.D designation, and has received the distinction of Fellow Chartered Professional Accountant for her exceptional service to the profession.

Pierre Rivard
NRC DAC and Council member

Dr. Pierre Rivard has been a champion of cleaner and renewable energy for three decades, and a passionate supporter and developer of the energy technology industry. He has served as CEO, co-founder, chairman, board member, angel investor, advisor, and philanthropist for several innovative companies in California and Canada, from hydrogen fuel cells and electrolysers, to energy storage, wind, flywheels, electric vehicles, aerospace, waste management, and water treatment. He has also chaired national and regional industry and research associations. More recently, he served on Canada's Clean Technology Economic Strategy Table.

Dr. Rivard's successes include the launch and IPO of NASDAQ-listed hydrogen fuel cell company Hydrogenics (HYGS), where he served 12 years as founding President & CEO and later as Executive Chairman. At Hydrogenics, he built an award-winning, high-performance team that was recognized as Canada's fastest-growing company (#1 on Profit 100 list in 2003).

Dr. Rivard was appointed to the NRC Council in June 2019. He was re-appointed for a second mandate in September 2022.

(3) di. President's Research Excellence Advisory Committee (PREAC) Terms of Reference

1. Mandate

The role of PREAC is to promote research excellence at NRC by providing advice on best practices to conduct research and scientific assessments and participating in research outreach activities to ensure NRC is recognized for its scientific excellence. The Committee will advise the President on ways to achieve these goals. In particular, PREAC will:

serve as an advisory and discussion body to the NRC President and Vice-Presidents; as such, it does not constitute a management advisory board, PREAC members are not required to perform administrative tasks, nor will they be required to serve as a consulting body other than for the President;
provide guidance on how NRC conducts research and scientific assessments and consultations, using best international practices;
participate in peer review panels (e.g., program, projects, facilities);
develop a methodology to measure the quality of research;
given the foregoing, recommend opportunities on how to encourage research excellence;
advise on the development of research excellence initiatives (e.g., Ideation Fund, post-doctoral fellowship (PDF) program);
support some functions of the NRC Chief Science Officer (e.g., nominations of NRC researchers for awards, outreach, etc.); and
periodically review the PREAC membership renewal process, bearing in mind the President's requirement for gender parity, regional, language and ethnicity representation (recommended every 3 years).

2. PREAC Membership

2.1 Composition

The Committee is composed of 21 members from the research community, with representation from all NRC Research Centres (RCs). In addition, the membership also includes the President and the President's Science Advisor (PSA). The PSA is drawn from the research community members of PREAC, but not counted towards the 21 RC representatives.

PREAC members are drawn from the most senior ranks of NRC research communities, principally PRO/RCO5 and SRO/RCO4 researchers.

PREAC membership should be representative of the diversity of Canada. In addition to the mandate outlined in clause 1 – Mandate, PREAC members are expected to provide unfiltered science advice to the President, framed within a historical perspective of research excellence at NRC.

The Corporate Secretariat will assign staff support for PREAC to take minutes, record decisions and organize activities involving all PREAC members. [Note: The Corporate Secretariat Staff support will also be extended to selected research excellence activities which are related the President's Science Advisor role outside of PREAC meetings and serve in an advisory and/or secretariat role.

2.2 Chair and Secretary

PREAC is chaired by NRC's President. The PSA is the Secretary of PREAC.

Meeting agendas will be set by the President in consultation with the PSA.

2.3 Appointment of Members

Each Research Centre (RC) will hold an internal selection process led by the Director General (DG) and must engage their researcher community in order to identify the researchers that would best represent research excellence at NRC. Interested researchers in each RC may be nominated or self-nominate for a potential PREAC position. Each RC is to select their candidates through an open election process amongst the researchers in their RC. This process should be conducted in April of each year.

In an annual renewal process, one-third of the membership (7 members) will be replaced each year, with departing members ending their term on June 30, and incoming members starting on July 1 of the same year. Outreach to the DG in each RC will ensure that the names of three representatives, of which at least one must be female, are provided. The list from each RC can include the names of previous candidates and/or new candidates.

The Chief Science Officer (CSO) will make a recommendation to the President for the final selection of new PREAC members from the list of candidates provided by the RCs, seeking to ensure gender parity, regional, language and ethnicity representation. Representation from each of the 14 RCs is required. RCs may have up to one additional member depending on the balance of diversity factors, including RCs being located in multiple sites. The President will make the final selection.

In cases where a PREAC member leaves their seat vacant prior to the end of their term, a replacement will generally be made at the time of the annual renewal (July 1st). However, the President as the Chair of PREAC may choose to adjust the timeframe to fill any vacancies as desired. A new member may be chosen from the same or a different RC, depending on the requirement for representation from each RC and the balance of diversity achieved for the full PREAC membership.

2.4 Tenure and Terms of Office

Members, not including the President and PSA, are appointed to a three-year term, which is non-renewable (no consecutive terms).

3. PREAC Meetings

3.1 Frequency of Meetings

PREAC will meet in person three times per year (May, October and January). PREAC has authority to convene additional meetings if circumstances require it. Between formal meetings, PREAC is encouraged to maintain communication by other means.

3.2 Quorum

A majority attendance by PREAC members, the PSA, and by the Chair will be considered a quorum to hold a meeting. No alternates shall be permitted.

4. Operations

It is expected that members of the Committee will need to devote time towards preparation for each meeting.

4.1 Support

PREAC and the PSA will receive secretariat and administrative support from the Corporate Secretariat.

Travel costs for participants will be covered by their Research Centre

4.2 Reporting Requirements

Ad hoc reports on specific topics may be requested from PREAC from time to time.

5. President's Science Advisor

5.1 Term

The PSA term is for 2 years and non-renewable (no consecutive terms). The President's Science Advisor (PSA) will initially serve as a PREAC member for at least 1 year. Once the PSA role officially starts, the PSA will be replaced by a new PREAC member during the annual renewal process.

5.2 PSA Selection Process and Timing

A three-step process for the selection of a new PSA will be followed. First, PREAC members will be asked to nominate fellow PREAC members or a self-nomination. A minimum of three PREAC members must be nominated including at least one female and one male candidate. Nominated PREAC members must provide a CV documenting their history of research excellence for consideration.

Second, the Corporate Secretariat will conduct a secret ballot election of those nominated. Voters will be the PREAC members from the RCs, including the current PSA (excluding the President). The three nominees with the highest number of votes will be recommended to the President.

