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Doctor of Philosophy in Statistics (PhD)

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Established in 1983, the Department of Statistics at UBC is internationally renowned for its excellence in research and the high calibre of its faculty members. Our programs offers students different options for pursuing their interests and professional goals. Students completing our PhD program will be well-prepared for a job in industry, government or academia. During their program our students develop important professional skills that include: effective communication skills for both technical and non-technical audiences, creativity and originality, and grant writing skills, among others. They also acquire a broad knowledge of modern statistical methods, including computing and data management.

For specific program requirements, please refer to the departmental program website

What makes the program unique?

The Department is renowned in Canada for its research excellence and its leadership in the research community. Students are engaged through both courses and research, and develop a strong set of skills, both applied and theoretical. The Department has always valued data driven research, consulting and collaboration, and has long held communication and computing skills as crucial for success. Graduate students participate actively in our research, teaching and consulting activities, and enjoy a wide variety of opportunities for interaction with other researchers and students on- and off-campus. In addition, our graduate students run their own statistical consulting service, which provides them with professional (paid) experience even before they finish their program.

We have recently introduced a highly innovative qualifying process – instead of writing an exam, first year PhD students register in a reading and research course where they work on research papers proposed by individual faculty members.

UBC has a large number of research faculty working on a diverse array of projects and on interdisciplinary research. I feel that UBC offers the perfect environment for me to pursue my career goals and work on many interesting projects.

Nikola Surjanovic

Quick Facts

Program enquiries, admission information & requirements, 1) check eligibility, minimum academic requirements.

The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies establishes the minimum admission requirements common to all applicants, usually a minimum overall average in the B+ range (76% at UBC). The graduate program that you are applying to may have additional requirements. Please review the specific requirements for applicants with credentials from institutions in:

• Canada or the United States
• International countries other than the United States

Each program may set higher academic minimum requirements. Please review the program website carefully to understand the program requirements. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission as it is a competitive process.

English Language Test

Applicants from a university outside Canada in which English is not the primary language of instruction must provide results of an English language proficiency examination as part of their application. Tests must have been taken within the last 24 months at the time of submission of your application.

Minimum requirements for the two most common English language proficiency tests to apply to this program are listed below:

TOEFL: Test of English as a Foreign Language - internet-based

Overall score requirement : 100

IELTS: International English Language Testing System

Overall score requirement : 7.5

Other Test Scores

Some programs require additional test scores such as the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Test (GMAT). The requirements for this program are:

The GRE is not required.

Prior degree, course and other requirements

Course requirements.

Successful PhD applicants typically have an MSc in Statistics or an MSc or PhD in Mathematics with strong evidence of interest in statistics. A student with only a Bachelors degree cannot usually be admitted to our PhD program, but rather must first enter the MSc program, either first completing the MSc or applying for transfer to the PhD after one year. If you have only had a few courses in statistics, your application to the PhD program will not be successful. For admission to the PhD program, the Admissions committee requires the following, in addition to the requirements for admission to the MSc program. a course in advanced statistical inference courses in rigorous mathematics at least 3 of the following courses at the graduate level: stochastic processes, advanced probability, mathematical statistics, linear models The above requirements are in addition to the minimum admission requirements of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Please note that meeting our admission requirements does not guarantee admission. The following background will strengthen the application. courses in real analysis, and possibly measure theory, advanced probability (limit theorems, sigma fields); a broad range of courses in statistical methods (e.g., some topics among statistical computing, Bayesian statistics, generalized linear models, time series, multivariate statistics); undergraduate or graduate computer science courses; research or work experience relevant to statistics; solid programming experience (e.g., C, C++, Fortran, Python, R, SAS, Matlab).

Document Requirements

We require a 2 page (maximum) statement of interest/research proposal, as well as a CV.

2) Meet Deadlines

3) prepare application, transcripts.

All applicants have to submit transcripts from all past post-secondary study. Document submission requirements depend on whether your institution of study is within Canada or outside of Canada.

Letters of Reference

A minimum of three references are required for application to graduate programs at UBC. References should be requested from individuals who are prepared to provide a report on your academic ability and qualifications.

Statement of Interest

Many programs require a statement of interest , sometimes called a "statement of intent", "description of research interests" or something similar.

Supervision

Students in research-based programs usually require a faculty member to function as their thesis supervisor. Please follow the instructions provided by each program whether applicants should contact faculty members.

Instructions regarding thesis supervisor contact for Doctor of Philosophy in Statistics (PhD)

Citizenship verification.

Permanent Residents of Canada must provide a clear photocopy of both sides of the Permanent Resident card.

4) Apply Online

All applicants must complete an online application form and pay the application fee to be considered for admission to UBC.

Research Information

Research focus.

Faculty are conducting research in a variety of applied an theoretical areas, such as Bayesian Statistics, Bioinformatics, Biostatistics, Environmental and Spatial Statistics, Forest Products Stochastic Modeling, Modern multivariate and time series analysis, robust statistics, and Statistical learning. Further details can be found on our website: https://www.stat.ubc.ca/research-areas

Program Components

During the first year of the program, students will complete Stat 548, the Qualifying Course. This directed reading course consists of reading and reporting on five papers under the supervision of different faculty members. This unique course allows students the opportunity to explore a diverse range of Statistical topics and work with different faculty members before committing to a supervisor and thesis research topic. The PhD Comprehensive Exam will take place by the end of the second year in the program. This exam lays the groundwork for the PhD thesis, which consists of independent original research. Students are expected to have completed all required courses before the Comprehensive Exam. Near the end of thesis completion, students present their work at the Department Seminar.

Tuition & Financial Support

Financial support.

Applicants to UBC have access to a variety of funding options, including merit-based (i.e. based on your academic performance) and need-based (i.e. based on your financial situation) opportunities.

Program Funding Packages

PhD students in the Department of Statistics receive a minimum funding package of $24,000 for the first four years of the program. This funding comes in the form of teaching and/or research assistantships. Motivated students can often find additional sources of funding. Domestic students are expected to apply for NSERC PGSD scholarships. 

Average Funding

• 17 students received Teaching Assistantships. Average TA funding based on 17 students was $13,833.
• 26 students received Research Assistantships. Average RA funding based on 26 students was $17,379.
• 10 students received Academic Assistantships. Average AA funding based on 10 students was $2,356.
• 28 students received internal awards. Average internal award funding based on 28 students was $13,003.
• 4 students received external awards. Average external award funding based on 4 students was $28,323.

Scholarships & awards (merit-based funding)

All applicants are encouraged to review the awards listing to identify potential opportunities to fund their graduate education. The database lists merit-based scholarships and awards and allows for filtering by various criteria, such as domestic vs. international or degree level.

Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA)

Many professors are able to provide Research Assistantships (GRA) from their research grants to support full-time graduate students studying under their supervision. The duties constitute part of the student's graduate degree requirements. A Graduate Research Assistantship is considered a form of fellowship for a period of graduate study and is therefore not covered by a collective agreement. Stipends vary widely, and are dependent on the field of study and the type of research grant from which the assistantship is being funded.

Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTA)

Graduate programs may have Teaching Assistantships available for registered full-time graduate students. Full teaching assistantships involve 12 hours work per week in preparation, lecturing, or laboratory instruction although many graduate programs offer partial TA appointments at less than 12 hours per week. Teaching assistantship rates are set by collective bargaining between the University and the Teaching Assistants' Union .

Graduate Academic Assistantships (GAA)

Academic Assistantships are employment opportunities to perform work that is relevant to the university or to an individual faculty member, but not to support the student’s graduate research and thesis. Wages are considered regular earnings and when paid monthly, include vacation pay.

Financial aid (need-based funding)

Canadian and US applicants may qualify for governmental loans to finance their studies. Please review eligibility and types of loans .

All students may be able to access private sector or bank loans.

Foreign government scholarships

Many foreign governments provide support to their citizens in pursuing education abroad. International applicants should check the various governmental resources in their home country, such as the Department of Education, for available scholarships.

Working while studying

The possibility to pursue work to supplement income may depend on the demands the program has on students. It should be carefully weighed if work leads to prolonged program durations or whether work placements can be meaningfully embedded into a program.

International students enrolled as full-time students with a valid study permit can work on campus for unlimited hours and work off-campus for no more than 20 hours a week.

A good starting point to explore student jobs is the UBC Work Learn program or a Co-Op placement .

Tax credits and RRSP withdrawals

Students with taxable income in Canada may be able to claim federal or provincial tax credits.

Canadian residents with RRSP accounts may be able to use the Lifelong Learning Plan (LLP) which allows students to withdraw amounts from their registered retirement savings plan (RRSPs) to finance full-time training or education for themselves or their partner.

Please review Filing taxes in Canada on the student services website for more information.

Cost Estimator

Applicants have access to the cost estimator to develop a financial plan that takes into account various income sources and expenses.

Career Outcomes

31 students graduated between 2005 and 2013. Of these, career information was obtained for 29 alumni (based on research conducted between Feb-May 2016):

Sample Employers in Higher Education

Sample employers outside higher education, sample job titles outside higher education, phd career outcome survey, career options.

Our students are prepared for a successful career in industry, academia or the public sector. Former students looking for a job after graduation have been promptly offered employment in many different industries, universities and government agencies. Please view a list of alumni and their first positions after graduation on our website.

Enrolment, Duration & Other Stats

These statistics show data for the Doctor of Philosophy in Statistics (PhD). Data are separated for each degree program combination. You may view data for other degree options in the respective program profile.

ENROLMENT DATA

Completion rates & times.

• Research Supervisors

This list shows faculty members with full supervisory privileges who are affiliated with this program. It is not a comprehensive list of all potential supervisors as faculty from other programs or faculty members without full supervisory privileges can request approvals to supervise graduate students in this program.

• Auger-Methe, Marie (Fisheries sciences; Statistics; Zoology; Animal movement; Polar ecology; Statistical Ecology)
• Bloem-Reddy, Benjamin (developing methods for evolving networks whose history is unobserved; distributional limits of preferential attachment networks; uses of symmetry in statistics, computation, and machine learning)
• Bouchard-Cote, Alexandre (machine/statistical learning; mathematical side of the subject as well as in applications in linguistics and biology)
• Campbell, Trevor (automated, scalable Bayesian inference algorithms; Bayesian nonparametrics; streaming data; Bayesian theory; Probabilistic Inference; computational statistics; large-scale data)
• Chen, Jiahua (Statistical theory and modeling; empirical likelihood; finite mixture model; sample survey; asymptotic theory; imputation)
• Cohen Freue, Gabriela (statistical genomics (focus in proteomics), robust estimation and inference, linear models with endogeneity )
• Gao, Lucy (Statistics; Selective Inference; Inference x Unsupervised Learning; Statistics x Optimization)
• Gustafson, Paul (Statistics; meta-analysis; Parametric and Non-Parametric Inference; Theoretical Statistics; Pharmacoepidemiology; Bayesian statistical methods; Biostatistics and Epidemiology; Causal inference; Evidence synthesis; Partial Identification)
• Joe, Harry Sue Wah (Statistics; Statistics and Probabilities; copula construction; dependence modelling; extreme value inference; non-normal time series; parsimonous high-dimensional dependence)
• Korthauer, Keegan (Bioinformatics; Genomics; Statistics; Epigenomics; Single-cell analysis; Statistical genomics)
• McDonald, Daniel (High dimensional data analysis; Computational methods in statistics; Statistical theory and modeling; Machine learning; Epidemiology (except nutritional and veterinary epidemiology); Methods and models for epidemiological forecasting; Estimation and quantification of prediction risk; Evaluating the predictive abilities of complex dependent data; Application of statistical learning techniques to time series prediction problems; Investigations of cross-validation and the bootstrap for risk estimation)
• Nolde, Natalia (Statistics; Statistics and Probabilities; Applications in finance, insurance, geosciences; Multivariate extreme value theory; Risk assessment)
• Pleiss, Geoffrey (Statistical theory and modeling; Machine learning; Computational methods in statistics; Spatial statistics; Numerical analysis; Machine Learning; neural networks; Gaussian processes; Bayesian optimization; reliable deep learning)
• Salibian-Barrera, Matias (S-regression estimationg, robust statistics, functional principal component analysis, bootstrap estimators, rgam, clustering algorithm)
• Welch, William (Computational methods in statistics; Computer experiments; Design and analysis of experiments; Statistical machine learning; Environmental modellign)
• Wu, Lang (Biostatistical methods; Longitudinal data analysis, mixed effects models, missing data, hypothesis testing, biostatistics)

Doctoral Citations

Sample thesis submissions.

• Hidden at the root : statistical methods for population size estimation on trees
• Interpretable latent variable models for high-dimensional biological data analysis
• Margin-closed and regime-switching multivariate time series models
• Conditional inferences and predictions based on copula models
• Bayesian models for hierarchical clustering of network data
• A data-driven ensemble framework for modeling high-dimensional data : theory, methods, algorithms, and applications : [supplementary material]
• A data-driven ensemble framework for modeling high-dimensional data : theory, methods, algorithms, and applications
• Boosting for regression problems with complex data
• Design and analysis of computer experiments : large datasets and multi-model ensembles
• Non-reversible parallel tempering on optimized paths

Related Programs

Same specialization.

• Master of Science in Statistics (MSc)

Further Information

Specialization.

Research interests of the faculty include biostatistics, environmetrics, mathematical modelling of biological systems, computational statistics, data mining, machine learning, theory of statistical inference, asymptotics, multivariate analysis, robustness, nonparametrics, design of experiments, smoothing, Bayesian methods, computational molecular biology, gene expression, and microarrays.

UBC Calendar

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UBC is one of a few Canadian universities that has a dedicated statistics department, which means that we cover an impressive range of statistics-related research. The location and natural beauty was also a driving factor. Graduate school is a good time to try living somewhere new! Especially for...

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Statistics - PhD at Waterloo

Program information.

Watch the How to apply to Waterloo graduate studies video

What does it take to get in?

