The growth in overall spending was expected based on spending commitments from the Federal Budget 2019, which focused on building research excellence in Canada. The rise in overall science and technology spending in 2020/2021 was driven primarily by the National Research Council of Canada (+41.1% to $1.7 billion), followed by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (+50.8% to $1.4 billion) and Health Canada (+113.8% to $836 million). Rise in science and technology expenditures and personnel tied to a number of public institutions While federal science and technology spending intentions are anticipated to decrease, they are likely to exceed the highest level of pre-pandemic science and technology spending, which was realized in 2019/2020 ($12.8 billion). Science and technology spending intentions by the Canadian federal government are expected to decrease 6.3% to $14.3 billion in 2022/2023 following seven consecutive periods of increase. Spending intentions in 2022/2023 expected to drop but remain above pre-pandemic levels Accordingly, public and private research institutions realigned to develop, test and produce treatments, and eventually vaccination guidelines through research and development ( R&D). This funding occurred against the backdrop of the global COVID -19 pandemic, first impacting Canada in 2020 and constituting an unprecedented crisis with implications for all sectors of the economy. In 2020, the federal government increased spending related to scientific and technological activities, which was reported in the Federal Budget 2019, as a means to support businesses and research institutions and to ultimately benefit the Canadian population.

Governments can be important agents in this regard. Economic prosperity and competitiveness can be linked to a country's ability to finance and benefit from novel research, experimental development and innovation.

2022 federal budget