Expenditures by federal and provincial organizations on scientific research and development accounted for about 10% of all such spending in Canada in 2006. These organizations are active in natural and social science research, engineering research, industrial research and medical research. Below is a list of Canadian Federal and Provincial Government scientific research organizations as of January 2008. In some cases the agency mentioned is dedicated exclusively to scientific research, a good example being the National Research Council Canada. In other cases the organization conducts scientific research within the framework of a much larger mandate, such as the transportation research undertaken by the Transportation Development Centre in Montreal which occurs as part on the general transportation regulatory function of Transport Canada. While most of the organizations mentioned here are "brick and mortar", some, such as the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, are "virtual" and consist of dedicated groups of researchers who are geographically dispersed but remain in close contact through electronic means. Total funding for the organizations listed below amounted to about C$2.5 billion in 2006, or about 10% of all scientific research and development spending in Canada.

Federal organizations

Devoted exclusively to scientific research

Atomic Energy of Canada Limited Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL, Énergie atomique du Canada limitée, EACL) is a Canadian Crown corporation and the largest nuclear science and technology laboratory in Canada. AECL developed the CANDU reactor technology starting in th ...

- Ottawa, Ontario **

Chalk River Laboratories Chalk River Laboratories (; also known as CRL, Chalk River Labs and formerly Chalk River Nuclear Laboratories, CRNL) is a Canadian nuclear research facility in Deep River, about north-west of Ottawa. CRL is a site of significant research and ...

- Chalk River, Ontario ** Whiteshell Laboratories - Whiteshell, Manitoba *_{Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility (virtual research institute)} ecommissioned*

Canadian Institutes of Health Research The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR; ; IRSC) is a federal agency responsible for funding health and medical research in Canada. Comprising 13 institutes, it is the successor to the Medical Research Council of Canada. CIHR supports ...

- HQ Ottawa, Ontario ** Institute of Aging ** Institute of Cancer Research ** Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health ** Institute of Gender and Health ** Institute of Genetics ** Institute of Health Services and Policy Research ** Institute of Human Development, Child and Youth Health ** Institute of Indigenous Peoples' Health ** Institute of Infection and Immunity ** Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis ** Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction ** Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes ** Institute of Population and Public Health *

Canadian Space Agency The Canadian Space Agency (CSA; ) is the national space agency of Canada, established in 1990 by the ''Canadian Space Agency Act''. The President of the Canadian Space Agency, president is Lisa Campbell (civil servant), Lisa Campbell, who took ...

- St. Hubert, Quebec ** John H. Chapman Space Centre - St. Hubert, Quebec ** David Florida Laboratory - Ottawa, Ontario * Defence Research and Development Canada - HQ Ottawa, Ontario ** Defence R&D Canada Suffield - Suffield, Alberta ** Defence R&D Canada Toronto - Toronto, Ontario ** Defence R&D Canada Ottawa - Ottawa, Ontario ** Defence R&D Canada Centre for Security Science - Ottawa, Ontario ** Defence R&D Canada Valcartier - Valcartier, Quebec ** Defence R&D Canada Atlantic - Halifax, Nova Scotia ** Defence R&D Canada Centre for Operational Research and Analysis - Ottawa, Ontario *

National Research Council of Canada The National Research Council Canada (NRC; ) is the primary national agency of the Government of Canada dedicated to science and technology research and development. It is the largest federal research and development organization in Canada. Th ...