Minimum admission requirements

• A Master's degree in statistics, actuarial science, or mathematics , completed or expected. Note: graduates of other quantitative and mathematically oriented programs are also encouraged to apply; this includes, but is not restricted to, graduates of commerce, economics, engineering, finance, and any of the physical sciences. The department graduate committee will determine the suitability of each student’s background for success in this program.*
• Students with an undergraduate degree in statistics, actuarial science, or mathematics may apply for admission directly to the PhD program. Successful applicants will have an outstanding academic record, and very strong letters of recommendation.*
• At least an overall 78% average from a Canadian university (or its equivalent)
• An interview may be required

Supervisors

• Review the finding a supervisor resources

Application material

• The SIF contains questions specific to your program, typically about why you want to enrol and your experience in that field. Review the  application documents web page for more information about this requirement
• If a statement or letter is required by your program, review the  writing your personal statement resources  for helpful tips and tricks on completion
• Transcript(s)
• Three  references  normally from academic sources
• TOEFL 90 (writing 25, speaking 25), IELTS 7.0 (writing 6.5, speaking 6.5)

How much will it cost?

• Use the student budget calculator to estimate your cost and resources 
• Visit the  graduate program tuition page  on the Finance website to determine the tuition and incidental fees per term for your program
• Review the  study and living costs
• Review the funding graduate school resources for graduate students

What can you expect at Waterloo?

• Review the degree requirements  on the Graduate Studies Academic Calendar, including the courses that you can anticipate taking as part of completing the degree
• Check out profiles of current graduate students to learn about their experience at Waterloo
• Check out Waterloo's institutional thesis repository - UWspace  to see recent submissions from the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science graduate students
• Check out the Waterloo campus and city tours
• Review the  Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science  website to see information about supervisors, research areas, news, and events

This program page is effective September 2023; it will be updated annually.  Any changes to the program page following this date will be indicated with a notation. *Edited November 2023.

We strive to provide you with the necessary information on each of our program pages.  Was there something you found helpful?  Was there anything missing?  Share your thoughts .

Program Contact

Request more information about the Statistics - PhD program

Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (GSPA)

Needles Hall, second floor, room 2201

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The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is co-ordinated within the Office of Indigenous Relations .

The University of Manitoba campuses are located on original lands of Anishinaabeg, Ininew, Anisininew, Dakota and Dene peoples, and on the National Homeland of the Red River Métis. More

University of Manitoba

University of Manitoba Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada, R3T 2N2

Statistics (PhD)

As our society becomes increasingly dependent on data and the sea of data becomes more complex, statisticians will be even more sought after. The University of Manitoba provides graduate students with excellent research opportunities in statistics and probability while teaching you a variety of relevant applied theoretical courses that can be used in the modern world. Our programs offer students many useful options for pursuing their interests and professional goals.

Program details

Admission requirements.

• Faculty of Graduate Studies • Faculty of Science

• Doctor of Philosophy

Expected duration

• 4-6 years

Study with us

The Department of Statistics is one of the oldest and largest in Canada. Our courses are accredited by the Statistical Society of Canada toward the Associate Statistician (AStat) designation.

We have a high academic staff-to-student ratio, giving our students greater personal attention and more opportunities to tailor their educational experiences.

Explore the research in Statistics

Research areas

We offer training opportunities on the development of new methodologies and the use of computational and statistical methods in understanding data.

Our research areas include:

• Bayesian methods
• Biostatistics
• Data science
• Environmental and ecological statistics
• Financial statistics, time series and econometrics
• Multivariate and high dimensional data analysis
• Nonparametric statistics
• Probability and stochastic processes
• Sampling and experimental design
• Statistical genetics
• Statistics in education
• Statistical machine learning and computational statistics
• Statistics in sports

Take a closer look at our research opportunities .

Open the door with career opportunities

Statisticians contribute to scientific inquiry by applying their mathematical and statistical expertise to the design of surveys and experiments; to the collection, processing, and analysis of data; and to the interpretation of the results. They may apply their knowledge of statistical methods to a variety of subject areas, including:

• agriculture
• biological sciences such as genetics, botany, zoology, and ecology
• engineering
• environmental science
• forensic science
• public health

The Faculty of Graduate Studies and the Faculty of Science offer a program of study leading to a Statistics (PhD).

Expected duration: 4 years

Tuition and fees:  Tuition fees are charged for terms one and two and terms four and five. A continuing fee is paid for term three, term six and each subsequent term. (Refer to Graduate tuition and fees .)

In addition to the minimum course requirements of the Faculty of Graduate Studies, found in the Graduate Studies Regulations Section , students must:

• Complete minimum of 12 credit hours of coursework at the 7000 level
• Make at least one public seminar presentation in the area of their PhD research
• Pass a candidacy examination
• Complete a doctoral thesis

Sample course offerings

Here are some examples of the courses offered for this program:

• STAT 7060: Advanced Theory of Probability
• STAT 7080: Advanced Statistical Inference
• STAT 7100: Analysis of Discrete Data
• STAT 7140: Linear Models
• STAT 7200: Multivariate Analysis 1
• STAT 7260: Time Series
• STAT 7270: Bayesian Inference
• STAT 7290: Statistical Consulting

For a full list of courses and descriptions of each, please visit the  Academic Calendar .

The following are minimum requirements to be considered for entry into the Statistics (PhD) program. Meeting these requirements does not guarantee acceptance into the program.

To be considered for admission into the Statistics (PhD) program, you must have:

• A Master's degree (or equivalent) in Statistics with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 in the last two years of full-time university study.

In addition to the admission requirements described here, all applicants must meet the minimum admission and English language proficiency requirements of the Faculty of Graduate Studies .

How to apply

The Statistics (PhD) program accepts applications for Fall entry only. Applications must be completed online and include several parts:

• $100 application fee (non-refundable)
• Statement of intent
• Two letters of recommendation (must be requested within the application)
• Research statement (please include prior research experience, list of publications and a plan for PhD research)

Please read the  Faculty of Graduate Studies online application instructions  before beginning your application.

Choose a supervisor before you apply

Statistics MSc and PhD programs are research-intensive and because of this, applicants are requested to select one of our faculty members to be their supervisor and preside over an applicant’s program. See  Applying for graduate studies  for full details.

Application deadlines

Applications are reviewed on a committee basis . The Admissions committee for Architecture reviews applications in March.

Applications open up to 18 months prior to start term.

Applicants must submit their online application with supporting documentation and application fee by the deadline date indicated.

Start or continue your application

Applications are reviewed on a committee basis . The Admissions committee for City Planning reviews applications in March.

Winter applications are accepted on a case-by-case basis.

Applications are reviewed on a committee basis . The Admissions committee for Design and Planning reviews applications in March.

Applications are reviewed on a committee basis . The Admissions committee for Interior Design reviews applications in March.

Applications are reviewed on a committee basis . The Admissions committee for Landscape Architecture reviews applications in March.

Applications are reviewed on a committee basis . The Admissions committee for Anthropology reviews applications in March/April.

Applications are reviewed on a  committee basis . Please contact the department for admission committee review timelines.

Applications open September 1 of year prior to start term.

Applications open   up to 18 months prior  to start term.

Applications are reviewed on a  committee basis . The Admissions committee for History reviews applications in February.

Applications are reviewed on a  rolling basis .

Applications open July 1 of year prior to start term.

Applications are reviewed on a  Committee basis . The Committee for German and Slavic Studies reviews applications in February/March.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis .

Applications are reviewed on a committee basis . The Admissions committee for Management reviews applications in February / March.

Applications are reviewed on a committee basis . The Admissions committee for Physical Therapy reviews applications in April / May.

Applications open  August 1 of the year prior to start term.

Applications are reviewed on a committee basis . Please contact the department for admission committee review timelines.

Program currently undergoing review, applications will not be opening at this time.

Select Preventive Dental Science in the Program drop-down on the application form.

Applications are reviewed on a  committee basis . The Admissions committee for Educational Administration, Foundations and Psychology reviews applications in March / April.

Applications are reviewed on a  committee basis . The Admissions committee for Education reviews applications in February / March.

Applications are reviewed after the deadline, with decisions issued in March - April.

Currently not accepting applications to this program.

Applications are reviewed on a  committee basis . Please contact the department for admission committee review timelines.

Applicants must submit their online application with supporting documentation and application fee by the deadline date indicated. Applications received by the March 1 deadline for a September start-date will receive first consideration for any available funding. Late applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis for any available funding, please contact the department for further information.

Applications are reviewed on a  committee basis . The Admissions committee for Human Rights reviews applications in January - March.

Applications are reviewed on a  committee basis . The Admissions committee for Law reviews applications in January - March.

Applications are reviewed on a  committee basis . The Admissions committee for Nursing (MN) reviews applications in April / May.

Applications are reviewed on a  committee basis . The Admissions committee for Nursing PhD reviews applications in February / March.

Applications are reviewed on a  committee basis . The Admissions committee reviews applications as per the timelines noted below each table.

Winter applications reviewed in October Summer applications reviewed in February Fall applications reviewed in June

Winter applications reviewed in June Summer applications reviewed in October Fall applications reviewed in February

Applicants must submit their online application with supporting documentation and application fee by the deadline date indicated. This includes having the support of a faculty supervisor before you apply.

Applications are reviewed on a  committee basis . The Admissions committee for Natural Resources Management reviews applications in March - June.

After the annual application deadline (see below), applications are reviewed on a committee basis by the Faculty of Social Work internal admissions committee. Once this process is complete, decisions are sent to all applicants in March / April. 

Applications open  July 1 of year prior to start term.

Applications are reviewed on a  committee basis . The Admissions committee for Social Work reviews applications in March / April.

Applications are reviewed on a  committee basis . The Admissions committee for Music reviews Fall term applications in December / January, and Winter term applications in July.

Applications are reviewed on a committee basis . The Admissions committee for Occupational Therapy reviews applications in May / June.

Master of Occupational Therapy regular program  applications open September 15 of the year prior to deadline .

Master of Occupational Therapy accelerated program  applications open October 1  of the year prior to deadline .

The name of your confirmed supervisor is required at the time of application. To identify a prospective thesis research supervisor on your application, please  contact Immunology Faculty members .

Applications are reviewed on a  committee basis . The Admissions committee for Community Health Sciences reviews applications in March / April.

The name of your preferred supervisor is required at time of application.

Applications are reviewed on a  committee basis . Students selected for in-person interview will be notified in February.

Applications are reviewed on a  committee basis . The Admissions committee for Physician Assistant Studies reviews applications in April.

Offers of admission will be released to successful applicants on May 17, 2024 from the University of Manitoba Master of Physician Assistant Studies, the same day as the University of Toronto BScPA Program and McMaster University Physician Assistant Education Program. The three institutions are pleased to provide applicants their offers on the same day to help with the decision-making process.

Applications are reviewed on a  committee basis . The Admissions committee for Pharmacology and Therapeutics reviews applications one month after the application deadline.

Applications for Pathology MSc are reviewed on a  rolling basis .

Applications for Pathologist Assistant are reviewed on a  committee basis . The Admissions committee for Pathologist Assistant reviews applications in April / May. 

The Pathologist Assistant program only admits Canadian and US students every two years. The Fall 2023 intake has been suspended. The next intake is tentatively scheduled for Fall 2025.

Applications are reviewed on a  committee basis . The Admissions committee for Statistics reviews applications in March / April.

Applications are reviewed on a  committee basis . The Admissions committee for Biological Sciences reviews applications one month after deadline.

Applications are reviewed on a committee basis . The Admissions committee for Indigenous Studies reviews applications in February and June.

Applicants must submit their online application with supporting documentation and application fee by the deadline date indicated. For those who wish to be considered for scholarships, applications must be received by January 15 of the year in which you're seeking admission.

Applications are reviewed on a committee basis . The Admissions Committee for Applied Human Nutrition reviews applications in February.

Les demandes d’admission sont évaluées par un comité . Le comité d’admission évalu les demandes durant les mois de Mars et Avril.  

Les demandes peut être surmise jusqu’à concurrence de 18 mois avant le début de premier trimestre.

Toute demande d’admission en ligne doit être déposée, avec documents à l’appui, au plus tard aux dates indiquées.

Soumettre ou continuer votre application

The Department of Statistics

Founded in 1967, the Department of Statistics has a long and rich history. We currently have over 20 full-time academic staff and offer research expertise in diverse areas of statistics and probability.

Financial aid and awards

There are a variety of awards and funding options available to help you pay for school as a graduate student at UM.

Tuition and fees

Learn about the tuition and fee requirements associated with graduate studies at UM.

Academic Calendar

Explore program requirements and detailed descriptions of required and elective courses offered in the Statistics (PhD) program.

Explore the Faculty of Graduate Studies

Discovery happens here. Join the graduate students and researchers who come here from every corner of the world. They are drawn to the University of Manitoba because it offers the opportunity to do transformational research.

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Explore the Faculty of Science

Every day scientific discovery impacts us in new and exciting ways, unveiling unimagined wonders of nature and helping us live better lives through innovative solutions. The Faculty of Science aims to share that wonder and impact, producing research scientists who will help shape a better future for us all.

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Keep exploring

Discover more programs

With over 140 graduate programs across multiple faculties, schools and colleges, the University of Manitoba offers more learning, teaching and research opportunities than any other post-secondary institution in the province.

• Biological Sciences (PhD)
• Chemistry (PhD)
• Computer Science (PhD)
• Mathematics (PhD)
• Physics (PhD)

Join the students and researchers who come here from every corner of the world.

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• 17 April 2024

Canadian science gets biggest boost to PhD and postdoc pay in 20 years

• Brian Owens

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Canada’s prime minister Justin Trudeau and finance minister Chrystia Freeland hold copies of the 2024 federal budget. Credit: David Kawai/Bloomberg via Getty

Researchers in Canada got most of what they were hoping for in the country’s 2024 federal budget, with a big boost in postgraduate pay and more funding for research and scientific infrastructure.

“We are investing over $5 billion in Canadian brainpower,” said finance minister Chrystia Freeland in her budget speech on 16 April. “More funding for research and scholarships will help Canada attract the next generation of game-changing thinkers.”

