Catching up with Canada’s chief science adviser — University Affairs

"Molecular cardiologist Mona Nemer was first appointed Canada’s chief science adviser in 2017, to provide advice to the federal government on scientific issues and science-based policy. Recently reappointed for two more years, she talks to University Affairs about her plans for her next term and the importance of open science, emergency preparedness, and support for young scientists....

I would say that our work on the science integrity policy and the Roadmap for Open Science are also very important. The U.S. is putting in place a science integrity policy for their intramural science and it is greatly inspired by ours. The Roadmap for Open Science was a bit delayed because of the pandemic, but I think it’s now well accepted in government. And over the coming years it’s going to be one of our major priorities to make sure that at least federally funded science, wherever it happens in the country, is open....

Open science was one of the four key items that was discussed at the latest G7 meeting of science ministers, where I had the privilege of representing Canada. In my bilateral talks with the U.S., we both agreed that open science is totally compatible with safeguarding and securing research. Here in Canada, we moved the yardstick in terms of the intramural science and now as part of the Canada Research Coordinating Committee, which the granting council presidents are a part of....

It’s definitely a priority for us and we’ve been working collaboratively with the U.S. and our other partners. The prime minister announced two years ago that Canada would join Horizon Europe [the EU’s research funding program] as an associate member. And that will require the research funded by Horizon Europe to be openly accessible. So, it’s an international movement and hopefully we will be able to speed up the deployment in Canada as well...."