Third, in consultation with the CSO, the President will select a new PSA from these three nominees.

The ideal timing for the selection of a new PSA is at least 3 months ahead of the annual membership renewal date to ensure overlap with the current PSA's term (i.e., April 1st for a July 1st membership renewal).

In the event that the PSA should leave their position prior to the end of their term, a replacement will be identified immediately. The resulting vacancy for the PREAC membership may be handled in accordance with clause 2.2. – Appointment of Members.

5.3 Selection Criteria

Whenever feasible, the choice of a PSA will alternate between a male and a female lead.

5.4 Past PSA Role

The current PSA and PSA-elect will have overlapping terms for continuity. The duration of the overlap may vary as long as it provides a sufficient amount of time for the PSA-elect to receive an adequate orientation to their new role from the current PSA. A minimum of 3 months is recommended.

5.5 Requirements of PSA Role and RC Support

The role of PSA may entail up to 50% of time in a regular 37.5 hour work week. DG support is not required a priori for PSA self-nomination. The President and DG may wish to clarify expectations related to the PSA role and time commitment once the PSA has been appointed.

The PSA is also expected to travel occasionally throughout the year in Canada or abroad generally for short timeframes. A budget to fund PSA-related travel should be considered by the President's Office.

(3) dii. President's Science Advisor – Profile

Biography – Doug Johnstone

President's Science Advisor and Secretary to the President's
Research Excellence Advisory Committee

Dr. Doug Johnstone was appointed as the President's Science Advisor and Secretary to the President's Research Excellence Advisory Committee in July 2022, a dual role dedicated to providing recommendations and advice to the President on matters related to research excellence and representing the views of the NRC's research communities.

Dr. Johnstone joined the NRC Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Centre (HAA) in 2001, where he has been actively using and supporting Canada's international telescopes and advocating for future astronomical instrumentation. He is an active researcher in the field of star and planet formation, contributing to more than 200 refereed papers, 40 of which were led by him or supervised graduate students. During his career at the NRC, Dr. Johnstone has been Project Scientist for Herzberg-built astronomical instruments and has represented the NRC and Canada on many international committees. In 2012, he took a 2-year secondment as the Associate Director of the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope in Hawaii, charged with ensuring its scientific productivity. Since returning to HAA, Dr. Johnstone has focused on time-domain research, a new approach to sub-millimetre wavelength astronomy, as well as preparing for his guaranteed observations with the James Webb Space Telescope to examine young stars for their elusive young and forming planets.

Throughout his time at the NRC, Dr. Johnstone has been an adjunct professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Victoria where he holds an NSERC Discovery grant and supervises students. Two of his PhD students have gone on to win the Canadian Astronomical Society Plaskett Medal for Best Canadian Astronomy PhD for their thesis dissertations.

Dr. Johnstone holds a PhD in Astronomy from the University of California, Berkeley, obtained in 1996. He subsequently spent 3 years at the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics and 2 years as a member of the Department of Astronomy at the University of Toronto, before heading west to HAA in Victoria, BC.

Consult Dr. Johnstone's profile on the NRC's Directory of Science Professionals.

(3) e. 2023-24 and 2024-25 Risk-Based Audit Plan

Deputy Head Approval Note

Risk-Based Internal Audit Plan

I approve the Risk-Based Internal Audit Plan (RBAP) of the National Research Council Canada (NRC) for the fiscal years 2023-24 and 2024-25.

The RBAP will be submitted to the Office of the Comptroller General. Information about its implementation will be provided to the Office of the Comptroller General, as required.

As required per the Treasury Board Policy on Internal Audit, the NRC RBAP considers:

NRC areas of high risk and significance
Horizontal audits led by the Comptroller General
Planned audits led by other external assurance providers and departments as appropriate
Other oversight engagements

Iain Stewart
President, National Research Council of Canada

In this section - Table of Contents

Introduction

Each year, the National Research Council of Canada's (NRC) Office of Audit and Evaluation (OAE) prepares a Risk-Based Audit Plan (RBAP) which identifies audit priorities based on an assessment of risk and potential exposure that may affect the NRC's ability to accomplish its objectives.

This RBAP details audit priorities for fiscal year 2023-24 and 2024-25. Audit projects and priorities were identified based on a high-level analysis of NRC programs, management activities, processes, policies and control functions. The process included consultations with Senior Executives, Directors General of corporate branches, and the President. Planned audits led by external assurance providers (e.g., Office of the Comptroller General (OCG) and Office of the Auditor General (OAG)), past audit coverage and specific requests from senior management and the President were also considered.

In preparing the audit plan, NRC Internal Audit (NRC-IA) has considered the new risks and programming at the NRC. In fiscal year 2023-24, the majority of NRC-IA's services will be focused on providing assurance that NRC's key risk management, control and governance processes, as designed and implemented by management, are adequate.

In summary, NRC-IA's main priorities for 2023-24 will be:

Complete the following projects started in the previous year:
- Risk Assessment on Environmental Stewardship
- Audit of Use of Professional Services Contracting
- Audit of Cloud Services
- Advisory on Collaborative Science, Technology and Innovation Program: Challenge Programs (joint project supporting Evaluation)
- Advice to the Clinical Trial Material Facility
Continue the following:
- Advice to Revitalization of the Advanced Fabrication Facilities
- Advice to the Office of Facilities Renewal Management
- Support to internal audit teams of other government departments on Laboratories Canada
- Ongoing data analytics and capacity support
Launch the following:
- Audit of Staffing and Recruiting
- Audit of Account Verification Framework
- Audit of IT Project Management
- Advisory on the Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP)
- Review of Research Project Management – Policy Check-in
- Major Capital Project Management Retrospective

In order to remain agile in the dynamic operating environment, the underlying risk assessment will be reviewed throughout the year and projects will be adjusted as required.
This RBAP was developed in accordance with the requirements of the Treasury Board Policy on Internal Audit, along with related directives, guidelines, and the International Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing of the Institute of Internal Auditors.

Background and context

Role of internal audit

The National Research Council of Canada's Internal Audit function (NRC-IA) provides independent and objective assurance and advice on governance, risk management and internal controls to the President, the Departmental Audit Committee (DAC) and senior management.

Risk-based audit planning process

NRC-IA uses a structured, iterative processes to develop the RBAP. This annual audit planning process ensures that all internal audit activities are relevant, timely, and strategically aligned to support the achievement of the NRC's objectives.