Canadian PhD students and postgrads plan mass walkout over low pay

Postgraduate students and postdoctoral researchers have been advocating for higher pay for the past two years through a campaign called Support Our Science. They requested an increase in the value, and number, of federal government scholarships, and got more than they asked for. Stipends for master’s students will rise from Can$17,500 (US$12,700) to $27,000 per year, PhDs stipends that ranged from $20,000 to $35,000 will be set to a uniform annual $40,000 and most postdoctoral-fellowship salaries will increase from $45,000 to $70,000 per annum. The number of scholarships and fellowships provided will also rise over time, building to around 1,720 more per year after five years.

“We’re very thrilled with this significant new investment, the largest investment in graduate students and postdocs in over 21 years,” says Kaitlin Kharas, a PhD student at the University of Toronto, Canada, and executive director of Support Our Science . “It will directly support the next generation of researchers.”

Although only a small proportion of students and postdoctoral fellows receive these federal scholarships, other funders tend to use them as a guide for their own stipends.

Many postgraduates said that low pay was forcing them to consider leaving Canada to pursue their scientific career, says Kharas, so this funding should help to retain talent in the country.

“This is going to move us from a searing brain drain to a brain gain, and position us to compete on the world stage,” says Chad Gaffield, chief executive of the U15 Group of Canadian Research Universities, based in Ontario, which supported the campaign.

‘Determined to thrive’

The budget also includes marked boosts for basic research. There is an extra $1.8 billion over five years in core funding for the three federal grant-awarding research councils, as well as $400 million for upgrades to the TRIUMF particle accelerator in Vancouver, and more cash for several other large facilities and institutes across the country. There will also be more than $2 billion for the artificial-intelligence sector in Canada.

“[This budget] really emphasizes that Canada is determined to thrive in the twenty-first century based on science and research,” says Gaffield.

Canada announces new innovation agency — and it’s not modelled on DARPA

Others have pointed out that the vast majority of the money in the budget for the research councils is backloaded, with just $228 million coming in the next two years. This means that the gains will be slow, and could be vulnerable to changes in the political climate, says Alex Usher, president of Higher Education Strategy Associates, a consultancy in Toronto. “Do not count on this money being there after an election,” he posted on X (formerly Twitter). Canada’s next federal election is due in October 2025, and the opposition Conservative Party is campaigning on reigning in spending.

The budget also makes some changes to how science funding is organized. Instead of ten different programmes for scholarships and fellowships, with differing levels of support, there will now be a single programme with just three levels — master’s degrees, PhDs and postdoctoral fellowships. Kharas says that this should simplify the system.

The government will also create a new “capstone” research-funding organization to better coordinate the work of the three granting councils and “help to advance internationally collaborative, multi-disciplinary and mission-driven research”, the budget says. It will also create an advisory Council on Science and Innovation, comprised of leaders from academia, industry and the non-profit sector, which will develop a national science-and-innovation strategy to guide priority setting and increase the impact of federal investments. “This should help move us towards a more efficient, well-coordinated and nimble way of supporting research in Canada,” says Gaffield. “I look forward to working with the government to optimize it.”

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-01124-2

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Good News: The Canadian Government Announced a Significant Boost to the Salaries of PhD and Postdoctoral Researchers in Canada

By Agristok

Canada has a rich history of scientific contributions, including the creation of the modern alkaline battery, the polio vaccine, and the discovery of the interior structure of the atomic nucleus. In more recent times, the country has been focusing on boosting its research efforts. For example in 2024, the Canadian government announced a significant boost to the salaries of PhD and postdoctoral researchers in the country, marking the biggest increase in this area in the past 20 years. The initiative is part of the 2024 federal budget, which aims to enhance the competitiveness of Canadian research and address the financial challenges faced by the next generation of scientists.

The budget proposes an investment of C$825 million over the next five years to support graduate students and postdoctoral scholars. This includes raising the annual stipends for master’s students to $27,000, PhD students to $40,000, and postdoctoral fellows to $70,000. This represents a substantial increase from the previous stipends, which ranged from $20,000 to $35,000 for PhD students and were lower for master’s students and postdoctoral fellows.

This financial boost is expected to not only improve the financial well-being of current researchers but also attract top talent to Canadian institutions. The government aims to increase the number of scholarships and fellowships provided, with nearly 1720 more graduate students or fellows expected to benefit each year. The initiative also includes an additional $1.8 billion over five years in core funding for the three federal grant-awarding research councils and more funding for scientific infrastructure.

This move is seen as a response to the financial stress experienced by many graduate students and postdocs in the country, as well as a strategy to retain top talent in Canada and compete on the world stage. However, it’s important to note that these stipend increases will only apply to the select few who win prestigious Tri-Council awards, and the majority of graduate students in Canada do not receive these top fellowships but are instead paid from research grants.

In conclusion, Canada is making significant strides in the field of scientific research, with increased funding and support for researchers at all levels. The future looks bright for Canadian science, and we can expect more groundbreaking discoveries and innovations in the years to come.

P.S. Share and Follow Agristok : Many universities with strong Biological Sciences programs have dedicated vacancies on agristok or agristok social media channels where they announce grant awards. You can also view our previous articles on different scientific, career growth, and mindset-based topics here .

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Canada pledges dramatic pay rise for PhDs, postdocs – but many will not benefit

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The Canadian government has pledged a significant investment in its graduate students and postdoctoral scholars after more than two decades of stagnation . Its 2024 budget proposal , announced on 16 April , provides C$825 million (£481 million) over the next five years to support next-generation researchers by increasing both the number and value of stipends. However, the pay rise will only be seen by graduates who win scarce Tri-Council grants, although it is hoped that as these stipends rise others will need to too to compete.

The budget, which the House of Commons must pass before it is finalised, would provide nearly C$200 million per year, increasing annual master’s and PhD scholarships to $27,000 and $40,000, respectively, and postdoctoral fellowships to $70,000. The budget’s passage is not guaranteed – it needs the support of at least one of three political parties other than the ruling Liberal party.

Source: © David Kawai/Bloomberg/Getty Images

Justin Trudeau, Canada’s prime minister, and Chrystia Freeland, Canada’s deputy prime minister and finance minister, presented the budget on 16 April. The package included funding that ended over 20 years of stagnation in PhD and postdoctoral stipends

The planned increases represent a dramatic jump. Currently, the typical annual stipend in Canada is around C$17,500 for master’s students, C$24,000 for PhDs and C$45,000 for postdocs. The government is also proposing C$1.8 billion to the different funding agencies in Canada over five years to increase core research grant funding.

The funding surge is expected to increase the number of research scholarships and fellowships provided by the government, building to approximately 1720 more graduate students or fellows benefiting each year.

Graduate student and postdoc pay in Canada has remained unchanged for over 20 years . A national survey last year by the Ottawa Science Policy Network found that nearly 90% of graduate students in the country reported feeling stressed and anxious about their finances, and almost one-third said they have considered leaving academia due to financial pressures.

‘These fellowships had the same value for many years, which means their ability to support students had, in many cases, fallen below a livable amount,’ explains Bruce Arndtsen , a chemistry professor at McGill University. ‘Many departments and institutions therefore needed to top these fellowships up from research grants simply to get to our normal stipend level.’

Most chemistry graduates ineligible for raise

Such a significant increase to graduate student stipends in Canada will give top students a competitive stipend and enable Canada to to better retain these students, Arndtsen adds. ‘It will also allow the use of grant funds to better support their research activities rather than topping their fellowship up to needed levels.’

However, he notes that these stipend increases will only apply to the select few who win prestigious Tri-Council awards, and the majority of chemistry graduate students in Canada do not receive these top fellowships but are instead paid from research grants. In fact, Arndtsen notes that funding for the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada’s major chemistry funding programme has also remained stagnant for decades, and he expresses hope that these grants will receive a similar increase in the near term.

Anne Labarre , a sixth-year PhD chemistry student at McGill who is involved in computational drug discovery, celebrated the government’s announcement. Labarre says the PhD stipends at her chemistry department are currently fixed at around C$26,000 per year and emphasises that this increase is significant considering the recent inflation and rent increases in Montreal.

Matthew Berg, who received a PhD in biochemistry from Western University in Canada in 2021 and is now a postdoc at the University of Washington in the US, is optimistic. ‘These increases are going to set the bar for where funding should be for trainees in the sciences and in graduate school,’ he states. ‘Right now, a lot of Canadian graduate students struggle,’ Berg continues. ‘We’ve heard stories of students having to rely on food banks and different support systems in order to just make it through their degree.’

Last year there was a nationwide walkout of students and academics in Canada who were demanding more federal funding for graduate students and postdoc researchers. This month, graduate teaching assistants at Western University went on strike to protest what they deemed unfair wages. Meanwhile, a union representing striking academic workers at York University in Toronto, including teaching assistants and graduate workers, appeared to have reached a tentative deal on 14 April after being on strike over pay since late February.

Berg says he was lucky – he received one of one of the elusive federal awards to support him as a PhD candidate in Canada, which he says was worth about C$35,000 annually for three years. As a postdoc in the US, Berg says he currently receives significantly better compensation, with a stipend equivalent to more than C$90,000.

‘My dream after my PhD is to move to back to Canada and be a professor there,’ he says. ‘But it does make me nervous how difficult it is to get funding there and I don’t want to run a lab where my students are struggling to survive.’

Michel Cayouette , the vice president of research and academic affairs at the Montreal Clinical Research Institute, says the C$1.8 billion funding boost is great news but will be insufficient to allow supervisors to increase the value of their trainees’ stipends to the amounts announced for award recipients. ‘This means that the vast majority of students and postdocs will continue to struggle financially,’ Cayouette warns. ‘There is therefore more work to do in coming years to fill the gap in funding and ensure that all trainees receive a liveable wage.’

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N.S. post-secondary students graduate with among the highest debt: Statistics Canada

Georgia Saleski wants to get a master's degree and take the next step in their post-secondary education.

But two years after graduating with a kinesiology degree from Acadia University in Wolfville, N.S., it's not a lack of ambition standing in the way.

A mountain of debt will follow the 23-year-old and many other Nova Scotia graduates well into their adulthood.

New Statistics Canada data shows that post-secondary graduates in the province have among the highest levels of student debt, and are less likely to have paid it off years later. 

A survey of graduates from 2020 found that those holding bachelor's degrees from Nova Scotia accumulated an average of $39,100 in student debt — the second-highest out of all provinces.

Today, Saleski still has about $30,000 in loans to repay, despite receiving several scholarships and working during their degree.

"I simply can't take on any more debt," said Saleski, who now lives in Halifax and works as the executive director of the advocacy group Students Nova Scotia.

By the time the Statistics Canada survey was conducted last year, only  one-fifth  of respondents holding bachelor's degrees had paid off their loans. That was the lowest proportion in Canada. In contrast, 42 per cent of bachelor's degree graduates in Ontario had paid off their loans.

In 2020, about two-thirds of students who graduated with a bachelor's degree in Nova Scotia left owing $25,000 or more in debt. While for college graduates, that proportion was 23 per cent.

First-year Dalhousie University student Ella Clarkson is only at the beginning of her university education. But she's already needed about $10,000 in student loans to afford to go to school.

"It's kind of weird to ... already know that you're going to be in debt for a while," Clarkson said. "But it's also kind of something that a lot of people have to do, so it doesn't seem too crazy."

Saleski said the province needs to increase funding for post-secondary institutions, so that students aren't left holding the burden of keeping their doors open.

"I believe that there needs to be a fundamental shift back to what we believe the value of post secondary education to be in the province," they said.

"It's deeply concerning that we're pricing our own students in Nova Scotia out of an education, and just as concerning that we're relying on out-of-province students and international students to make up for that."

In Dalhousie University's 2024-25 operating budget for example, 42 per cent  of revenue is set to come from provincial grants. That's about five per cent lower than the 2020-21 budget.

"Government support as a percentage of the operating budget has declined over the past five years," the university's budget report noted. "Like many other Canadian institutions, Dalhousie has had to rely more heavily on tuition revenue to fund expenditures."

In February, the province announced it will cap tuition increases for Nova Scotia undergraduate students at two per cent for 2024-25.

Small- to medium-sized universities will have their grant funding increased by two per cent, although Dalhousie University will receive no increase.

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Chapter 4: Economic Growth for Every Generation

On this page:, 4.1 boosting research, innovation, and productivity, 4.2 attracting investment for a net-zero economy, 4.3 growing businesses to create more jobs.

• 4.4 A Strong Workforce for a Strong Economy

To ensure every Canadian succeeds in the 21 st century, we must grow our economy to be more innovative and productive. One where every Canadian can reach their full potential, where every entrepreneur has the tools they need to grow their business, and where hard work pays off. Building the economy of the future is about creating jobs: jobs in the knowledge economy, jobs in manufacturing, jobs in mining and forestry, jobs in the trades, jobs in clean energy, and jobs across the economy, in all regions of the country.

To do this, the government's economic plan is investing in the technologies, incentives, and supports critical to increasing productivity, fostering innovation, and attracting more private investment to Canada. This is how we'll build an economy that unlocks new pathways for every generation to earn their fair share.

The government is targeting investments to make sure Canada continues to lead in the economy of the future, and these are already generating stronger growth and meaningful new job opportunities for Canadians. New jobs—from construction to manufacturing to engineering—in clean technology, in clean energy, and in innovation, are just the start. All of this, helping to attract further investment to create more opportunities, will raise Canada's productivity and competitiveness. This will create more good jobs, and in turn, raise the living standards of all Canadians.

We are at a pivotal moment where we can choose to renew and redouble our investments in the economy of the future, to build an economy that is more productive and more competitive—or risk leaving an entire generation behind. We will not make that mistake. We owe it to our businesses, to our innovators, and most of all, to the upcoming generations of workers, to make sure that the Canadian economy is positioned to thrive in a changing world.

Canada has the best-educated workforce in the world. We are making investments to ensure every generation of workers has the skills the job market, and the global economy, are looking for—and this will help us attract private investment to grow the economy (Chart 4.1). Building on our talented workforce, we are delivering, on a priority basis, our $93 billion suite of major economic investment tax credits to drive growth, secure the future of Canadian businesses in Canada, and create good jobs for generations to come.

