Poverty wages are undercutting Canada’s knowledge economy

Canada's science and innovation ecosystem is at a breaking point. The graduate students & postdoctoral researchers who are the very backbone of Canada's knowledge economy are struggling under huge financial burdens, with fellowship stipends that have not increased in 20 years. Over 80% of emerging scientists have suffered anxiety over finances, nearly 40% say they are ‘struggling’ or money is ‘tight’ on average- and that number rises to 50% among those who identify as Black (article ). The government's own Advisory Panel on the Federal Research Support System was unequivocal on that point in their 2022 report . There is no debate that our ‘talent pipeline’ is broken. Despite nation-wide advocacy, federal budget 2023 did not include a penny of new funds to reverse this dire situation.

Why is this a problem? I could focus an answer on equity, or fairness, or the moral bankruptcy of exploiting our brightest, who are willing to continue only because of their passion for the work they are doing. I could focus on the increasing rate of mental health problems among those on whom the future of our knowledge economy depends (read about how poverty challenges mental health ). ?

But apparently these arguments hold little weight, since this case has been made repeatedly. A federal report in 2017 , as well as the more recent one in 2022 made the case. Also making the case were impassioned messages from thousands of emerging scientists, researchers, and supporters who signed an open letter to the government in 2022 (over 7000 signatures that stretched to 60m of printed pages). Still no meaningful response from the federal government.

Since none of this is apparently sufficient to inspire change, I want to highlight another point included in the messages from thousands of Canadians. This one has a focus on the benefits to all Canadians of investing in the talent pipeline, and the risk of not doing so. Right now, when this issue is tabled, the government points to major investments in research infrastructure, like Canadian Foundation for Innovation grants, or in research consortia, like the Canada First Research Excellence Fund. But the piece that seems to be missing is an understanding of how research actually works on the ground- -that in fact the majority of the hands-on work that occurs in labs and fields is completed by graduate students and post-doctoral scholars. I can say without hesitation that in the sciences, this is the pattern in every major research group in the country. It is graduate students and post-docs who spend most of their time at the bench or in the field, and they are the ones who come in with fresh new ideas to challenge and push the work forward. They are the backbone of science and innovation in Canada now and they will build our future. ?So when the government asserts that science and innovation is a priority but continues to oversee a system that ensures emerging scientists live in poverty, their words ring hollow.

Moreover, the success of the massive investment in these programs, essential to our economy, is at risk without a new approach that actually welcomes, supports, and retains talent.

When graduate students & post-docs who receive top federal fellowships are living below the poverty line, something is terribly wrong. This situation will (continue to) drive talent out of Canada until something is done. Moreover, for those from marginalized backgrounds, graduate school is entirely out of reach if it requires qualifying for loans, or the support of financially secure family members (read about income inequality in Canada ). How many potential Nobel Laureates has Canada lost because we are filtering people out of our innovation ecosystem based on their finances, without regard for their talent?

The Canadian Black Scientists Network / Réseau Canadien des Scientifiques Noirs is aligned with the coalition of organizations and institutions working to pressure the federal government to #SupportOurScience . We urge the government to follow the recommendations of its own advisory panel, and those of us who testified as witnesses in the ongoing investigation into funding by the House of Commons Standing Committee on Science & Research .

We are not advocating for salaries that rival the private sector. In fact, careers in research are not lucrative, and most of us are well aware of that when we start graduate school. We have committed to developing the expertise required for making important contributions to knowledge and innovation. We watch our peers accelerate past us, purchasing homes and starting families when we cannot. We accept that. We continue because of our passion for the work. But passion can't pay the rent, buy food, or allow one to start a family. When faced with a choice between staying in Canada in poverty, or moving to another country that compensates emerging scientists at a reasonable level, many leave. Others decide not to pursue science, despite passion and ability.

We are excluding talent, and we are losing talent every day.

Canada must begin compensating graduate students and post-doctoral researchers in a way that prevents us from sliding further behind other nations. Our future depends on it.

To learn more:

Standing committee study & witness testimony: https://www.ourcommons.ca/Committees/en/SRSR/StudyActivity?studyActivityId=12133188

Support Our Science organization: https://www.supportourscience.ca/

Canadian Black Scientists network press release: https://blackscientists.ca/