The higher education sector comprised of institutions such as universities and affiliated research hospitals, experimental stations and clinics, spent $10.9 billion on research and development (R&D) in 2008/2009, up 7.3% from 2007/2008.
When adjusted for inflation, spending reached $9.0 billion in 2002 constant dollars in 2008/2009, up 3.2% from the previous year.
Higher education institutions continued as the leading source of funding for their R&D performance, providing $5.1 billion, or 46% of total funding in 2008/2009. The federal government remained the second largest contributor at $2.8 billion, or 26% of total funding.
Spending on higher education R&D in the natural sciences and engineering (including health sciences) was $8.7 billion, up 7.3% from 2007/2008. In the social sciences and humanities, R&D spending increased 7.4% to $2.2 billion.
Roughly two-thirds (67%) of R&D spending in the higher education sector took place in Ontario and Quebec, the two provinces with the highest concentration of universities and research hospitals.
© Statistics Canada
-
Wednesday, September 8, 2010