In the first three quarters of 2023, Canada had the highest level of foreign direct investment (FDI) on a per capita basis among G7 countries, and ranked third globally in total FDI, after the U.S. and Brazil (Chart 4.2).

The Canadian economy is adding new, high-paying jobs, in high-growth sectors, like clean tech, clean electricity, and scientific research and development (Chart 4.4). Budget 2024 will continue this momentum by making strategic investments that create opportunities for workers today—driving productivity and economic growth for generations to come.

Impacts report

Find out more about the expected gender and diversity impacts for each measure in section 4.1 Boosting Research, Innovation, and Productivity

Canada's skilled hands and brilliant minds are our greatest resource. Capitalizing on their ideas, innovations, and hard work is an essential way to keep our place at the forefront of the world's advanced economies. Our world-class innovators, entrepreneurs, scientists, and researchers are solving the most pressing challenges of today, and their discoveries help launch the businesses of tomorrow.

Canadian researchers, entrepreneurs, and companies are the driving force of this progress—from scientific discovery to bringing new solutions to market. They also train and hire younger Canadians who will become the next generation of innovators. New investments to boost research and innovation, including enhancing support for graduate students and post-doctoral fellows, will ensure Canada remains a world leader in science and new technologies, like artificial intelligence.

By making strategic investments today in innovation and research, and supporting the recruitment and development of talent in Canada, we can ensure Canada is a world leader in new technologies for the next generation. In turn, this will drive innovation, growth, and productivity across the economy.

Key Ongoing Actions

• Supporting scientific discovery, developing Canadian research talent, and attracting top researchers from around the planet to make Canada their home base for their important work with more than $16 billion committed since 2016.
• Supporting critical emerging sectors, through initiatives like the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy, the National Quantum Strategy, the Pan-Canadian Genomics Strategy, and the Biomanufacturing and Life Sciences Strategy.
• Nearly $2 billion to fuel Canada's Global Innovation Clusters to grow these innovation ecosystems, promote commercialization, support intellectual property creation and retention, and scale Canadian businesses.
• Investing $3.5 billion in the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership to strengthen the innovation, competitiveness, and resiliency of the agriculture and agri-food sector.
• Flowing up to $333 million over the next decade to support dairy sector investments in research, product and market development, and processing capacity for solids non-fat, thus increasing its competitiveness and productivity.

Strengthening Canada's AI Advantage

Canada's artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem is among the best in the world. Since 2017, the government has invested over $2 billion towards AI in Canada. Fuelled by those investments, Canada is globally recognized for strong AI talent, research, and its AI sector.

Today, Canada's AI sector is ranked first in the world for growth of women in AI, and first in the G7 for year-over-year growth of AI talent. Every year since 2019, Canada has published the most AI-related papers, per capita, in the G7. Our AI firms are filing patents at three times the average rate in the G7, and they are attracting nearly a third of all venture capital in Canada. In 2022-23, there were over 140,000 actively engaged AI professionals in Canada, an increase of 29 per cent compared to the previous year. These are just a few of Canada's competitive advantages in AI and we are aiming even higher.

To secure Canada's AI advantage, the government has already:

• Established the first national AI strategy in the world through the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy;
• Supported access to advanced computing capacity, including through the recent signing of a letter of intent with NVIDIA and a Memorandum of Understanding with the U.K. government; and,
• Scaled-up Canadian AI firms through the Strategic Innovation Fund and Global Innovation Clusters program.

AI is a transformative economic opportunity for Canada and the government is committed to doing more to support our world-class research community, launch Canadian AI businesses, and help them scale-up to meet the demands of the global economy. The processing capacity required by AI is accelerating a global push for the latest technology, for the latest computing infrastructure.

Currently, most compute capacity is located in other countries. Challenges accessing compute power slows down AI research and innovation, and also exposes Canadian firms to a reliance on privately-owned computing, outside of Canada. This comes with dependencies and security risks. And, it is a barrier holding back our AI firms and researchers.

We need to break those barriers to stay competitive in the global AI race and ensure workers benefit from the higher wages of AI transformations; we must secure Canada's AI advantage. We also need to ensure workers who fear their jobs may be negatively impacted by AI have the tools and skills training needed in a changing economy.

To secure Canada's AI advantage Budget 2024 announces a monumental increase in targeted AI support of $2.4 billion, including:

• $2 billion over five years, starting in 2024-25, to launch a new AI Compute Access Fund and Canadian AI Sovereign Compute Strategy, to help Canadian researchers, start-ups, and scale-up businesses access the computational power they need to compete and help catalyze the development of Canadian-owned and located AI infrastructure. 
• $200 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, to boost AI start-ups to bring new technologies to market, and accelerate AI adoption in critical sectors, such as agriculture, clean technology, health care, and manufacturing. This support will be delivered through Canada's Regional Development Agencies.
• $100 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, for the National Research Council's AI Assist Program to help Canadian small- and medium-sized businesses and innovators build and deploy new AI solutions, potentially in coordination with major firms, to increase productivity across the country.
• $50 million over four years, starting in 2025-26, to support workers who may be impacted by AI, such as creative industries. This support will be delivered through the Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program, which will provide new skills training for workers in potentially disrupted sectors and communities.

The government will engage with industry partners and research institutes to swiftly implement AI investment initiatives, fostering collaboration and innovation across sectors for accelerated technological advancement.

Safe and Responsible Use of AI

AI has tremendous economic potential, but as with all technology, it presents important considerations to ensure its safe development and implementation. Canada is a global leader in responsible AI and is supporting an AI ecosystem that promotes responsible use of technology. From development through to implementation and beyond, the government is taking action to protect Canadians from the potentially harmful impacts of AI.

The government is committed to guiding AI innovation in a positive direction, and to encouraging the responsible adoption of AI technologies by Canadians and Canadian businesses. To bolster efforts to ensure the responsible use of AI:

• Budget 2024 proposes to provide $50 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, to create an AI Safety Institute of Canada to ensure the safe development and deployment of AI. The AI Safety Institute will help Canada better understand and protect against the risks of advanced and generative AI systems. The government will engage with stakeholders and international partners with competitive AI policies to inform the final design and stand-up of the AI Safety Institute.
• Budget 2024 also proposes to provide $5.1 million in 2025-26 to equip the AI and Data Commissioner Office with the necessary resources to begin enforcing the proposed Artificial Intelligence and Data Act .
• Budget 2024 proposes $3.5 million over two years, starting in 2024-25, to advance Canada's leadership role with the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence, securing Canada's leadership on the global stage when it comes to advancing the responsible development, governance, and use of AI technologies internationally.

Using AI to Keep Canadians Safe

AI has shown incredible potential to toughen up security systems, including screening protocols for air cargo. Since 2012, Transport Canada has been testing innovative approaches to ensure that air cargo coming into Canada is safe, protecting against terrorist attacks. This included launching a pilot project to screen 10 to 15 per cent of air cargo bound for Canada and developing an artificial intelligence system for air cargo screening.

• Budget 2024 proposes to provide $6.7 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, to Transport Canada to establish the Pre-Load Air Cargo Targeting Program to screen 100 per cent of air cargo bound for Canada. This program, powered by cutting-edge artificial intelligence, will increase security and efficiency, and align Canada's air security regime with those of its international partners.

Incentivizing More Innovation and Productivity

Businesses that invest in cutting-edge technologies are a key driver of Canada's economic growth. When businesses make investments in technology—from developing new patents to implementing new IT systems—it helps ensure Canadian workers put their skills and knowledge to use, improves workplaces, and maximizes our workers' potential and Canada's economic growth.

The government wants to encourage Canadian businesses to invest in the capital—both tangible and intangible—that will help them boost productivity and compete productively in the economy of tomorrow.

• To incentivize investment in innovation-enabling and productivity-enhancing assets, Budget 2024 proposes to allow businesses to immediately write off the full cost of investments in patents, data network infrastructure equipment, computers, and other data processing equipment. Eligible investments, as specified in the relevant capital cost allowance classes, must be acquired and put in use on or after Budget Day and before January 1, 2027. The cost of this measure is estimated at $725 million over five years, starting in 2024-25.

Boosting R&D and Intellectual Property Retention

Research and development (R&D) is a key driver of productivity and growth. Made-in-Canada innovations meaningfully increase our gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, create good-paying jobs, and secure Canada's position as a world-leading advanced economy.

To modernize and improve the Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) tax incentives, the federal government launched consultations on January 31, 2024, to explore cost-neutral ways to enhance the program to better support innovative businesses and drive economic growth. In these consultations, which closed on April 15, 2024, the government asked Canadian researchers and innovators for ways to better deliver SR&ED support to small- and medium-sized Canadian businesses and enable the next generation of innovators to scale-up, create jobs, and grow the economy.

• Budget 2024 announces the government is launching a second phase of consultations on more specific policy parameters, to hear further views from businesses and industry on specific and technical reforms. This includes exploring how Canadian public companies could be made eligible for the enhanced credit. Further details on the consultation process will be released shortly on the Department of Finance Canada website.
• Budget 2024 proposes to provide $600 million over four years, starting in 2025-26, with $150 million per year ongoing for future enhancements to the SR&ED program. The second phase of consultations will inform how this funding could be targeted to boost research and innovation.

On January 31, 2024, the government also launched consultations on creating a patent box regime to encourage the development and retention of intellectual property in Canada. The patent box consultation closed on April 15, 2024. Submissions received through this process, which are still under review, will help inform future government decisions with respect to a patent box regime.

Enhancing Research Support

Since 2016, the federal government has committed more than $16 billion in research, including funding for the federal granting councils—the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

This research support enables groundbreaking discoveries in areas such as climate change, health emergencies, artificial intelligence, and psychological health. This plays a critical role in solving the world's greatest challenges, those that will have impacts for generations.

Canada's granting councils already do excellent work within their areas of expertise, but more needs to be done to maximize their effect. The improvements we are making today, following extensive consultations including with the Advisory Panel on the Federal Research Support System, will strengthen and modernize Canada's federal research support.

• To increase core research grant funding and support Canadian researchers, Budget 2024 proposes to provide $1.8 billion over five years, starting in 2024-25, with $748.3 million per year ongoing to SSHRC, NSERC, and CIHR.
• To provide better coordination across the federally funded research ecosystem, Budget 2024 announces the government will create a new capstone research funding organization. The granting councils will continue to exist within this new organization, and continue supporting excellence in investigator-driven research, including linkages with the Health portfolio. This new organization and structure will also help to advance internationally collaborative, multi-disciplinary, and mission-driven research. The government is delivering on the Advisory Panel's observation that more coordination is needed to maximize the impact of federal research support across Canada's research ecosystem.
• To help guide research priorities moving forward, Budget 2024 also announces the government will create an advisory Council on Science and Innovation. This Council will be made up of leaders from the academic, industry, and not-for-profit sectors, and be responsible for a national science and innovation strategy to guide priority setting and increase the impact of these significant federal investments.
• Budget 2024 also proposes to provide a further $26.9 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, with $26.6 million in remaining amortization and $6.6 million ongoing, to the granting councils to establish an improved and harmonized grant management system.

The government will also work with other key players in the research funding system—the provinces, territories, and Canadian industry—to ensure stronger alignment, and greater co-funding to address important challenges, notably Canada's relatively low level of business R&D investment.

More details on these important modernization efforts will be announced in the 2024 Fall Economic Statement.

World-Leading Research Infrastructure

Modern, high-quality research facilities and infrastructure are essential for breakthroughs in Canadian research and science. These laboratories and research centres are where medical and other scientific breakthroughs are born, helping to solve real-world problems and create the economic opportunities of the future. World-leading research facilities will attract and train the next generation of scientific talent. That's why, since 2015, the federal government has made unprecedented investments in science and technology, at an average of $13.6 billion per year, compared to the average from 2009-10 to 2015-16 of just $10.8 billion per year. But we can't stop here.

To advance the next generation of cutting-edge research, Budget 2024 proposes major research and science infrastructure investments, including:

• $399.8 million over five years, starting in 2025-26, to support TRIUMF, Canada's sub-atomic physics research laboratory, located on the University of British Columbia's Vancouver campus. This investment will upgrade infrastructure at the world's largest cyclotron particle accelerator, positioning TRIUMF, and the partnering Canadian research universities, at the forefront of physics research and enabling new medical breakthroughs and treatments, from drug development to cancer therapy.
• $176 million over five years, starting in 2025‑26, to CANARIE, a national not-for-profit organization that manages Canada's ultra high-speed network to connect researchers, educators, and innovators, including through eduroam. With network speeds hundreds of times faster, and more secure, than conventional home and office networks, this investment will ensure this critical infrastructure can connect researchers across Canada's world-leading post-secondary institutions.
• $83.5 million over three years, starting in 2026-27 to extend support to Canadian Light Source in Saskatoon. Funding will continue the important work at the only facility of its kind in Canada. A synchrotron light source allows scientists and researchers to examine the microscopic nature of matter. This specialized infrastructure contributes to breakthroughs in areas ranging from climate-resistant crop development to green mining processes.
• $45.5 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, to support the Arthur B. McDonald Canadian Astroparticle Physics Research Institute, a network of universities and institutes that coordinate astroparticle physics expertise. Headquartered at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, the institute builds on the legacy of Dr. McDonald's 2015 Nobel Prize for his work on neutrino physics. These expert engineers, technicians, and scientists design, construct, and operate the experiments conducted in Canada's underground and underwater research infrastructure, where research into dark matter and other mysterious particles thrives. This supports innovation in areas like clean technology and medical imaging, and educates and inspires the next wave of Canadian talent.
• $30 million over three years, starting in 2024-25, to support the completion of the University of Saskatchewan's Centre for Pandemic Research at the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization in Saskatoon. This investment will enable the study of high-risk pathogens to support vaccine and therapeutic development, a key pillar in Canada's Biomanufacturing and Life Sciences Strategy. Of this amount, $3 million would be sourced from the existing resources of Prairies Economic Development Canada.