Figure 1 shows an overview of the process used to update the RBAP.

Description follows — **Figure 1:** Annual RBAP update process:

The RBAP was developed based on ongoing environmental scanning, consultations with the NRC's senior management and the DAC, and a risk-based analysis (see Appendix A). The analysis ranked the top risk areas which were then used to select audit engagements (see Appendix B). Internal audit risk areas are derived from a variety of sources (See Appendix A), including risks identified in the NRC Corporate Risk Profile, to drive audit planning priorities.

Based on the analysis, the top seven risk areas that NRC-IA considered in selecting priorities and projects are:

Governance and change management
Modernizing the NRC's infrastructure
Information management and information technology
Talent management
Resource and financial management
Collaboration and partnerships
Safety, security, health management

NRC-IA will continue to reassess the timelines, relevance and value proposition of projects throughout the year and will recommend adjustments to senior management and the DAC if and when necessary. Any management requests or unplanned audit activities by central government agents that have budget implications will be considered and consultations will be undertaken with NRC's senior management and the DAC.

NRC-IA has assessed its capacity to deliver on the RBAP and has allotted approximately 20% of its planned project capacity to address in-year requests for NRC-IA's services (see Appendix C). Additional time has been factored in to allow for adjustments due to disruptions (e.g., changes to human resource capacity) and escalation of planned projects.

Another formal risk-assessment will be conducted as part of next year's planning process, which may lead to reprioritization of the projects planned for 2024-25 and beyond.

Management action plan follow-up

NRC-IA follows up on management action plans that have resulted from past engagements. The follow-up process is conducted twice annually with results presented to the DAC in quarters 1 and 3. Each time, management is asked to provide their own assessment of the level of implementation and to include a brief progress update for each recommendation. Recommendation owners must provide sufficient evidence, as determined by NRC-IA, to close an outstanding recommendation.

Risk-based audit plan

In fiscal years 2023-24, the majority of NRC's internal audit services will be focused on providing assurance that NRC's key risk management, control and governance processes, as designed and implemented by management, are adequate.

The different types of projects conducted by NRC-IA are shown in Figure 2 below.

The following projects were selected based on the analysis conducted by NRC-IA to identify key organizational risks (see Appendix B). Preliminary rationales and objectives have been developed for each assurance and advisory project listed (see Appendix D).

NRC-IA will assess the timeliness, relevance and added value of projects throughout the year and will recommend adjustments to senior management and the DAC, if and when necessary.

Project Type	2023-24	2024-25
Audit: Carry-over	Environmental Stewardship – Risk Assessment Use of Professional Services Contracting Cloud Services	Enterprise Risk Management Intellectual Property Management Business Continuity Management Occupational Health and Safety
Audit: New	Staffing and Recruiting Account Verification Framework IT Project Management
Advisory: Carry-over	Collaborative Science, Technology and Innovation Program: Challenge Programs (joint project with Evaluation) Revitalization of Advanced Electronics and Photonics Research Centre Fabrication Facilities Clinical Trial Material Facility Advice to the Office of Facilities Renewal Management	Procurement Oversight Board Review
Advisory: New	Laboratories Canada – Led by Other Government Departments (OGDs) Advisory on IRAP Review of Research Project Management – Policy Check-in Major Capital Project Management Retrospective	Procurement Oversight Board Review
Data Analytics: Ongoing	Data Analytics Review
External Liaison	Responding to Environmental Petitions sent to the Commissioner for the Environment and Sustainable Development (CESD) (as required)

Risk-based audit plan timeline

Legend:

A:: Audit
AD:: Advisory
DA:: Data Analytics
EA:: External Assurance
*: Project timeline for 2024-25 is subject to change

Launch year: 2022-23
Project	2023-24				2024-25*
Project	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4
Clinical Trial Material Facility	A
Use of Professional Services Contracting	A	A
CSTIP: Challenge Programs	AD	AD
Environmental Stewardship – Risk Assessment	A
Cloud Services	A	A	A
Revitalization of the Advanced Fabrication Facilities	AD	AD	AD	AD	AD	AD	AD	AD
Office of Facilities Renewal Management Support	AD	AD	AD	AD	AD	AD	AD	AD

Launch year: 2023-24
Project	2023-24				2024-25*
Project	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4
Staffing and Recruiting		A	A	A	A
Account Verification Framework			A	A	A
IT Project Management				A	A	A	A
IRAP	AD	AD	AD	AD
Research Project Management – Policy Check-in	AD	AD
Major Capital Project Management Retrospective	AD	AD

Launch year: 2024-2025*
Project	2023-24				2024-25*
Project	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4
Enterprise Risk Management					A	A	A
Occupational Health and Safety						A	A	A
Intellectual Property Management						A	A	A
Business Continuity Management								A
Procurement Oversight Board Review								AD

Launch year: Ongoing
Project	2023-24				2024-25*
Project	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4
Laboratories Canada – Led by Other Government Departments	AD	AD	AD	AD	AD	AD	AD	AD
Data Analytics & Data Analytics Capacity Support	DA	DA	DA	DA	DA	DA	DA	DA

Appendices

Appendix A: Annual RBAP update process

The annual audit planning process ensures that all internal audit activities are relevant, timely, and strategically aligned to support the achievement of the NRC's objectives. NRC-IA identifies and prioritizes audit projects based on a thorough review of the NRC environment, and consultations with the DAC and senior management. A chart of the annual RBAP update process is presented in figure 1 on page 6.

A1. Ongoing environmental scan

Audit planning begins with an ongoing environmental scan that identifies key organizational changes, priorities, and risk areas in which NRC-IA could add the most value in supporting the achievement of organizational objectives. This scan involves consultations with stakeholders and assessments of key information, from the following sources:

Senior management
Government of Canada priorities
Departmental plan and priorities
Corporate risk profile
Management accountability framework results
Internal and external audit project results / reviews / surveys
Internal audit and other industry publications
External assurance providers, including the following:
- Office of the Auditor General
- Office of the Comptroller General
- Environment Commissioner
- Procurement Ombudsman
- Official Languages Commissioner
- Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner
- Information Commissioner
- Privacy Commissioner
- Public Sector Integrity Commissioner
- Canadian Human Rights Commissioner

Further to the IA's role as liaison between the NRC and external assurance providers, this RBAP aims to coordinate with the above external providers with a view to ensuring audit coverage of high-risk areas, and minimizing overlap and duplication, thus reducing the audit burden on auditees.

