Montreal

Canadian scientists are anxiously awaiting the results of a government spending review, amid fears that it could reverse the recent spurt in federal support for research.

The review, which is scheduled to finish in January, aims to cut the overall federal budget by Can$1 billion (US$820 million) for 2005 and to reallocate Can$12 billion over five years from ‘low-’ to ‘high-priority’ areas.

But the move has prompted unease among scientists because their funding agencies, in common with other government departments, have been asked to come up with options for cutting 5% from their budgets to aid the reallocation plan.

“There is certainly anxiety” about the process, says John Challis, vice-president of research at the University of Toronto, the nation's leading research university. “Word of the 5% cut is now getting out into the university community and to the department chairs and deans, so I'm starting to get questions from them.” Cuts of this magnitude “would have a deleterious effect on Canadian science”, he adds.

Canada's research councils are set to offer Can$94 million towards the 2005 budget cut from funds that weren't used this year for the Canada Research Chairs programme — although they hope that they will have to make such a contribution for one year only. They remain unsure whether wider cuts will be imposed on their budgets, which have grown quite quickly in recent years.

But in the past few weeks there have been hints that research agencies could be exempted from large-scale cuts. Tom Brzustowski, president of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), Canada's main granting body for non-medical university research, says that he was worried earlier on in the process. However, he says that he was “very encouraged” after David Emerson, the industry minister and a member of the panel reviewing the budget, reaffirmed the government's commitment to university research at a parliamentary committee hearing on 25 November.

And Nigel Lloyd, executive vice-president of the NSERC, says that “some assurances” have been received “from senior-placed people” that the councils will be exempted from the cuts. Nevertheless, he adds that he'll remain concerned until the review outcome is announced.