These new investments build on existing federal research support:

• The Strategic Science Fund, which announced the results of its first competition in December 2023, providing support to 24 third-party science and research organizations starting in 2024-25;
• Canada recently concluded negotiations to be an associate member of Horizon Europe, which would enable Canadians to access a broader range of research opportunities under the European program starting this year; and,
• The steady increase in federal funding for extramural and intramural science and technology by the government which was 44 per cent higher in 2023 relative to 2015.

Investing in Homegrown Research Talent

Canada's student and postgraduate researchers are tackling some of the world's biggest challenges. The solutions they come up with have the potential to make the world a better place and drive Canadian prosperity. They are the future Canadian academic and scientific excellence, who will create new innovative businesses, develop new ways to boost productivity, and create jobs as they scale-up companies—if they get the support they need.

To build a world-leading, innovative economy, and improve our productive capacity, the hard work of top talent must pay off; we must incentivize our top talent to stay here.

Federal support for master's, doctoral, and post-doctoral students and fellows has created new research opportunities for the next generation of scientific talent. Opportunities to conduct world-leading research are critical for growing our economy. In the knowledge economy, the global market for these ideas is highly competitive and we need to make sure talented people have the right incentives to do their groundbreaking research here in Canada.

• To foster the next generation of research talent, Budget 2024 proposes to provide $825 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, with $199.8 million per year ongoing, to increase the annual value of master's and doctoral student scholarships to $27,000 and $40,000, respectively, and post-doctoral fellowships to $70,000. This will also increase the number of research scholarships and fellowships provided, building to approximately 1,720 more graduate students or fellows benefiting each year. To make it easier for students and fellows to access support, the enhanced suite of scholarships and fellowship programs will be streamlined into one talent program.
• To support Indigenous researchers and their communities, Budget 2024 also proposes to provide $30 million over three years, starting in 2024-25, to support Indigenous participation in research, with $10 million each for First Nation, Métis, and Inuit partners.

Boosting Talent for Innovation

Advanced technology development is a highly competitive industry and there is a global race to attract talent and innovative businesses. Canada must compete to ensure our economy is at the forefront of global innovation.

To spur rapid growth in innovation across Canada's economy, the government is partnering with organizations whose mission it is to train the next generation of innovators. This will ensure innovative businesses have the talent they need to grow, create jobs at home, and drive Canada's economic growth.

• Budget 2024 announces the government's intention to work with Talent for Innovation Canada to develop a pilot initiative to build an exceptional research and development workforce in Canada. This industry-led pilot will focus on attracting, training, and deploying top talent across four key sectors: bio-manufacturing; clean technology; electric vehicle manufacturing; and microelectronics, including semiconductors.

Advancing Space Research and Exploration

Canada is a leader in cutting-edge innovation and technologies for space research and exploration. Our astronauts make great contributions to international space exploration missions. The government is investing in Canada's space research and exploration activities.

• Budget 2024 proposes to provide $8.6 million in 2024-25 to the Canadian Space Agency for the Lunar Exploration Accelerator Program to support Canada's world-class space industry and help accelerate the development of new technologies. This initiative empowers Canada to leverage space to solve everyday challenges, such as enhancing remote health care services and improving access to healthy food in remote communities, while also supporting Canada's human space flight program.
• Budget 2024 announces the establishment of a new whole-of-government approach to space exploration, technology development, and research. The new National Space Council will enable the level of collaboration required to secure Canada's future as a leader in the global space race, addressing cross-cutting issues that span commercial, civil, and defence domains. This will also enable the government to leverage Canada's space industrial base with its world-class capabilities, workforce, and track record of innovation and delivery.

Accelerating Clean Tech Intellectual Property Creation and Retention

Canadian clean technology companies are turning their ideas into the solutions that the world is looking for as it races towards net-zero. Encouraging these innovative companies to maintain operations in Canada and retain ownership of their intellectual property secures the future of their workforce in Canada, helping the clean economy to thrive in Canada.

As part of the government's National Intellectual Property Strategy, the not-for-profit organization Innovation Asset Collective launched the patent collective pilot program in 2020. This pilot program is helping innovative small- and medium-sized enterprises in the clean tech sector with the creation and retention of intellectual property.

• To ensure that small- and medium-sized clean tech businesses benefit from specialized intellectual property support to grow their businesses and leverage intellectual property, Budget 2024 proposes to provide $14.5 million over two years, starting in 2024-25, to Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada for the Innovation Asset Collective.

Find out more about the expected gender and diversity impacts for each measure in section 4.2 Attracting Investment for a Net-Zero Economy

In the 21 st century, a competitive economy is a clean economy. There is no greater proof than the $2.4 trillion worth of investment made around the world, last year, in net-zero economies. Canada is at the forefront of the global race to attract investment and seize the opportunities of the clean economy, with the government announcing a net-zero economic plan that will invest over $160 billion. This includes an unprecedented suite of major economic investment tax credits, which will help attract investment through $93 billion in incentives by 2034-35.

All told, the government's investments will crowd in more private investment, securing Canadian leadership in clean electricity and innovation, creating economic growth and more good-paying jobs across the country.

Investors at home and around the world are taking notice of Canada's plan. In defiance of global economic headwinds, last year public markets and private equity capital flows into Canada's net-zero economy grew—reaching $14 billion in 2023, according to RBC. Proof that Canada's investments are working—driving new businesses to take shape, creating good jobs, and making sure that we have clean air and clean water for our kids, grandkids, and for generations to come.

Earlier this year, BloombergNEF ranked Canada's attractiveness to build electric vehicle (EV) battery supply chains first in the world, surpassing China which has held the top spot since the ranking began. From resource workers mining the critical minerals for car batteries, to union workers on auto assembly lines, to the truckers that get cars to dealerships, Canada's advantage in the supply chain is creating high-skilled, good-paying jobs across the country, for workers of all ages.

This first place ranking of Canada's EV supply chains is underpinned by our abundant clean energy, high labour standards, and rigorous standards for consultation and engagement with Indigenous communities. That's what Canada's major economic investment tax credits are doing—seizing Canada's full potential, and doing it right.

By 2050, clean energy GDP could grow fivefold—up to $500 billion, while keeping Canada on track to reach net-zero by 2050. Proof, once again, that good climate policy is good economic policy.

Helping innovative Canadian firms scale-up is essential to increasing the pace of economic growth in Canada. Already, the Cleantech Group's 2023 list of the 100 most innovative global clean technology companies featured 12 Canadian companies, the second highest number of any country, behind only the U.S. The government is investing in clean technology companies to ensure their full capabilities are unlocked.

Budget 2024 announces the next steps in the government's plan to attract even more investment to Canada to create good-paying jobs and accelerate the development and deployment of clean energy and clean technology.

• Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage investment tax credit;
• Clean Technology investment tax credit;
• Clean Hydrogen investment tax credit;
• Clean Technology Manufacturing investment tax credit; and
• Clean Electricity investment tax credit.
• Since the federal government launched the Canada Growth Fund last year, $1.34 billion of capital has been committed to a world-leading geothermal energy technology company, the world's first of its kind carbon contract for difference; and to clean tech entrepreneurs and innovators through a leading Canadian-based climate fund.
• Working with industry, provinces, and Indigenous partners to build an end-to-end electric vehicle battery supply chain, including by securing major investments in 2023.
• Building major clean electricity and clean growth infrastructure projects with investments of at least $20 billion from the Canada Infrastructure Bank.
• $3.8 billion for Canada's Critical Minerals Strategy, to secure our position as the world's supplier of choice for critical minerals and the clean technologies they enable.
• $3 billion to recapitalize the Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways Program, which builds more clean, affordable, and reliable power, and to support innovation in electricity grids and spur more investments in Canadian offshore wind.

A New EV Supply Chain Investment Tax Credit

The automotive industry is undergoing a major transformation. As more and more electric vehicles are being produced worldwide, it is essential that Canada's automotive industry has the support it needs to retool its assembly lines and build new factories to seize the opportunities of the global switch to electric vehicles. With our world-class natural resource base, talented workforce, and attractive investment climate, Canada will be an electric vehicle supply chain hub for all steps along the manufacturing process. This is an opportunity for Canada to secure its position today at the forefront of this growing global supply chain and secure high-quality jobs for Canadian workers for a generation to come.

Businesses that manufacture electric vehicles and their precursors would already be able to claim the 30 per cent Clean Technology Manufacturing investment tax credit on the cost of their investments in new machinery and equipment, as announced in Budget 2023. Providing additional support to these businesses so they choose Canada for more than one stage in the manufacturing process would secure more jobs for Canadians and help cement Canada's position as a leader in this sector.

• electric vehicle assembly;
• electric vehicle battery production; and,
• cathode active material production.

For a taxpayer's building costs in any of the specified segments to qualify for the tax credit, the taxpayer (or a member of a group of related taxpayers) must claim the Clean Technology Manufacturing investment tax credit in all three of the specified segments, or two of the three specified segments and hold at least a qualifying minority interest in an unrelated corporation that claims the Clean Technology Manufacturing tax credit in the third segment. The building costs of the unrelated corporation would also qualify for the new investment tax credit.

The EV Supply Chain investment tax credit would apply to property that is acquired and becomes available for use on or after January 1, 2024. The credit would be reduced to 5 per cent for 2033 and 2034, and would no longer be in effect after 2034.

The EV Supply Chain investment tax credit is expected to cost $80 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, and an additional $1.02 billion from 2029-30 to 2034-35.

The design and implementation details of the EV Supply Chain investment tax credit will be provided in the 2024 Fall Economic Statement . Its design would incorporate elements of the Clean Technology Manufacturing investment tax credit, where applicable.

Delivering Major Economic Investment Tax Credits

To seize the investment opportunities of the global clean economy, we are delivering our six major economic investment tax credits. These will provide businesses and other investors with the certainty they need to invest and build in Canada. And they are already attracting major, job-creating projects, ensuring we remain globally competitive.

From new clean electricity projects that will provide clean and affordable energy to Canadian homes and businesses, to carbon capture projects that will decarbonize heavy industry, our major economic investment tax credits are moving Canada forward on its track to achieve a net-zero economy by 2050.

In November 2023, the government introduced Bill C-59 to deliver the first two investment tax credits and provide businesses with the certainty they need to make investment decisions in Canada today. Bill C-59 also includes labour requirements to ensure workers are paid prevailing union wages and apprentices have opportunities to gain experience and succeed in the workforce. With the support and collaboration of Parliamentarians, the government anticipates Bill C-59 receiving Royal Assent before June 1, 2024.

• Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage investment tax credit: would be available as of January 1, 2022;
• Clean Technology investment tax credit: would be available as of March 28, 2023; and,
• Clean Hydrogen investment tax credit; and,

The government will soon introduce legislation to deliver the next two investment tax credits:

• Clean Hydrogen investment tax credit: available as of March 28, 2023; and,
• Clean Technology Manufacturing investment tax credit: available as of January 1, 2024.

As a priority, the government will work on introducing legislation for the remaining investment tax credits, including the new EV Supply Chain investment tax credit, as well as proposed expansions and enhancements:

• Clean Electricity investment tax credit: would be available as of the day of Budget 2024, for projects that did not begin construction before March 28, 2023;
• The expansion of the Clean Technology investment tax credit would be available as of November 21, 2023; and,
• The expansion of the Clean Electricity investment tax credit would be available from the day of Budget 2024, for projects that did not begin construction before March 28, 2023.
• Clean Technology Manufacturing investment tax credit enhancements to provide new clarity and improve access for critical minerals projects. Draft legislation will be released for consultation in summer 2024 and the government targets introducing legislation in fall 2024.
• The EV Supply Chain investment tax credit : would be available as of January 1, 2024.

Given that the major economic investment tax credits will be available, including retroactively, from their respective coming into force dates, businesses are already taking action to break ground on projects that will reduce emissions, create jobs, and grow the economy. Passing the major economic investment tax credits into law will secure a cleaner, more prosperous future for Canadians today, and tomorrow.

Implementing the Clean Electricity Investment Tax Credit

As the economy grows, Canada's electricity demand is expected to double by 2050 (Chart 4.7). To meet this increased demand with a clean, reliable, and affordable grid, our electricity capacity must increase by 1.7 to 2.2 times compared to current levels (Chart 4.8). Investing in clean electricity today will reduce Canadians' monthly energy costs by 12 per cent (Chart 4.9) and create approximately 250,000 good jobs by 2050 (Chart 4.10).

Canada already has one of the cleanest electricity grids in the world, with 84 per cent of electricity produced by non-emitting sources of generation. Quebec, British Columbia, Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Yukon are already clean electricity leaders and generate nearly all of their electricity from non-emitting hydropower—and have more untapped clean electricity potential. Other regions of Canada will require major investments to ensure clean, reliable electricity grids, and the federal government is stepping up to support provinces and territories with these investments.

In Budget 2023, the government announced the new Clean Electricity investment tax credit to deliver broad-based support to implement clean electricity technologies and accelerate progress towards a Canada-wide net-zero electricity grid.

• Low-emitting electricity generation systems using energy from wind, solar, water, geothermal, waste biomass, nuclear, or natural gas with carbon capture and storage.
• Stationary electricity storage systems that do not use fossil fuels in operation, such as batteries and pumped hydroelectric storage.
• Transmission of electricity between provinces and territories.
• The Clean Electricity investment tax credit would be available to certain taxable and non-taxable corporations, including corporations owned by municipalities or Indigenous communities, and pension investment corporations.
• Provided that a provincial and territorial government satisfies additional conditions, outlined below, the tax credit would also be available to provincial and territorial Crown corporations investing in that province or territory.
• Robust labour requirements to pay prevailing union wages and create apprenticeship opportunities will need to be met to receive the full 15 per cent tax credit.

The Clean Electricity investment tax credit is expected to cost $7.2 billion over five years starting in 2024-25, and an additional $25 billion from 2029-30 to 2034-35.

The Clean Electricity investment tax credit would apply to property that is acquired and becomes available for use on or after the day of Budget 2024 for projects that did not begin construction before March 28, 2023. The credit would no longer be in effect after 2034. Similar rules would apply for provincial and territorial Crown corporations, with modifications outlined below.