A2. Audit universe re-evaluation

NRC-IA categorizes the NRC's functions into auditable entities, which make up the NRC's audit universe. The audit universe (Figure 3) is reviewed annually and helps determine whether all functions in the organization are receiving appropriate assurance coverage. Audit universe entities are grouped under three main categories:

Research programs
IRAP and other transfer payments
Internal services (comprised of six sub-groups)
- Management and oversight
- Human resources management
- Financial and procurement management
- Assets and acquired services
- Information management (IM) and Information Technology (IT) management
- Security management

A3. Risk-based analysis and prioritization

NRC-IA conducts a focused, structured and documented analysis of auditable entities by assessing the likelihood and impact of risks identified in the environmental scan, with consideration of their corporate significance, public visibility and complexity. The resulting risk ranking is used in the selection and prioritization of audit projects. Once the engagements are selected for the plan, the following factors are considered in determining their timing:

Staff capacity and operating budget
Existing coverage of the NRC's risk management, control and governance processes
The NRC's Departmental Evaluation Plan
Engagements by the OAG, the OCG, and other external assurance providers
Other considerations such as system and program renewals

A4. Consultation and Approval

Proposed engagements and their timing are discussed with senior management, the President and the DAC. Particular emphasis is placed on projects planned for the first year, given that future year projects will be re-assessed on an annual basis. The outcome is a list of prioritized audit projects that are aligned with the highest levels of risk from an internal audit perspective.

NRC-IA obtains the DAC's endorsement of the RBAP prior to seeking approval from the President.

Appendix B: Internal audit risk assessment – Top 7 risk areas [REDACTED]

Appendix C: Capacity and resource planning

This section of the RBAP provides an overview of the resources available and their proposed allocation to audit priorities.

C1. Capacity of the Internal Audit Function

At full strength, NRC-IA includes the Director General of Audit and Evaluation, one Director, three Audit Managers, three Senior Auditors, three Auditors and one student. A team of two individuals provides administrative and audit committee support for both the audit and evaluation functions. Two other individuals reporting to the Director of Evaluation provide project support for both the audit and evaluation functions. NRC-IA is in the process of running competitions to fill its current vacancies.

The NRC-IA's human resources model is presented in Figure 4 below.

C2. Resources to Deliver Projects in Year 2023-24

Assuming ongoing hiring activities are successful, it is projected that approximately 1,950 staff days will be available in fiscal year 2023-24. Planned project-related work for 2023-24 is estimated to require approximately 1,900 staff days to deliver (i.e., direct planned audit and advisory services and data analytics), leaving NRC-IA capacity to undertake other projects in response to emerging risks.

The remaining staff days are reserved for other necessary activities, such as liaison with external assurance providers, preparation of the RBAP, follow-up on management action plans (MAP) for recommendations from previous audits, performance reporting, quality assurance and improvement, professional development, language training and general administration. Figure 5 presents the planned distribution of NRC-IA's resources for this fiscal year.

The estimated FY2023-24 budget for NRC-IA is:

$1.52M for salaries (includes employee benefit plan)
$120K for operations and maintenance + incremental funding as required
$60K for DAC salaries and expenses

Appendix D provides the estimated level of effort and timelines for each planned audit project.

The knowledge, skills and other competencies needed to perform the plan have been considered in the resourcing for its engagements. Expertise for the conduct of the engagements will be sourced primarily from NRC-IA's staff with support from specialized consultants, as described in Appendix D.

Appendix D: Audit project details [REDACTED]

(3) f. 2023-24 to 2027-28 Departmental Evaluation Plan

Departmental Evaluation Plan 2023-24 to 2027-28 - National Research Council Canada

3. Footnotes

Footnote 1

General By-Law Respecting the Conduct of the Business of the National Research Council of Canada, approved by the Governor General In Council, December 1990.

Return to footnote 1 referrer

Footnote 2

The target is 100% attendance, anything less than 75% would create considerable concern.

Return to footnote 2 referrer

Footnote 3

General By-Law Respecting the Conduct of the Business of the National Research Council of Canada, approved by the Governor General In Council, December 1990.

Return to footnote 3 referrer

Footnote 4

In cases where a member’s term is soon expiring, the Committee may be composed of more than four members for a limited time period to support the operational continuity of the DAC and onboarding of the new member.

Return to footnote 4 referrer

4. Stakeholders and External Committees

(4) a. Key Stakeholders to meet

The NRC is a national network of researchers and facilitiesperforming research and technical services. We build and extend this network through external engagement with stakeholders to support NRC's mandate and government priorities. Collaborations with academia, other government departments, public research institutions, and industry are fundamental to the NRC's DNA.

The following is a list of key stakeholders in the Canadian public sector who have regular interactions with the NRC President.

Deputy heads of 11 science-based departments and agencies
Deputy heads of Shared Services Canada (SSC) and Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) who provide important services to the NRC
Canada's Chief Science Advisor, who provides advice on government science
Presidents of the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) and Canada's research funding agencies (Granting Councils):
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC)
- Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
Presidents of Canadian universities – the NRC has research labs and collaboration centres co-located on 14 university campuses across Canada

CEOs of other academic stakeholders or umbrella groups including Universities Canada, the U15 Group of Canadian Research Universities, the Royal Society of Canada, and Colleges and Institutes Canada
Heads of third-party research organizations including CIFAR, Genome Canada and the Council of Canadian Academies
CEOs or Executive Directors of key innovation stakeholders, that also bridge several sectors, such as: Mitacs, the Global Innovation Clusters, Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE), MaRS, Chief Scientist of Québec, Alberta Innovates and the Council of Canadian Innovators
Provincial Deputy Ministers with responsibilities for innovation

