Sep 2017
Ottawa names Canadian researcher as new chief science officer
University of Toronto
September 27, 2017
Mona Nemer, a University of Ottawa biochemistry professor, has been named Canada's new chief science officer by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government.
The prime minister made the announcement in Ottawa on Tuesday along with federal Science Minister Kirsty Duncan, and Nobel Prize Laureate Arthur McDonald.
As chief science advisor, Nemer will report to both the prime minister and the science minister and is tasked with ensuring government science is publicly available, scientists can speak freely and scientific analyses are considered in government decision-making.
Nov 2016
Ottawa prepares to launch search for chief science officer
The Globe and Mail
November 16, 2016
More than a year after taking office, the Trudeau government is inching closer to making good on its campaign promise to create a chief science officer for Canada. But the precise nature of the job remains unclear, including how its holder will relate to his or her political masters or be protected from them if the government is indifferent or antagonistic to scientific advice and recommendations.
"I’m hoping within a few weeks we'll launch a search," Minister of Science Kirsty Duncan said after speaking to a conference of science policy experts in Ottawa last Thursday. "We will put out the call to all Canadians."
Feb 2016
Response to The Honourable Kirsty Duncan, P.C., Minister of Science
Royal Society of Canada
February 29, 2016
Dear Minister Duncan, On behalf of the Royal Society of Canada (RSC), we thank you for seeking our advice regarding the remit of the Chief Science Officer. In 2015, the RSC published a Position Paper arguing that expert, independent, and objective scientific advice was fundamental to policy development and decision-making. We commend the government for appointing a Chief Science Officer, which we view as an important step in the right direction.