Provincial and Territorial Crown Corporations

The federal government is proposing that, for provincial and territorial Crown corporations to access to the Clean Electricity investment tax credit within a jurisdiction, the government of that province or territory would need to:

• Work towards a net-zero electricity grid by 2035; and,
• Provincial and territorial Crown corporations passing through the value of the Clean Electricity investment tax credit to electricity ratepayers in their province or territory to reduce ratepayers' bills.
• Direct provincial and territorial Crown corporations claiming the credit to publicly report, on an annual basis, on how the tax credit has improved ratepayers' bills.

If a provincial or territorial government satisfies all the conditions by March 31, 2025, then provincial or territorial Crown corporations investing in that jurisdiction would be able to access the Clean Electricity investment tax credit for property that is acquired and becomes available for use on or after the day of Budget 2024 for projects that did not begin construction before March 28, 2023.

If a provincial or territorial government does not satisfy all the conditions by March 31, 2025, then provincial or territorial Crown corporations investing in that jurisdiction would not be able to access the Clean Electricity investment tax credit until all the conditions have been satisfied. In this case, the Clean Electricity investment tax credit would apply to property that is acquired and becomes available for use from the date when the conditions are deemed to have been satisfied for projects that did not begin construction before March 28, 2023.

The Department of Finance Canada will consult with provinces and territories on the details of these conditions before legislation is introduced this fall.

Additional design and implementation details for the tax credit can be found in the Budget Tax Measures Supplementary Information, under "Clean Electricity investment tax credit."

Delivering Clean Electricity with Indigenous, Northern, and Remote Communities

The government has announced significant measures to advance clean electricity projects nationwide. These initiatives include the Clean Electricity investment tax credit, the Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways Program, and strategic financing through the Canada Infrastructure Bank. Understanding the energy goals and challenges in Indigenous, Northern, and remote communities—such as moving away from diesel—the government has offered unique assistance for projects in these areas, including for planning and feasibility stages. Recent federal investments to support projects with these communities include:

• Up to $535 million in Canada Infrastructure Bank financing and $50 million in funding from the Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways Program for the 250-MW Oneida Energy storage project in Ontario, which is the largest battery storage project in the country.
• $173 million in Canada Infrastructure Bank financing and $50 million in funding from the Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways Program for the Bekevar Wind Power project, an Indigenous-led wind power project in Saskatchewan.
• $14.4 million in funding to explore the feasibility of the Kivalliq Hydro Fibre Link, an innovative project that would connect northern Manitoba to southeastern Nunavut to provide electricity and internet access to five communities and one existing mine, helping to transition Northern communities off of diesel and connect them to the rest of Canada.
• $9 million in funding from the Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways Program for the Salay Prayzaan Solar project, which is 100 per cent owned by the Métis Nation of Alberta.

Implementing the Major Economic Investment Tax Credits

The government's suite of major economic investment incentives is unprecedented in Canadian history, and the government is delivering these supports on a priority basis to attract investment, create good-paying jobs, and grow the economy, while continuing to make progress in the fight against climate change.

To deliver the major economic investment tax credits, without delay, the government is boosting resources to the Canada Revenue Agency, Natural Resources Canada, and the Department of Finance Canada, which each have a role to play in delivering these support measures. To this end:

• Budget 2024 proposes to provide the Canada Revenue Agency up to $90.9 million over 11 years, starting in 2024-25, to administer the new major economic investment tax credits.
• Budget 2024 proposes to provide Natural Resources Canada $7.4 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, to provide expert technical advice on engineering and scientific matters related to the major economic investment tax credits and to support the administration of certain investment tax credits with the Canada Revenue Agency.
• Budget 2024 proposes to provide the Department of Finance Canada $21.4 million over 11 years, starting in 2024-25, to complete the implementation, including legislation, of the major economic investment tax credits, ensure ongoing evaluation and response to emerging issues, and propose appropriate legislative amendments to the Income Tax Act and Income Tax Regulations .

The Canada Growth Fund

The Canada Growth Fund is a $15 billion arm's length public investment vehicle launched by the federal government to attract private capital and invest in Canadian projects and businesses, which is led by Canada's world-leading public sector pension professionals. The Canada Growth Fund investments in clean energy and clean technology are already building Canada's strong, clean economy and creating good-paying jobs across the country:

• On October 25, 2023, the Canada Growth Fund made its first investment—a $90 million investment in a groundbreaking geothermal energy company, Calgary's Eavor Technologies Inc., that is creating meaningful employment opportunities for Albertans and securing the Canadian future of a company at the leading-edge of the global economy. 
• The Canada Growth Fund's second investment was announced on December 20, 2023—a $200 million direct investment, plus complementary carbon contract offtake agreement, in a world-leading carbon capture and sequestration company, Calgary's Entropy Inc. to support the reduction of up to one million tonnes of carbon per year. This major investment will support 1,200 good jobs for Albertans and grow the company's Canadian-based activities.
• The Canada Growth Fund's third investment was announced on March 25, 2024—a $50 million commitment into the Idealist Climate Impact Fund, a clean tech investment fund led by the Montréal-based Idealist Capital. The clean tech fund will manage equity investments into innovative entrepreneurs and businesses that are creating good-paying jobs and accelerating the energy transition.

Carbon Contracts for Difference

A price on pollution is the foundation of Canada's plan to build a prosperous net-zero economy. It is a system that is fair and that promotes market-driven solutions. The government recognizes the substantial demand from industry and other stakeholders for carbon contracts for difference (CCFDs) as a tool to accelerate investment in decarbonization and clean growth technologies by providing certainty around carbon pricing.

The 2023 Fall Economic Statement announced that the Canada Growth Fund will be the principal federal entity to issue CCFDs, including allocating, on a priority basis, up to $7 billion to issue all forms of contracts for difference and offtake agreements. The Canada Growth Fund is fulfilling this important role as a federal issuer of CCFDs. Building on its initial success, the Canada Growth Fund is assessing the opportunity to expand its carbon contract offerings and is developing approaches that can best serve the different carbon credit markets across Canada:

• Budget 2024 announces that the Canada Growth Fund is developing an expanded range of CCFD offerings tailored to different markets and their unique risks and opportunities. The Canada Growth Fund will continue offering bespoke CCFDs and carbon offtake agreements, with a focus on provinces contributing significantly to greenhouse gas emissions reductions.
• Building on the insights gained from these transactions, Budget 2024 announces the Canada Growth Fund will explore ways to broaden its approach, for example, by developing off-the-shelf contracts for certain jurisdictions and ways to offer these contracts on a competitive basis for a set amount of emissions reductions.
• The Canada Growth Fund has around $6 billion remaining to continue issuing, on a priority basis, all forms of CCFDs and carbon offtake agreements. Budget 2024 announces the government will ensure that the Canada Growth Fund continues to have the resources it needs to fulfill its role as federal issuer of CCFDs. The government is also evaluating options to enhance the Canada Growth Fund's capacity to offer CCFDs, including by exploring the possibility of a government backstop of certain CCFD liabilities of the Canada Growth Fund.

CCFDs can help develop robust carbon credit markets, and the federal government has taken action to ensure their success. For example, in 2022, Environment and Climate Change Canada worked with Alberta to ensure that their TIER market was sufficiently stringent so that the projected demand for carbon credits exceeded projected supply, ensuring robust credit demand even as more major decarbonization projects get built and more credits are generated.

Credit markets are largely the responsibility of provinces, and there are opportunities to improve how these markets function. For example, commitments to maintain their industrial carbon pricing systems over the long-term, tighten the stringency of systems as necessary to avoid an oversupply of credits, publishing the price of carbon credits, and recommitting to maintain a price signal of $170 per tonne by 2030 could help improve carbon price expectations for investors. Increased credit price transparency would greatly improve market functioning and provide greater investment certainty, unlocking more decarbonization projects. It would also facilitate the Canada Growth Fund's efforts to develop off-the-shelf CCFDs and deliver more deals, much quicker across provincial carbon markets.

• Budget 2024 announces that Environment and Climate Change Canada will work with provinces and territories to improve the functioning of carbon credit markets, in order to help unlock additional decarbonization projects throughout Canada.

Getting Major Projects Done

Putting Canada on a path to net-zero requires significant and sustained private sector investment in clean electricity, critical minerals, and other major projects. For these investments to be made, Canada's regulatory system must be efficient and quicker—it shouldn't take over a decade to open a new mine and secure our critical minerals supply chains.

To that end, Budget 2023 announced an intention to develop a plan to improve the efficiency of the impact assessment and permitting processes for major projects. The Ministerial Working Group on Regulatory Efficiency for Clean Growth Projects was launched to coordinate this work, and drive positive, pro-growth culture change throughout government, to ensure major project approvals come quicker. New major projects create thousands of new, good-paying jobs for Canadians, and the government is focused on getting more done.

• Provide $9 million over three years, starting in 2024-25, to the Privy Council Office's Clean Growth Office to implement the recommendations of the Ministerial Working Group and reduce interdepartmental inefficiencies, including preventing fixation on well-studied and low-risk impacts, ensuring new permitting timelines are upheld throughout departments, and improving data sharing between departments to reduce redundant studies.
• Launch work to establish a new Federal Permitting Coordinator within the Privy Council Office's Clean Growth Office.
• Set a target of five years or less to complete federal impact assessment and permitting processes for federally designated projects, and a target of two years or less for permitting of non-federally designated projects;
• Issue a Cabinet Directive to drive culture change , achieve new targets, and set out clear federal roles and responsibilities within and across departments with the objective of getting clean growth projects built in a timely and predictable manner;
• Build a Federal Permitting Dashboard that reports on the status of large projects which require permits, to improve predictability for project proponents, and increase the federal government's transparency and accountability to Canadians; and,
• Set a three-year target for nuclear project reviews , by working with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission and Impact Assessment Agency of Canada, and consider how the process can be better streamlined and duplications reduced between the two agencies.
• Amend the Impact Assessment Act to respond to the October 2023 Supreme Court of Canada decision that ruled that elements of the Act are unconstitutional. The proposed amendments will ensure the Act is constitutionally sound, facilitating efficient project reviews while advancing Canada's clean growth and protecting the environment. An amended Act will provide certainty for businesses and investors through measures that include increasing flexibility in substitution of assessments to allow for collaboration and avoid interjurisdictional duplication, clarifying when joint federal-provincial review panels are possible, and allowing for earlier Agency screening decisions as to whether a full impact assessment is required after the Planning phase. The amended Act will remain consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act ;
• Enhance coordination across orders of government using the tools available under the Impact Assessment Act and permitting coordination mechanisms, to reduce duplication and minimize the burden of regulatory processes on project proponents and Indigenous groups; and,
• Engage Northern Premiers, Indigenous communities, industry, and other partners to discuss transformative changes to their unique project review frameworks, to ensure the North is also prepared to assess and build clean growth projects.
• Advance Indigenous participation in major projects, through the Indigenous Loan Guarantee Program detailed in Chapter 6, which will provide more opportunities for Indigenous communities to benefit from the significant number of natural resource and energy projects proposed to take place in their territories;
• Work to establish a Crown Consultation Coordinator to ensure efficient and meaningful Crown consultation with Indigenous peoples on the issuance of federal regulatory permits to projects that do not undergo federal impact assessments. The government will consult First Nations, Inuit, Métis, and Modern Treaty and Self-Governing Indigenous partners on the design of the Crown Consultation Coordinator. The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada will continue to be the Crown consultation body for all federal decisions related to projects that undergo federal impact assessments; and,
• Improve Indigenous capacity for consultation by advancing the co-development and implementation of consultation protocol agreements and resource centres, led by Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada.

More details on the Ministerial Working Group's recommendations will be published in an Action Plan in spring 2024. Additionally, further analysis of opportunities for improving the efficiency of the impact assessment process will be undertaken as part of the five-year review of the Impact Assessment Act's designated project list, which will occur later this year, following coming into force of the amended Act. This review will be undertaken in consultation with the public, including with Indigenous partners.

Getting major projects built means more jobs, in more regions across Canada, and more opportunities for the next generation of workers.

Securing the Canadian Biofuels Industry

Biofuels and biogas are renewable energy sources sustainably made from plants or biowaste, such as canola crops and landfill emissions. Not only do they generate fewer greenhouse gas emissions compared to fossil fuels, they also represent a unique opportunity for the Canadian economy. The industry supports agriculture and forestry jobs and can help decarbonize key sectors like marine, aviation, rail, and heavy industry. Canada's Clean Fuel Regulations , in place since 2022, are helping drive the production and adoption of specific biofuels in Canada.

The government is proposing new measures to support biofuels production in Canada, with a focus on renewable diesel, sustainable aviation fuel, and renewable natural gas, aiming to capitalize on the increasing demand for these fuels and strengthen Canada's position in the market. Budget 2024 announces:

• The government's intention to disburse up to $500 million per year from Clean Fuel Regulations compliance payment revenues to support biofuels production in Canada, subject to sufficient compliance payments being made to the federal government. More details will be announced in the 2024 Fall Economic Statement .
• The government will also retool the Clean Fuels Fund to deliver funding faster, and extend the Fund for an additional four years, until 2029-30. With reprofiled funding proposed through this extension, a total of $776.3 million will be available to be deployed from 2024-25 to 2029-30 to support clean fuel projects. The program will shift to a continuous intake process, and streamlined negotiations and decision-making processes will expedite delivery. By the end of this year, Natural Resources Canada will launch another call for proposals under the extended Clean Fuels Fund.
• The Canada Infrastructure Bank will invest at least $500 million in biofuels production under its green infrastructure investment stream.

Advancing Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Research, and Environmental Remediation

Non-emitting, nuclear energy is one of the key tools in helping the world reach net-zero emissions by 2050. Canada stands out as one of the few countries to have developed and deployed its own nuclear technology, the CANDU. And the robust Canadian supply chains built around CANDU not only generate high-skilled jobs and foster research and development but also play a role in creating affordable and clean electricity. Canada's nuclear sector also produces medical isotopes essential for radiation therapy and diagnosing heart disease.