(4) b. External committee list

Committee	Committee Mandate	Current Chair	President's Role and (Alternate)	Frequency of Meetings
Canada Research Coordinating Committee (CRCC)	The CRCC was created to strengthen the federal research funding system through greater harmonization, integration, collaboration, and coordination of the granting agencies and the Canada Foundation for Innovation's programs and policies.	Ted Hewitt, President, SSHRC	Member (Alternate: Secretary General)	Monthly
Deputy Minister Community of Science and Technology (DMCST)	This Committee supports the Government of Canada's overall science agenda and strengthens the capacity of the government to address challenges in an integrated, coordinated and collaborative way on shared federal science and technology policies, programs and activities.	Harpreet Kochhar, DM S&T Champion, and President, Canada Food Inspection Agency	Member (Alternate: Secretary General)	Every 6 – 8 weeks
EUREKA	Eureka is an intergovernmental network (with 48 member and associate countries) with an established platform and range of programs/ mechanisms to facilitate market-oriented industry-led R&D projects across borders	Turkey until July 2024	High Level Representative Co-chair with Germany, July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025 (Alternate: Director General, National Programs and Business Services)	3 meetings per year
RTO International Network (RIN)	An executive network for leading RTOs around the world to: Exchange best practices and enable benchmarking in areas of interest and that could enable discussions with national policy-makers Influence international discussions in fora like OECD which provide regular advice to national policy-makers	Stephen Su (ITRI, Taiwan) as Chair and Takashi Usuda (AIST, Japan) as Co-Chair	Immediate Past-Chair (Alternate: Vice-President Business and Professional Services)	1-2 meetings per year, including one in person
Deputy Heads Steering Committee (DHSC) for Biomanufacturing and Life Sciences	Governance for Biomanufacturing and Life Sciences Strategy	Co-Chairs Simon Kennedy, DM ISED Stephen Lucas, DM Health	Member (Alternate: Secretary General / Vice-President Life Sciences)	Monthly as needed
DM Real Property Committee	This committee was formed as a response to the recommendations of the Fixed Asset Review (FAR) which concluded in the spring 2021. The focus of the Committee is on providing strategic advice on horizontal issues related to effective management of federal real property (e.g., review of departmental portfolio strategies, approaches to divestiture) as well as to provide advice on tactical real property management issues (e.g., the nature of the workplace in the context of Future of Work).	Co-Chairs Roch Huppé, Comptroller General of Canada Ariana Reza, DM of PSPC	Member (Alternate: Vice-President Corporate Services and Chief Financial Officer)	Effectively twice annually or as required.
Heads of Federal Agencies (HFA)	The Group of Heads of Federal Agencies is an informal network comprising the chief executive officers of approximately 80 federal agencies, boards, commissions, tribunals and Crown corporations. It provides opportunities for CEOs to network and share common concerns and experiences. It also serves as a collective voice for the agency community in discussions with central agencies and other branches of the federal public service.	Sarah Paquet, HFA Steering Committee Chair Director and CEO of the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre	Member (Alternate: Secretary General)	Monthly
LabsCanada DM Terra Canada Committee	The mandate of the LabsCanada DM Hub Cluster (DMHC) is to provide strategic leadership, direction and decision-making on Hub-specific matters as well as project related matters that do not impact the program or Strategy and to ensure the achievement of science outcomes. The DMHC has the authority to resolve issues and risks to science outcomes and other Hub, project or departmental / agency matters as well as to ensure compliance with key policies and LabsCanada guiding principles.	Michael Vandergriff, DM, Natural Resources Canada	Member The NRC President was previously a co-chair. (Alternate: Vice-President Corporate Services and Chief Financial Officer)	Once per year or as required.
LabsCanada, DM Atlantic Science Enterprise Centre Committee		Annette Gibbons, DM, Fisheries and Oceans	Member (Alternate: Vice-President Corporate Services and Chief Financial Officer)	Once per year or as required.
LabsCanada DM Transportation Safety and Technology Science Hub		Co-Chairs: Kathy Fox, Chair, Transportation Safety Board of Canada President, National Research Council	Co-chair (Alternate: Vice-President Corporate Services and Chief Financial Officer)	Once per year or as required.
Agency Committee on TRIUMF (ACT)	This Committee oversees the federal investment in TRIUMF and the economic benefits derived from that investment, with a focus on management, financial and commercialization matters. It provides advice to the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry and to the National Research Council on matters related to TRIUMF.	President, National Research Council	Chair (Alternate: Currently, Vice-President Emerging Technologies)	As needed every 2-3 years Reasons for convening the Committee: include but not be limited to: changes to TRIUMF's strategic plan; new federal investments in the facility; significant changes in TRIUMF's structure or governance; formal evaluation of TRIUMF results.

5. Planning and Reporting

(5) a. 2022-2023 Annual Report

Laying the foundations for tomorrow's innovations: 2022–⁠2023 annual report - National Research Council Canada

(5) b. 2022-2023 Departmental Results Report

2022-2023 Departmental Results Report (DRR) - National Research Council Canada

(5) c. 2023-2024 Departmental Plan

National Research Council Canada 2023–24 Departmental Plan - National Research Council Canada

(5) d. 2023 to 2027 Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy

The National Research Council of Canada's 2023-2027 Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy - National Research Council Canada

(5) e. 2024-29 Strategic Plan

Slide 1

NRC 2024-29 Strategic Plan

Slide 2

Objectives

Present an overview of NRC's 2024-29 Strategic Plan

Slide 3

Slide 4

Key Environmental Factors Shaping the NRC's Strategic Plan

Slide 5

The NRC operates in a climate of various economic challenges and opportunities.

Big Picture

The OECD predicts that Canadian GDP growth will fall below 2% during 2023. Policymakers face the challenge of reining in inflation without causing a recession. Reforms are needed to tackle years of weak investment and tepid productivity growth.

Canada's economy has been resilient despite high inflation, rising interest rates and a declining US stock market. Growth in 2022 was sustained by:

A strong job market recovery
Household savings
High commodity prices
An increase in business investment
Strong rebound for services

R&D Spending

Provisional OECD results for Canadian gross domestic R&D expenditures are dropping below pre-pandemic levels (from 1.84% in 2020 to 1.61% in 2021 as % of GDP), including decreased spending by the business sector (from 0.62% in 2020 to 0.52% in 2021 as % of GDP).

Economic Headwinds

Potential economic downturn
High borrowing rates due to inflation
Widespread tech sector layoffs
Shortage of specialized talent
Slowdown of consumer spending
Continued supply chain pressures (especially for computer chips)

Economic Tailwinds

Growth of the digital economy
Increasing investment in businesses promoting environmental/social good

Sources: OECD Canada Economic Snapshot, OECD Main S&T Indicators, Macleans Year Ahead, Swoop Funding Canada

Slide 6

Digital and quantum are influencing many technology trends

A scan of market, policy and trade literature on technology trends heading into 2023 identified 10 underpinning macro technologies and a selection of sector-specific technologies appearing on multiple lists.

