Incentives and Accountability: The Canadian Context

Since 1997, the Canadian federal government has introduced a variety of new incentives to enhance significantly the funding of university research in this country. While these funding initiatives have been welcomed by Canadian universities, they are accompanied by a heightened emphasis on accountability which dictates new eligibility conditions for universities’ access to these funds. Given that research and innovation have become more central and significant spending categories for the federal public purse, universities in Canada are increasingly subject to public scrutiny, due to concerns for public accountability and safety. The new programs often involve more strategic central co-ordination and consequently require that the university administration, and not just faculty, justify funding requests. Universities are also expected to demonstrate compliance with a growing array of federally codified guidelines and regulations. These federal expectations of accountability are multiplying as both the investment in research and the different types of funding ...