Canada is a Global Nuclear Energy Leader

Over the last few years, the government has announced significant investments and action to advance nuclear energy:

Large Reactors:

• Canada has committed up to $3 billion in export financing to Romania to support the construction of two new CANDU reactors, reducing Romania's reliance on Russian energy while boosting their own energy security and their neighbours', all while supporting Canadian jobs. Canadian supply chains will participate in the construction and maintenance of these reactors over their multi-decade operating life.
• The government announced $50 million in funding to support Bruce Power's large nuclear expansion.

Small Modular Reactors (SMRs):

• The Canada Infrastructure Bank announced a $970 million investment to support Ontario Power Generation in building the first grid-scale SMR among G7 nations at Darlington.
• The Strategic Innovation Fund has committed $94.7 million to accelerate the development of three different next generation SMR designs.
• The government announced $74 million in funding to support SaskPower's SMR development.
• The government announced $120.6 million to enable the deployment of SMRs through various activities such as building regulatory capacity.

Major Economic Investment Tax Credits:

• The Clean Electricity and Clean Technology Manufacturing investment tax credits announced in Budget 2023 would support investments in nuclear electricity generation, nuclear power supply chains, and nuclear fuel production, which are part of the solution for a clean economy transition.

 Sustainable Finance:

• The government updated its Green Bond Framework to make certain nuclear energy expenditures eligible.

Budget 2024 is announcing new measures to help get nuclear projects built in a timely, predictable, and responsible fashion.

Canadian Nuclear Laboratories conducts nuclear science research that helps advance clean energy and medical technologies, as well as environmental remediation and waste management of historic nuclear sites. This work is overseen by Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, a Crown corporation responsible for enabling nuclear science and technology and ensuring environmental protection at nuclear sites.

• Budget 2024 proposes to provide $3.1 billion over 11 years, starting in 2025-26, with $1.5 billion in remaining amortization, to Atomic Energy of Canada Limited to support Canadian Nuclear Laboratories' ongoing nuclear science research, environmental protection, and site remediation work.

Canada-U.S. Energy Transformation Task Force

On March 24, 2023, the Canada-U.S. Energy Transformation Task Force was launched by Prime Minister Trudeau and President Biden, as a one-year joint initiative to support our collective energy security and economic growth as we transition to a clean energy future. Canada is pleased to announce the renewal of the Energy Transformation Task Force for an additional year.

Since its creation, the Energy Transformation Task Force has driven significant progress towards more secure and resilient Canada-U.S. supply chains for critical minerals, nuclear fuels, and green steel and aluminum.

Canada is a global leader in the supply of responsibly sourced critical minerals. The government is investing $3.8 billion through the Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy to further develop Canadian value chains for critical minerals needed for our green and digital economy, including the new Critical Mineral Exploration Tax Credit. The Strategy will be further enabled by enhancements to the Clean Technology Manufacturing investment tax credit, and Canada's new Electric Vehicle Supply Chain investment tax credit.

Canada is building on our strong partnership with the U.S. on critical minerals, underpinned by the Canada-U.S. Joint Action Plan on Critical Minerals Collaboration. Under the Energy Transformation Task Force, we have redoubled efforts to address issues of mutual concern such as bolstering supply security for critical minerals. Our government will continue to work in close collaboration with industry partners and our allies to support cross-border priority critical mineral projects that advance our shared interests.

Nuclear energy will play a key role in achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. Canada is a Tier-1 nuclear nation with over 70 years of technological leadership, including our own national reactor technology, and a strong domestic supply chain that includes the world's largest deposit of high-grade natural uranium. Our government is taking action to support the growth of nuclear energy, including through the Clean Electricity investment tax credit, the Clean Technology Manufacturing investment tax credit, the Strategic Innovation Fund, the Canada Infrastructure Bank, and an updated Green Bond Framework that includes certain nuclear expenditures.

At COP28, the government and likeminded partners reaffirmed their commitment to triple nuclear energy capacity and promote public-private investment to strengthen supply chains and reduce reliance on non-allied countries for nuclear fuel needed for advanced and conventional nuclear energy. Through the Energy Transformation Task Force, Canada will continue to engage industry and international partners with a view to announcing concrete measures later this spring to bolster North American nuclear fuel supply chains.

Canadian steel and aluminum—among the greenest in the world—are important pillars of integrated North American manufacturing supply chains and key products to support the net-zero transition. We have invested significantly to further decarbonize our steel and aluminum sectors and to maintain their competitiveness in the green economy. As well, earlier this year, our government announced actions to increase the transparency of steel import data that will help provide more details on the origins of imported steel and align our practice with the U.S. We will continue to collaborate with the U.S. to promote common approaches for trade in low emissions green steel and aluminum goods.

Canada will continue to advance its work in partnership with the U.S., to reduce our shared exposure to production and supply chains controlled by non-likeminded countries, including by attracting investment in EV supply chains, solar, and more.

Clean Growth Hub

The Clean Growth Hub is the federal government's main source of information and advice on federal funding and other supports for clean technology projects in Canada. It directly supports up to 1,100 companies and organizations every year, ranging from emerging small businesses to Canada's world-leading clean tech companies.

Together, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada and Natural Resources Canada partner with 16 other departments and agencies to offer this one-stop shop to help businesses seeking to invest in Canada and create net-zero growth navigate the federal government's numerous clean economy programs and incentives—unlocking new investment and creating good jobs for Canadian workers.

• To continue supporting clean technology stakeholders to identify and access relevant support and advice, Budget 2024 proposes to provide $6.1 million over two years, starting in 2024-25, for the Clean Growth Hub.

Made-in-Canada Sustainable Investment Guidelines

The government recognizes the importance of promoting credible climate investment and combating greenwashing, to protect the integrity and fairness of the clean economy. This is critical for fostering investor confidence and mobilizing the private investment that Canada needs to help achieve a net-zero by 2050 economy.

As announced in the 2023 Fall Economic Statement, the Department of Finance Canada is working with Environment and Climate Change Canada and Natural Resources Canada to undertake next steps, in consultation with regulatory agencies, the financial sector, industry, and independent experts, to develop a taxonomy that is aligned with reaching net-zero by 2050. 

This work is being informed by the Sustainable Finance Action Council's Taxonomy Roadmap Report, which provided the government with recommendations on the design of a taxonomy to identify economic activities that the financial sector could label as "green" or "transition."  The government will provide an update on the development of a Canadian taxonomy later this year.

Find out more about the expected gender and diversity impacts for each measure in section 4.3 Growing Businesses to Create More Jobs

Small- and medium-sized businesses are an integral engine of Canada's economy, and they employ about 64 per cent of Canadian workers. Entrepreneurs, local small business, start-ups, growing medium-sized businesses—everywhere in Canada, there are people with good ideas, ready to grow their businesses and create good jobs. The government is ensuring Canada's investment climate sets businesses up for success.

For economic growth to reach the pace that is needed, existing businesses need support to stay competitive and scale-up. The government is taking action to help businesses scale-up their technological innovations, and implement productivity-raising technology across the economy. By cutting red tape, new and existing businesses can grow faster. Boosting access to financing from financial Crown corporations and encouraging Canada's large public pension funds to put their investments to work here at home will unlock new growth opportunities for Canadian businesses.

Through Budget 2024, the government is making it easier for new businesses to start-up and for existing businesses to grow by cutting red tape, and providing the tools businesses need to scale-up. The government is also taking steps to have Canadian public institutions and Crown corporations put their capital to work here at home and seize opportunities to increase Canada's growth and productivity.

The federal government has set up a range of programs and initiatives to help small and medium businesses thrive, and foster economic growth, including:

• Supporting small- and medium-sized businesses to hire 55,000 first year apprentices in construction and manufacturing Red Seal Trades through a grant of $5,000 towards upfront costs, such as salaries and training.
• Maintaining the lowest marginal effective tax rate (METR) in the G7, and a 5.2 percentage point competitive advantage over the average U.S. METR, to ensure Canada is a competitive place to do business.
• Secured commitments with Visa and Mastercard to lower credit card interchange fees for small businesses while protecting reward programs for consumers. These reductions are expected to save eligible Canadian small businesses approximately $1 billion over five years.
• Budget 2022 cut taxes for Canada's growing small businesses by more gradually phasing out their access to the small business tax rate.
• Ongoing support for small- and medium-sized businesses through Canada's seven Regional Development Agencies, including over $3.7 billion since 2018 to help businesses scale-up and innovate through the Regional Economic Growth through Innovation program.
• Almost $7 billion since 2018 for the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy to help women-owned businesses access the financing, networks, and expertise they need to start-up, scale-up, and access new markets.
• Enhancements to the Canada Small Business Financing Program, increasing annual financing to small businesses by an estimated $560 million.
• Up to $265 million for the Black Entrepreneurship Program to help Black business owners and entrepreneurs succeed and grow their businesses.
• $150 million investment in the Indigenous Growth Fund, to help recruit other investors, and in turn provide a long-term source of capital to support continued success for Indigenous businesses.
• $49 billion in interest-free, partially forgivable loans of up to $60,000 to nearly 900,000 small businesses and not-for-profit organizations through the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA).

National Regulatory Alignment

Barriers to internal trade are preventing Canada from reaching its economic potential. These barriers, most commonly the 13 different sets of regulations for each province and territory, hold back businesses from trading across provincial and territorial borders, restrict workers from moving between provinces and territories, and can increase costs for businesses as they work to overcome regulatory hurdles.

By addressing barriers to internal trade, including harmonizing regulations between provinces and territories, we can create more opportunities for Canadian businesses to grow and make life more affordable for all Canadians through greater competition and consumer choice. According to the International Monetary Fund, Canada could increase its gross domestic product (GDP) per capita by as much as 4 per cent—or $2,900 per capita estimated in 2023 dollars through the reduction of internal trade barriers for interprovincial trade of goods.

In 2022, the federal government launched the Federal Action Plan to Strengthen Internal Trade , which is guiding work with the provinces and territories to cut red tape. This includes a rigorous assessment of remaining federal exceptions in the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA) and important investments in trade data and research.

Two significant milestones have now been reached, with further actions upcoming in 2024:

• The removal and streamlining of one third of all federal exceptions in the CFTA. This means the removal of 14 exceptions related to procurement that will provide Canadian businesses more opportunities to compete to deliver government goods and services. By the end of 2024, the federal government will publicly release the rationale for all remaining exceptions, and encourages provinces and territories to do the same.
• The launch of the new Canadian Internal Trade Data and Information Hub on April 3, 2024. The Hub is an open and accessible data platform that will provide governments, businesses, and workers with timely, free information to help them make choices about where to invest and where to work. The Hub will help shine a light on where labour mobility barriers are highest and where unnecessary red tape costs businesses time and money.

The federal government is committed to working with provinces and territories to ensure goods, services, and workers move seamlessly across the country by advancing the mutual recognition of regulatory standards and eliminating unnecessary red tape for full labour mobility in the construction, health, and child care sectors.

• Budget 2024 announces that the government will launch the first-ever Canadian Survey on Interprovincial Trade in June 2024, to engage thousands of Canadian businesses on the challenges they face when buying, selling, and investing across provincial and territorial borders. The survey's insights will help identify top interprovincial barriers so that they can be eliminated.

As detailed in Chapter 1, the federal government is also leveraging federal housing financing to encourage provinces and territories to align their building codes, including to support modular housing construction, to make it easier to build more homes, faster.

The federal government will announce further progress to align the regulatory environment across the country in due course.

The New Canada Carbon Rebate for Small Businesses

Canada's small- and medium-sized businesses keep main streets flourishing across the country, create jobs, and deliver the dream of entrepreneurship. It is essential that these businesses thrive so they can continue being the bedrock of our communities and our economy.

Pollution has a cost, one which will only rise this century as climate change causes intensifying natural disasters and more severe health effects, as detailed in Chapter 5. Canada's carbon pricing system includes a federal backstop for provinces and territories that don't put their own system in place. It's a system designed to be fair and affordable—for households, Indigenous communities, farmers, and businesses—while reducing the pollution that is causing climate change.

The government is delivering on its commitment to return proceeds from the price on pollution to small- and medium-sized businesses, by announcing an accelerated and automated return process to provide direct refunds to small- and medium-sized businesses in the provinces where the federal fuel charge applies—the new Canada Carbon Rebate for Small Businesses.

• Proceeds would be returned directly to eligible corporations through direct payments from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), separately from CRA tax refunds.
• To receive their proceed return for each fuel charge year, corporations would be required to have filed their tax return for 2023 by July 15, 2024.
• The proposal would return proceeds for future fuel charge years, including 2024-25, in a similar manner each year.

Environment and Climate Change Canada continues to consult with Indigenous governments on how best to directly return fuel charge proceeds to their communities, and will announce next steps soon. The share of fuel charge proceeds allocated to Indigenous governments will double to 2 per cent of direct proceeds beginning this year.

Unlocking New Opportunity Through Financial Crown Corporations

Canada's financial Crown corporations support economic growth by helping businesses get the financing they need to grow; helping farmers and agri-businesses invest in new equipment and technology and support their operations; and helping companies sell their products around the world.

Canadians expect the government to make the most of their tax dollars. That is why in the 2023 Fall Economic Statement the government announced it would be reviewing the operations of the Business Development Bank of Canada, Export Development Canada, and Farm Credit Canada. Based on this review:

• The amended Framework has also introduced a target solvency rating for financial Crown corporations in cases where the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions has no legislative supervisory role. The amended Framework can be found in the: Capital and Dividend Policy Framework for Financial Crown Corporations .
• The Business Development Bank of Canada should increase financing for promising new and high-growth businesses and accelerate reorientation of its venture capital investments toward emerging and higher-risk sectors to help attract more private capital.
• Export Development Canada should leverage its full toolkit and authorities, including by updating internal risk management guidance to facilitate greater risk taking across its portfolio. Recognizing that success for Canadian exporters in highly competitive markets and sectors at times requires additional targeted support, Export Development Canada should also create a new stretch capital envelope to maximize potential for exporters in areas of strategic importance for Canada by taking on greater risk in deploying its capital. Having Export Development Canada take on more higher-risk, higher-impact transactions itself will reduce the need for direct support through the Canada Account. Further implementation details, including the scale and scope of the envelope, will be identified over the coming months.
• Farm Credit Canada should continue to pursue opportunities to support agri-food and agribusiness, including through venture capital investment, and further deployment of technologies to mitigate climate change. The government intends to amend the Farm Credit Canada Act to require regular legislative reviews that ensure Farm Credit Canada's activities are aligned with the sector's needs.