Macro Tech Trends

Quantum computing
Cyber security
IOT/Connected living
Artificial intelligence
Adoption of 5G
Adoption of 6T
Autonomous things
Robotics
Sustainable technology
Energy storage

Sector-Specific Trends

Quantum and Digital:
- AR/VR/Metaverse expansion
- Machine learning
- Blockchain/Web3/NFT
- Multi-cloud automation
- Digital twins
Biotechnology and Health:
- Virtual care/remote patient monitoring
- Gene editing
- Vaccines
Materials and Manufacturing:
- 3D printing/Advanced materials
Energy and Environment:
- Green hydrogen
- Hydrogen storage and transport

Key Sources: Forbes, Frost & Sullivan, Gartner, Lux, McKinsey, Deloitte, The Economist, The National, CNN.

Slide 7

The federal government continues to invest in priority areas for Canada

Climate Change and Sustainability:

GM Canada CAMI EV Manufacturing Plant
Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy
National Adaptation Strategy
Strategic Innovation Fund & Clean Tax Credits

Public Infrastructure:

Gordie Howe International Bridge Project
VIA High Frequency Rail Project
Low-Carbon Building Materials Innovation Hub
Modernizing NRC's Research Facilities

Digital Technologies:

National Quantum Strategy
Semiconductors and Photonics Investments
Extending Broadband Access to Rural Communities
Canada Digital Adoption Program

Health and Biomanufacturing:

National Biomanufacturing Strategy
Pan-Canadian Genomics Strategy
Investments in vaccine production / University Research Hubs for Vaccines & Therapeutics

National Defense:

Procurement of F-35 Fighter Jets
NORAD Modernization and Continental Defense
Support for Ukraine / Military Activity for Haiti
Indo-Pacific Strategy

Other Notable Initiatives:

Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO)
Lunar Utility Vehicle Investment
New Canada Innovation Corporation
Renewal of Funding for Global Innovation Clusters

Slide 8

With IRAP's transition to the Canada Innovation Corporation (CIC), the NRC will focus on performance of research and innovation and translation into market…

The transition provides an opportunity for the NRC to:

Double down on anchoring the research ecosystem
Focus on providing research and technical solutions for our collaborators and clients
Establish a program to address Canadian business innovation challenges by better connecting NRC labs to:
- Other service providers (e.g., community colleges)
- Regional SMEs with research, commercialization and tech adaptation needs

Slide 9

…and recapitalization will enable the NRC to better support Canada's innovation ecosystem

Federal investment of $962M over 8 years and $121M ongoing to renew NRC facilities and real property.

First series of projects (Wave 1) are underway. Every two years starting in 2024/25 we will have a $200M call for new equipment and facility investment proposals with partners.

These investments will begin to place us at the forefront of Canadian public research facilities. Partnering on these investments will allow these national assets to be open to business and university partners in the Canadian research innovation system.

Changes to the NRC Act provide new procurement authorities and IT flexibilities, which will improve the NRC's ability to work at the speed of our partners.

Slide 10

Research Focus of Our Strategic Plan

Slide 11

NRC's plan highlights our efforts in areas that matter to Canadians

Successful transition to a prosperous green economy and improved climate resilience for Canada
Thriving biologics, biomanufacturing and distributed-care industries that are ready at-scale to tackle emerging health priorities
Improved competitiveness through the commercialization and adoption of digital and quantum technologies
Continued service to the Canadian research and innovation ecosystem through the essential roles NRC plays, specifically those for metrology and astronomy

Slide 12

Climate Change and Sustainability

Goal 1: Accelerate the decarbonization of Canada's transportation and construction industries

Key Strategies:

Focusing on electric mobility to assist in developing the new electric vehicle (EV) supply chain & transition existing carbon-based combustion supply chains through advanced design and manufacturing capabilities
Supporting the development of low carbon construction materials (including cement, concrete, wood and steel) and systems to accelerate decarbonization across the Canadian construction sector

Slide 13

Climate Change and Sustainability

Goal 2: Help Canada's buildings, infrastructure and communities adapt to climate change

Key Strategies:

Supporting production of more resilient crops by developing a platform of integrated technologies to accelerate crop design and develop novel engineering technologies
Integrating climate resilience into design and standards to adapt and protect infrastructure from climate impacts and extreme weather, creating a resilient built environment in Canada

Slide 14

Health and Biomanufacturing

Goal 3: Enable the development and rapid manufacturing at scale of novel vaccines, therapeutics and other bio-products

Key Strategies:

Supporting accelerated development and production of Canadian-made vaccines and biologic medicines through partnerships and key infrastructure
Bringing our expertise to new partnerships with Canada Biomedical Research Fund Hubs focused on accelerated development of vaccines and biologics to address current and future infectious disease threats

Slide 15

Health and Biomanufacturing

Goal 4: Develop next generation precision tools/devices for distributed diagnosis and therapies and enable their clinical use and commercial adoption

Key Strategies:

Supporting the development of point-of-care via microfluidics-powered technologies in the areas of biofabrication, diagnostics and organ-on-a-chip with the objective of clinical adoption and at-scale industrial commercialization
Developing digital health and virtual care technologies to meet the growing need for patient-centric hybrid care (combining virtual with in-person care) in Canada via technologies such as remote physiological monitoring

Slide 16

Quantum and Digital

Goal 5: Advance quantum science towards viable technologies for commercialization and application in priority areas for Canada

Key Strategies:

Building revolutionary quantum capabilities through the interconnection of quantum devices that communicate at a distance. This will enable advance capabilities in quantum communications, sensing and computing
Developing next generation quantum sensors that may be engineered and commercialized for priority application areas that benefit Canadians such as for health care, defence, transportation and environmental applications.

Slide 17

Quantum and Digital

Goal 6: Lead digital research and innovation to facilitate high-quality solutions to critical challenges and jumpstart industry adoption

Key Strategies:

Facility renewal with intentional investment in digitalization for unique facilities that provides the opportunity for NRC to boost our ability to accelerate the development and availability of trusted solutions in priority areas for Canada (e.g. ground truthing for unique digital twin projects with partners)
Enable faster adoption of trusted solutions by industry and other government departmentsthrough expertise in the development and use of responsible AI, large-scale analytics and advice to support digital transformations.

Slide 18

Foundational Research

Goal 7: Effectively fulfil our roles in national astronomy assets and measurement standards to maintain Canadian scientific and technology leadership

Key Strategies:

Continuing to be Canada's representative in large scale astronomy projects and participating in international observatories such as the Square Kilometre Array (SKA)
Advancing leading-edge measurement science to accelerate the adoption of emerging technologies and support federal priorities related to climate resilience, electrification, and quantum.

