Council of Canadian Academies: Difference between revisions

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The Council of Canadian Academies (Conseil des académies canadiennes) was created to perform independent, expert assessments of the science that is relevant to important public issues. The Council’s assessment scope includes the natural, social and health sciences, engineering and the humanities.^[1]

The Council is a private, non-profit corporation that has received a $30 million founding grant in 2005 from the Government of Canada. The grant is intended to support core operations for 10 years.^[2] Although the Council is at arm’s length from government, it has agreed to conduct up to five assessments per year of subjects proposed by the Canadian federal government. The Council can also perform assessments for non-governmental and private sector organizations, but the cost of these cannot be covered by the federal government’s founding grant.

The Council of Canadian Academies is in many ways similar in concept and mission to the National Research Council in the U.S., which is, in effect, the operating arm of the National Academies in the U.S. The Council of Canadian Academies is of course much smaller and much younger, having begun full-fledged operations only in March, 2006.^[3]

Governance

The Council is governed by a 12-member Board of Governors, a majority of whom are appointed by the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, the Canadian Academy of Engineering, and the RSC: The Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences of Canada. The Chair of the Board is Dr. Howard Alper.

The Council also has a 16-member Scientific Advisory Committee, whose role is to advise the Council’s Board with respect to assessment topic selection, terms of reference, and peer review. The Committee is also among several sources of advice on the selection of expert panelists.

The first President of the Council of Canadian Academies is Dr. Peter Nicholson. His appointment was announced February 8, 2006.

Assessments

The Council’s assessments are performed by independent panels of qualified experts from Canada and abroad who serve pro bono. This model has been employed in other countries, most notably in the United States by the National Research Council of the US National Academies.

Reports

The first report of the Council – The State of Science & Technology in Canada ^[4] was released September 12, 2006.

Since then, the Council has received two requests from Natural Resources Canada to perform assessments on the topics of Groundwater and Gas Hydrates.

References

^ Peter Nicholson Appointed as 1st President of the Canadian Academies of Science February 8, 2006
^ Prime Minister creates Academies of Science University Affairs, December 2004
^ History of the Council of Canadian Academies
^ The State of Science & Technology in Canada

External links

Council of Canadian Academies
RSC: The Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences of Canada
Canadian Academy of Health Sciences
Canadian Academy of Engineering
The Changing Role of Intellectual Authority a presentation by Dr. Nicholson to the 148th Association of Research Libraries (ARL) Membership Meeting, May 18, 2006
Prime Minister creates Academies of Science University Affairs, December 2004
The Toronto Star: Old hand at helm of new science body
Royal Society of Canada - Canadian Academies of Science (proposal)

[1] Peter Nicholson Appointed as 1st President of the Canadian Academies of Science February 8, 2006

[2] Prime Minister creates Academies of Science University Affairs, December 2004

[3] History of the Council of Canadian Academies

[4] The State of Science & Technology in Canada

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 The '''Council of Canadian Academies''' (Conseil des académies canadiennes) was created to perform independent, expert assessments of the science that is relevant to important public issues. The Council’s [[assessment]] scope includes the natural, social and [[health sciences]], [[engineering]] and the [[humanities]].<ref>[http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/February2006/08/c0174.html Peter Nicholson Appointed as 1st President of the Canadian Academies of Science] [[February 8]], [[2006]]</ref>
-The Council is a private, non-profit corporation that has received a $30 million founding grant in 2005 from the [[Government of Canada]].  The grant is intended to support core operations for 10 years.<ref> [http://www.universityaffairs.ca/issues/2004/december/academies_science_01.html Prime Minister creates Academies of Science] University Affairs, [[December]] [[2004]]</ref>  Although the Council is at arm’s length from government, it has agreed to conduct up to five assessments per year of subjects proposed by the Canadian federal government.  The Council can also perform assessments for non-governmental and private sector organizations, but the cost of these cannot be covered by the federal government’s founding grant.
+The Council is a private, non-profit corporation that has received a $30 million founding grant in 2005 from the [[Government of Canada]].  The grant is intended to support core operations for 10 years.<ref> [http://www.universityaffairs.ca/issues/2004/december/academies_science_01.html Prime Minister creates Academies of Science] University Affairs, December 2004</ref>  Although the Council is at arm’s length from government, it has agreed to conduct up to five assessments per year of subjects proposed by the Canadian federal government.  The Council can also perform assessments for non-governmental and private sector organizations, but the cost of these cannot be covered by the federal government’s founding grant.
-The Council of Canadian Academies is in many ways similar in concept and mission to the [[United States National Research Council|National Research Council]] in the U.S., which is, in effect, the operating arm of the [[United States National Academies | National Academies]] in the U.S.  The Council of Canadian Academies is of course much smaller and much younger, having begun full-fledged operations only in March, 2006.<ref> [http://www.scienceadvice.ca/background.html History of the Council of Canadian Academies]</ref>
+The Council of Canadian Academies is in many ways similar in concept and mission to the [[United States National Research Council|National Research Council]] in the U.S., which is, in effect, the operating arm of the [[United States National Academies| National Academies]] in the U.S.  The Council of Canadian Academies is of course much smaller and much younger, having begun full-fledged operations only in March, 2006.<ref> [http://www.scienceadvice.ca/background.html History of the Council of Canadian Academies]</ref>
 == Governance ==
-The Council is governed by a 12-member [[Board of Governors]], a majority of whom are appointed by the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, the [[Canadian Academy of Engineering]], and the [[Royal Society of Canada | RSC: The Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences of Canada]].  The Chair of the Board is [[Howard Alper | Dr. Howard Alper]].
+The Council is governed by a 12-member [[Board of Governors]], a majority of whom are appointed by the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, the [[Canadian Academy of Engineering]], and the [[Royal Society of Canada| RSC: The Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences of Canada]].  The Chair of the Board is [[Howard Alper| Dr. Howard Alper]].
 The Council also has a 16-member Scientific Advisory Committee, whose role is to advise the Council’s Board with respect to assessment topic selection, terms of reference, and peer review. The Committee is also among several sources of advice on the selection of expert panelists.