In focusing their mandate on driving economic growth and productivity, these Crown corporations are also expected to prioritize new financing, insurance, and advisory support to under-financed business owners, as well as increase their public reporting and engagement with Canadians. The performance incentives of senior leaders are expected to align with their organizations taking on increased risk appetite in support of economic growth objectives. For Export Development Canada, performance incentives should also encourage alignment of business activities with countries that have free trade agreements with Canada.

Investing in Canadian Start-Ups

Venture capital financing gives Canadian entrepreneurs the resources they need to start-up, scale-up, and become the next generation of Canadian anchor companies. Financing can help take new ideas from lab to market, while creating high-quality, middle-class jobs.

The Venture Capital Catalyst Initiative (VCCI) strengthens Canada's venture capital ecosystem by co-investing with the private market, discovering and nurturing the next generation of globally recognized Canadian companies, and generating returns for private and public investors alike. Since 2016, the government has invested $821 million through VCCI, delivering support to over 300 companies across Canada.

• Building on this momentum, Budget 2024 proposes to provide $200 million over two years, starting 2026-27, on a cash basis, to increase access to venture capital for equity-deserving entrepreneurs, and to invest in underserved communities and outside key metropolitan hubs. 

Encouraging Pension Funds to Invest in Canada

Keeping Canada's vibrant economy strong for future generations of Canadians requires significant capital investments in our businesses, industries, and communities. Attracting higher levels of investment into Canada from all sources, including foreign and domestic private and institutional investors will raise Canada's productivity and increase living standards for all Canadians.

Pension plans are a critical pillar in Canada's retirement income system that ensures Canadians can enjoy a secure and dignified retirement. Canadian pension funds hold over $3 trillion in assets, which are invested both at home and abroad to provide secure retirement income for plan members and retirees.

The government believes that encouraging pension funds to invest in Canada more would help grow the Canadian economy and provide the stable long-term returns needed to deliver strong pensions for Canadians. In the 2023 Fall Economic Statement , the government committed to improving transparency around pension funds' investments and to working collaboratively with Canadian pension funds to create an environment that encourages and identifies more domestic investment opportunities for pension funds and other responsible institutional investors.

Canadian pension funds rely on their strong governance practices and diversified portfolios to deliver Canadians' pensions, with assets including public and private equity, infrastructure, real estate, and bonds. Canada's own economy is full of investment opportunities in these asset classes that could provide valuable contributions to pension fund portfolios. Opening up more opportunities for investment by pension funds in these domestic assets would help one of Canada's largest pools of savings contribute to the growth of the Canadian economy.

Further engagement with industry experts and pension funds will guide the government's way forward on ways to make more domestic investments available that meet the needs of pension funds.

• digital infrastructure and AI investment;
• physical infrastructure;
• airport facilities;
• venture capital investments;
• building more homes, including on public lands; and,
• the removal of the 30 per cent rule for domestic investments.

To support investments in airport facilities, the Minister of Transport will release a policy statement this summer that highlights existing flexibilities under the governance model for Canada's National Airport System airports to attract capital, including from pension funds.

• Following up on the 2023 Fall Economic Statement , Budget 2024 also proposes to amend the Pension Benefits Standards Act, 1985 to enable and require the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions to publicly release information related to the plan investments of large federally regulated pension plans.

The information to be disclosed would be set out in regulations and would include the distribution of plan investments by jurisdiction and, within each jurisdiction, by asset class.

The government will continue to engage with provinces and territories to discuss similar disclosures by Canada's largest pension plans in a simple and uniform format.

Boosting Regional Economic Growth

To build a brighter future for communities across the country, Canada's Regional Development Agencies help businesses and innovators grow to fuel economic growth and create good middle class jobs. Through the Regional Economic Growth through Innovation program, businesses can access funding to scale-up, implement new technologies, improve productivity, and find new markets, helping to develop prosperous and inclusive communities across the country.

• To create jobs and boost regional economic growth, Budget 2024 proposes to provide an additional $158.5 million over two years, starting in 2024-25, on a cash basis, to Canada's Regional Development Agencies for the Regional Economic Growth through Innovation program. A portion of this funding will be dedicated to housing innovation.

This support builds on the $200 million that Regional Development Agencies will deliver to businesses for AI adoption.

Cutting Red Tape to Boost Innovation

For innovative businesses to scale-up new ideas, they need certainty that they will be able to bring their product to market. But existing regulation can often be too outdated to fit the needs of new technologies.

To ensure regulation keeps pace with the speed of new innovations, rather than hold innovation back, the government is advancing work on regulatory "sandboxes" to create temporary rules to enable testing of products, services, or new regulatory approaches.

• Budget 2024 announces the government's intent to introduce amendments to the Red Tape Reduction Act to broaden the use of regulatory sandboxes across government. The changes will enable innovation by offering limited exemptions to existing legislation and regulations, streamlining the regulatory system, and reforming regulations to modern business realities.

Supporting the Canadian Chamber of Commerce's Business Data Lab

Since 2022, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce has collaborated with Statistics Canada to provide Canadian businesses with insights and information through the Business Data Lab. This initiative provides access to real-time information and analysis, that helps Canadian businesses stay informed, and make decisions that help them stay strong and support workers.

• To advance this work, Budget 2024 proposes to provide $7.2 million over three years, starting in 2024-25, to support the Canadian Chamber of Commerce's Business Data Lab.  

4.4 A Strong Workforce for a Strong Economy 

Find out more about the expected gender and diversity impacts for each measure in section 4.4 A Strong Workforce for a Strong Economy

Building an economy that is fair for everyone means making sure that every generation can seize the opportunities of the government's investments to grow the economy and create jobs.

Investing in new jobs and skills support for younger Canadians will help them get that first good job or start their first business. Strengthening labour laws and safeguarding the rights of workers will help ensure more jobs are good jobs. Skills and education investments for the next generation of workers will lead to higher productivity and benefit businesses in Canada and looking to invest in Canada who can tap into a robust, highly skilled workforce.

The federal government's generational job-creating investments today lay the groundwork for a brighter tomorrow, where good job opportunities are available to everyone.

• Helping over one million Canadians each year upgrade their skills or find new jobs by investing nearly $3 billion annually in Canada's Labour Market Development Agreements and Workforce Development Agreements with provinces and territories.
• Supporting a trades workforce that is skilled, inclusive, certified, and productive through the Canadian Apprenticeship Strategy.
• Equipping close to 105,000 Canadian workers with the skills they need by increasing access to union-led training through the Union Training and Innovation Program since 2019-20, and supporting over 45,000 apprentices through interest-free Canada Apprentice Loans since 2018-19.
• Introducing labour requirements for prevailing union wages and apprenticeship opportunities in most major economic investment tax credits to ensure Canadian workers thrive in the growing clean economy.
• Ensuring workers have time to recover when they get sick, by providing ten days of paid sick leave for all federally regulated workers.
• Banning the use of replacement workers during a strike or lockout in federally regulated workplaces to protect workers' right to strike and support a fairer collective bargaining process during labour disputes.

Empowering Young Entrepreneurs 

Futurpreneur Canada is a national not-for-profit organization that provides young entrepreneurs with access to financing, mentorship, and other business supports to help them launch and grow their business. For over two decades, Futurpreneur Canada's programs and offerings, supported by $161.5 million in federal funding, have helped over 17,700 young entrepreneurs to launch more than 13,900 businesses across the country, supporting thousands of jobs since its inception.

• To empower young entrepreneurs, Budget 2024 proposes to provide $60 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, for Futurpreneur Canada. Futurpreneur Canada will match this federal investment with funding received from other orders of government and private sector partners.

By 2029, Futurpreneur Canada estimates this investment will enable an estimated 6,250 additional youth-owned businesses to launch and scale-up their businesses.

Futurpreneur Helps Young Entrepreneurs Scale-up Their Businesses

Sarah is a recent university graduate who wants to launch a sustainable clothing manufacturing company, but is unsure where to begin. She learns about Futurpreneur Canada. After visiting their website, she finds resources to help develop and test her business model, write a business plan and even attends a webinar to answer her questions. Now, Sarah feels confident and prepared to launch her business, but is having difficulty securing financing.

She decides to apply to Futurpreneur's Startup Program to take advantage of their financing and mentorship offering. Futurpreneur helps her finalize her business plan and cash flow, collects the necessary documentation, reviews her application and determines her business is a good fit, and provides her with financing and mentoring to help launch her business and start making sales.

Sarah is matched with an experienced business mentor who will provide her with guidance and reassurance over the next two years and receives financing of up to $20,000 from Futurpreneur and up to $40,000 from BDC to help start her business. She is also connected to various networking events with experts and other young entrepreneurs to build her business network and gain peer advice.

Investing in a Strong Workforce for a Strong Economy

Investments since Budget 2017 in skills training measures include:

Labour Market Transfer Agreements: Annual investment of nearly $3 billion enabling provinces and territories to deliver training and employment supports tailored to their unique labour market needs.

Union-based training: Over $200 million through Budget 2022 and Fall Economic Statement 2022 to expand the Union Training and Innovation Program to train more than 30,000 additional apprentices and journeypersons.

Employer-led training: Budget 2021 announced the Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program to help key sectors of the economy, including the construction sector, implement solutions to address their current and emerging workforce needs. Budget 2021 also announced $250 million for the Upskilling for Industry Initiative to support more than 15,000 workers. Budget 2024 proposes $50 million over four years to provide skills training for workers in sectors disrupted by AI, and $10 million over two years to train more early childhood educators, building up the talent needed for the expansion of affordable, high-quality child care.

Apprenticeship Service: Launched the Apprenticeship Service to help first year apprentices in construction and manufacturing Red Seal trades connect with opportunities at small and medium-sized employers. Budget 2024 proposes to provide $90 million over two years for the Apprenticeship Service to help create placements in the residential construction sector.

Skilled Trades Awareness and Readiness Program:   Budget 2018 announced the Skilled Trades Awareness and Readiness Program to help Canadians explore the trades and make informed career choices. Budget 2024 proposes $10 million over two years to continue to encourage Canadians to explore and prepare for careers in the skilled trades.

Sustainable Jobs Training Fund:   Recently launched the Sustainable Jobs Training Fund to help workers upgrade or gain new skills for jobs in the low-carbon economy.

Indigenous-led training: $99.4 million per year through the co-developed Indigenous Skills and Employment Training (ISET) Program to help Indigenous people improve their skills and find employment.

Financial support for adult learners: About $250 million per year for the Canada Training Credit, which covers up to 50 per cent of eligible training fees.

Affordability for Apprentices: Eliminated Elimination of interest on Canada Apprentice Loans, which provides up to $4,000 per period of technical training for tuition, tools, equipment, living expenses and forgone wages.

Apprenticeship Requirements for Clean Economy Investment Tax Credits: to access the highest tax credit rates, projects must dedicate at least 10 per cent of labour hours performed by covered workers to apprentices. This provides apprentices with the crucial hours they need to complete their training.

Establishing a Right to Disconnect

Everyone needs some downtime; it is essential for well-being and mental health. As the nature of work in many industries has become increasingly digital, workers are finding it increasingly difficult to disconnect from their devices and inboxes after hours and on weekends. This has particularly impacted Millennial and Gen Z workers, many of whom have worked their whole careers without firm separation between work and personal time. 

The government is taking action to restore work-life balance for the many workers in federally regulated industries, including but not limited to financial services, telecommunications, and transportation, by moving forward with a right disconnect from work, outside of their working hours.

• This is expected to benefit up to 500,000 employees in federally regulated sectors.

Further, on the topic of worker misclassification, Employment and Social Development Canada and the Canada Revenue Agency will enter into necessary data-sharing agreements to facilitate inspections and enforcement.

Modernizing the Employment Equity Act

Through the Employment Equity Act , the government promotes and improves equality and diversity in federally regulated workplaces. Since the introduction of the Employment Equity Act , continued progress has been made to address inequalities, but some workers are still facing barriers to employment and many federal workplaces fail to reflect the full diversity of Canada's population. That is why, in 2021, the government launched an arm's length Task Force to review the Act and advise on how to modernize the federal employment equity framework.

• Following the recommendations of the Task Force, Budget 2024 announces the government's intention to propose legislative amendments to modernize the Employment Equity Act , including by expanding designated equity groups.

Examining Critical Port Operations

Labour disputes and work stoppages at Canadian ports can lead to serious economic impacts by disrupting supply chains. To protect port workers and resolve the structural issues underlying port labour disputes, in 2023, the government launched the first phase of a formal review in collaboration with industrial relations experts.

• Budget 2024 proposes to provide $3.1 million over two years, starting in 2024-25, to enable the Labour Program at Employment and Social Development Canada to complete the second phase of its review, which will explore long-term solutions to minimize labour disputes, respect the collective bargaining process, and secure the stability of Canada's supply chains. This funding would be sourced from existing departmental resources.

Extending Temporary Support for Seasonal Workers

Many seasonal workers—including in fishing and tourism sectors in Atlantic Canada and Quebec—rely on Employment Insurance for the support they need between work seasons. To address gaps in Employment Insurance support between seasons, the government introduced temporary rules in 2018 to provide up to five additional weeks—for a maximum of 45 weeks—to eligible seasonal workers in 13 economic regions. This support is set to expire in October 2024.

• Budget 2024 proposes to extend this support for seasonal workers in targeted regions until October 2026. The cost of this measure is estimated at $263.5 million over four years, starting in 2024-25. 

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