Slide 19

Key Enablers Underpinning Our Strategic Plan

Slide 20

Cross-cutting priorities

Health and safety: protecting our people, our collaborators, and our communities
Inclusive innovation: diversity and inclusion within the NRC, those we work with, and those impacted by our work
Business engagement: strengthening our industry connections, and maintaining connections with IRAP as it transitions to CIC
Research excellence: promoting and reinforcing excellence in NRC's own research and technical work, and the broader Canadian innovation ecosystem
Organizational excellence: continuous improvement within the NRC and innovative approaches to how we engage others

Slide 21

Health and Safety

Protecting our people, our collaborators, and our communities

NRC strives for a safe work environment that is maintained by each and every employee. More needs to be done to fully entrench a culture that has safety as part of the fabric of the NRC, including the safety and health of our employees, clients and collaborators, neighboring communities and environment.

Key Plans:

Enhance strategic partnerships across the NRC to deepen our culture of excellence for health, safety and environmental stewardship
- Launch of organization-wide safety campaign to reinforce our commitment to health and safety, and audit our activities and facilities
Health, safety and environmental considerations are incorporated into initial planning phases of all new work activities at NRC
- Invest in technical training to develop needed competencies to support NRC research activities

Slide 22

Inclusive Innovation

Goes beyond thinking about the employment equity groups outlined in the Employment Equity Act, to include a multitude of other forms of diversity

It also moves beyond the internal focus of creating an inclusive workforce and workplace to include an external focus on how we conduct our work and its impact on diverse communities

Key Plans:

Implement a new workforce and workplace EDI Strategy and the NRC Accessibility Plan
- New sponsorship program, promoting mentorship, and consideration for leadership development opportunities
- Continue to hire 50% of new staff from underrepresented groups, building on successful trial that made progress in reducing gaps
Increase organizational capacity and maturity for the full scope of inclusive innovation
- Tools, training and other resources targeted to employees and managers
- Forums for dialogue, learning and exchange
- Partnerships with EDI organizations

Slide 23

Business Engagement

Strengthening our industry connections, and maintaining connections with IRAP as it transitions to the CIC

Federal Budget 2022 recognized the NRC's importance to Canada's innovation ecosystem and challenged us to greatly increase our economic impact. This was central to the 2024-29 NRC Strategic Planning process, with RCs thinking about how they will better engage and support their industries.

Key Plans:

Business innovation program to connect NRC labs with other innovators
Corporate outreach to key Canadian innovators in NRC priority areas
Strengthen NRC's brand as strategic R&D partner
Increase licensing and tech transfer efforts for NRC's IP
Update NRC's pricing approach to better reflect value to clients
Support NRC researchers with potential "path to impact" considerations and communicating value propositions

Slide 24

Research Excellence

Building on a solid foundation to deepen and grow a culture of research excellence

Research excellence is enabled by:

Our people
Our facilities (Recapitalization)
How we collaborate and communicate both internally and externally

Mechanisms implemented to foster excellence:

Chief Science Advisor
President's Research Advisor
President's Research Excellence Advisory Committee (PREAC)
Early Career Research+ Network (ECRN)
Ideation fund
New researcher promotion criteria
Reimagined Outstanding Achievement Awards
Expanded post-doctoral fellowship (PDF) program

Continuing to invest time and effort to promote research excellence at the NRC:

Develop early and mid-career researchers
Provide access to the best equipment
Grow collaborations across the TRL spectrum
Celebrate our research accomplishments

Slide 25

Organizational Focus and Excellence

Continuous improvement within the NRC and innovative approaches to how we engage others

Going forward and post CIC-IRAP, NRC labs and experts have the tools to become unique national assets. We will equip large-scale public research and technical teams with state of the art facilities, bringing together business and university partners

Procurement: Increased procurement authorities to improve our ability to work at the speed of our partners

Internal re-organization: Targeted internal re-organization to achieve critical mass in key areas

Real Property: Aligning real property decisions with the Greening Government Strategy and Accessibility Act

Digital Tools and IT: Adopting digital tools to improve efficiency and investing in IT to be a more secure collaborator

Research Tools: CSTIP/Challenge Programs (ongoing $30M/year) for dynamic and evolving collaborations, OFRM ($200M competitions every 2 years) ensuring state of the art facilities and platforms

Slide 26

Slide 27

Thank you

6. Annex – Acronyms

R&D divisions and research centres - Abbreviation (Divisions R‑D et centres de recherche - Abréviation)

Division of Transportation and Manufacturing (Division des transports et de la fabrication): TM (TF)
Aerospace Research Centre (Centre de recherche en aérospatiale): AERO (AÉRO)
Automotive and Surface Transportation Research Centre (Centre de recherche sur l'automobile et les transports de surface): AST (ATS)
Division of Engineering (Division du génie): ENG (GEN)
Energy, Mining and Environment Research Centre (Centre de recherche sur l'énergie, les mines et l'environnement): EME (EME)
Construction Research Centre (Centre de recherche en construction): CONST (CONST)
Ocean, Coastal and River Engineering Research Centre (Centre de recherche en génie océanique, côtier et fluvial): OCRE (GOCF)
Division of Life Sciences (Division des sciences de la vie): LS (SV)
Aquatic and Crop Resource Development Research Centre (Centre de recherche en développement des cultures et des ressources aquatiques): ACRD (DCRA)
Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre (Centre de recherche en thérapeutique en santé humaine): HHT (TSH)
Medical Devices Research Centre (Centre de recherche sur les dispositifs médicaux): MD (DM)
Division of Emerging Technologies (Division des technologies émergentes): ET (TE)
Canadian Photonics Fabrication Centre (Centre de fabrication pour la photonique du Canada): CPFC (CFPC)
Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Centre (Centre de recherche Herzberg en astronomie et en astrophysique): HAA (HAA)
Metrology Research Centre (Centre de recherche en métrologie): METRO (MÉTRO)
Advanced Electronics and Photonics Research Centre (Centre de recherche en électronique et photonique avancées): AEP (EPA)
Nanotechnology Research Centre (Centre de recherche en nanotechnologie): NANO (NANO)
Security and Disruptive Technologies Research Centre (Centre de recherche sur les technologies de sécurité et de rupture): SDT (TSR)
Division of Digital Technologies (Division des technologies numériques): DT (TN)
Digital Technologies Research Centre (Centre de recherche en technologies numériques): DT (TN)

Corporate divisions and branches - Abbreviation (Divisions et directions corporatives - Abréviation)

Human Resources Branch (Direction des ressources humaines): HRB (DRH)
Corporate Services and Chief Financial Officer (Division des services corporatifs et Bureau du chef de la direction financière): CS/CFO (SC/CDF)
Real Property Planning and Management Branch (Direction de la planification et de la gestion des biens immobiliers): RPPM (PGBI)
Finance and Procurement Services Branch (Direction des services financiers et d'approvisionnement): FPS (SFA)
Security Branch (Direction de la sécurité): SB (DS)
Health, Safety and Environment Branch (Direction de l'environnement et de la santé et sécurité au travail): HSE (ESST)
Business and Professional Services (Division des services professionnels et d'affaires): BPS (SPA)
International Innovation Office (Bureau international de l'innovation): IIO (BII)
National Programs and Business Services Branch (Direction des programmes nationaux et des services d'affaires): NPBS (PNSA)
Design and Fabrication Services Branch (Direction des services de conception et de fabrication): DFS (SCF)
Knowledge, Information and Technology Services Branch (Direction des services du savoir, de l'information et des technologies): KITS (SSIT)
Secretary General Office (Bureau de la Secrétaire générale): SG (SG)
Corporate Secretariat (Secrétariat de la haute direction): CorpSec (Secr. de la HD)
Ombud Office (Bureau de l'Ombud): OO (BO)
Policy, Strategy and Performance Branch (Direction de la politique, de la stratégie et du rendement): PSP (PSR)
Communications Branch (Direction des communications): CB (DC)
Office of Audit and Evaluation (Bureau de la vérification et de l'évaluation): OAE (BVE)
Office of Facilities Renewal Management (Bureau de gestion du renouvellement des installations): OFRM (BGRI)

Other division - Abbreviation (Autre division - Abréviation)

Industrial Research Assistance Program(Programme d'aide à la recherche industrielle): IRAP (PARI)

Other - Abbreviation (Autres - Abréviation)

Biologics Manufacturing Centre (Centre de production de produits biologique): BMC (CPPB)
Centre/Branch/IRAP (Centre/Direction/PARI): CBI (CDP)
Senior Executive Committee (Comité de la haute direction): SEC (CHD)
President's Research Excellence Advisory Committee (Comité consultatif du président sur l'excellence en recherche): PREAC (CCPER)
Chief Science Advisor (Canada) (Conseillère scientifique en chef (Canada)): CSA (CSC)
Departmental Science Advisor and Chief Science Officer (at the NRC) (Conseiller scientifique ministériel et premier dirigeant scientifique (au CNRC)): DSA/CSO (CSM/PDS)
Chief Digital Research Officer (at the NRC) (Dirigeant principal de la recherche numérique (au CNRC)): CDRO (DPRN)
President's Science Advisor (Conseiller scientifique du président): PSA (CSP)

Transition binder for the NRC President, January 2024

On this page

1. Introduction

(1) a. Overview of the NRC and ISED Portfolio

(1) b. Minister Mandate Letter

(1) c. Minister biography

Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

2. About the NRC

(2) a. NRC Factsheet (2022-23)

People

Scientific achievements

Patents

R&D clients and collaborators

Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP)

Financials (unaudited results)

Figure 1. Total expenditures (operating, capital, and grants and contributions)

Figure 2. Funding programs $612.3M (grants and contributions expenditures)

Figure 3. Total revenues

(2) b. Organizational Chart

(2) c. NRC Onboarding

Slide 1

Slide 2

Slide 3

Slide 4

Slide 5 - NRC by the numbers (2022-2023)

Slide 6 - NRC by the numbers (2022-2023)

Slide 7 - The Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP)

Slide 8

Slide 9 - NRC's national lab footprint

Slide 10 - Collaboration centres

Slide 11 - Challenge Programs

Slide 12 - Ideation Fund: Supports exploratory research through the New Beginnings and Small Teams Initiatives

Slide 13 - Role of NRC Council

Slide 14 - NRC's 2024-29 Strategic Plan Focus

Slide 15 - Modernizing the NRC

Slide 16 - Target end points

(2) d. Financial Overview

(2) e. NRC Act

(2) f. CIC Blueprint

3. Governance

(3) ai. NRC Council Terms of Reference

Introduction

Roles and Responsibilities

NRC Council

NRC Council Chairperson

NRC Council Membership

Composition

Tenure of Office

Disclosure of Conflict of Interest

NRC Council Meetings

Frequency of Meetings

Notice of Meetings

Quorum

Voting

Preparation and Attendance

Attendance by Non-Members

Minutes of Meetings

In-Camera Meetings

Telephone Meetings

Official Languages

Executive Committees of NRC Council

Operations

Support to the NRC Council

Contacting NRC Management

Remuneration

Assessing NRC Council Performance

Review of the Terms of Reference for NRC Council

Appendix A - NRC Council Statement on Conflict of Interest

Appendix B – NRC's Travel Procedure for NRC Council Members (July 2019)

Introduction

Air Travel

Loyalty Programs

Travel by Car

Business Travel To or From Destination other than Home Location

Accommodation

Meal Allowance

(3) aii. NRC Council Member profiles

NRC Council Chair

NRC Council members

(3) bi. Senior Executive Committee (SEC) Terms of Reference

Shannon Quinn
Secretary General

Dale MacMillan
Vice-President, Corporate Services and Chief Financial Officer

Maria Aubrey
Vice-President, Business and Professional Services

Alain Beaudoin
Vice-President, Business and Professional Services

François Cordeau
Vice-President, Office of Facilities Renewal Management

Emily Harrison
Vice-President, Human Resources; Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Champion

Jean-Francois Houle
Vice-President, Engineering

Lakshmi Krishnan
Vice-President, Life Sciences

David Lisk
Vice-President, Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP)

Julie Lefebvre
Vice-President, Emerging Technologies

Joel Martin
Vice-President and Chief Digital Research Officer

Ibrahim Yimer
Vice President Transportation and Manufacturing

Alexandra Dagger
Director General, Audit and Evaluation

Kevin Lindsey
NRC DAC Chair

Raymond Leduc
NRC DAC member

Gayle Gorrill
NRC DAC member

Pierre Rivard
NRC DAC and Council member