- HQ Ottawa, Ontario **Scientific research *** NRC Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics (NRC-HIA) - Penticton and Victoria, British Columbia *** NRC Steacie Institute for Molecular Sciences (NRC-SIMS) - Ottawa (Sussex Drive) and Chalk River, Ontario *** NRC Canadian Neutron Beam Centre (NRC-SIMS) - Chalk River, Ontario *** NRC National Institute for Nanotechnology (NRC-NINT) - Edmonton, Alberta *** NRC Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NRC-NMR) - Ottawa (Montreal Road Campus), Ontario *** NRC Institute for Biological Sciences (NRC-IBS) - Ottawa (Montreal Road Campus) and Ottawa (Sussex Drive), Ontario *** NRC Biotechnology Research Institute (NRC-BRI)- Montreal, Quebec *** NRC Institute for Biodiagnostics (NRC-IBD) - Winnipeg, Manitoba: Calgary, Alberta: Halifax, Nova Scotia *** NRC Plant Biotechnology Institute (NRC-PBI) - Saskatoon, Saskatchewan *** NRC Institute for Marine Biosciences (NRC-IMB) - Halifax, Nova Scotia *** NRC Genomics and Health Initiative (NRC-GHI) *** NRC Institute for Nutrisciences and Health (NRC-INH) - Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island **Engineering research *** NRC Institute for Aerospace Research (NRC-IAR)- Ottawa (Montreal Road Campus), Ottawa (Uplands Campus), Ontario: Montreal, Quebec *** NRC Centre for Surface Transportation Technology (NRC-CSTT) - Ottawa (Uplands Campus), Ontario *** NRC Canadian Hydraulics Centre (NRC-CHC)- Ottawa (Montreal Road Campus), Ontario *** NRC Institute for Ocean Technology (NRC-IOT) - St.John's, Newfoundland *** NRC Institute for Microstructural Sciences (NRC-IMS)- Ottawa (Montreal Road Campus), Ontario *** NRC Industrial Materials Institute (NRC-IMI) - Boucherville, Quebec: London, Ontario: Saguenay (Chicoutimi), Quebec *** NRC Institute for Chemical Process and Environmental Technology (NRC-ICPET) - Ottawa (Montreal Road Campus), Ontario *** NRC Institute for Fuel Cell Innovation (NRC-IFCI) - Vancouver, British Columbia *** NRC Institute for Information Technology (NRC-IIT) - Ottawa (Montreal Road Campus), Ontario: Gatineau, Quebec: Fredericton, Moncton, Saint John, New Brunswick *** NRC Construction Research Centre - Ottawa (Montreal Road Campus), Ontario: London, Ontario: Regina, Saskatchewan (Centre for Sustainable Infrastructure Research) *** NRC Imaging Network (Ottawa—based) **Support institutes *** NRC Canada Institute for Scientific and Technical Information (NRC-CISTI) - Ottawa (Montreal Road Campus) *** NRC Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP)- Ottawa (Montreal Road Campus), Ontario and NRC-IRAP across Canada *** NRC Institute for National Measurement Standards (NRC-INMS) - Ottawa (Montreal Road Campus), Ontario

Conducting scientific research in support of a larger mandate

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC; sometimes Ag-Canada; )''Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada'' is the applied title under the Federal Identity Program; the legal title is Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food (). is the Structure of the Can ...

- HQ, Ottawa, Ontario **Research organizations ***Agassiz Research and Development Centre -

Agassiz Jean Louis Rodolphe Agassiz ( ; ) FRS (For) FRSE (May 28, 1807 – December 14, 1873) was a Swiss-born American biologist and geologist who is recognized as a scholar of Earth's natural history. Spending his early life in Switzerland, he recei ...

, British Columbia *** Summerland Research and Development Centre - Summerland, British Columbia *** Lacombe Research and Development Centre - Lacombe, Alberta *** Lethbridge Research and Development Centre -

Lethbridge Lethbridge ( ) is a city in the province of Alberta, Canada. With a population of 106,550 in the 2023 Alberta municipal censuses, 2023 municipal census, Lethbridge became the fourth Alberta city to surpass 100,000 people. The nearby Canadian ...

, Alberta *** Saskatoon Research and Development Centre -

Saskatoon Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Hig ...

, Saskatchewan *** Swift Current Research and Development Centre -

Swift Current Swift Current is the sixth-largest city in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It is situated along the Trans-Canada Highway west of Moose Jaw, and east of Medicine Hat, Alberta. As of 2024, Swift Current has an estimated population of ...

, Saskatchewan *** Brandon Research and Development Centre - Brandon, Manitoba *** Morden Research and Development Centre -

Morden Morden is a district and town in South London, England, now within the London Borough of Merton, in the ceremonial county of Greater London. It adjoins Merton Park and Wimbledon, London, Wimbledon to the north, Mitcham to the east, Sutton, Londo ...

, Manitoba *** London Research and Development Centre -

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, Ontario *** Ottawa Research and Development Centre -

Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

, Ontario *** Guelph Research and Development Centre -

Guelph Guelph ( ; 2021 Canadian Census population 143,740) is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Known as The Royal City, it is roughly east of Kitchener, Ontario, Kitchener and west of Downtown Toronto, at the intersection of Ontario Highway 6, ...

, Ontario *** Harrow Research and Development Centre - Harrow, Ontario *** Sherbrooke Research and Development Centre -

Sherbrooke Sherbrooke ( , ) is a city in southern Quebec, Canada. It is at the confluence of the Saint-François River, Saint-François and Magog River, Magog rivers in the heart of the Estrie administrative region. Sherbrooke is also the name of a territ ...

(Lennoxville Sector), Quebec *** Saint-Hyacinthe Research and Development Centre -

Saint-Hyacinthe Saint-Hyacinthe ( , ) is a city in southwestern Quebec east of Montreal on the Yamaska River. The population as of the 2021 Canadian census was 57,239. The city is located in Les Maskoutains Regional County Municipality of the Montérégie regi ...

, Quebec *** Quebec Research and Development Centre -

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

, Quebec *** Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu Research and Development Centre -

Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu () is a city in eastern Montérégie in the Canadian province of Quebec, about southeast of Montreal, located roughly halfway between Montreal and the Canada–United States border with the state of Vermont. It is sit ...

, Quebec *** Fredericton Research and Development Centre -

Fredericton Fredericton (; ) is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of New Brunswick. The city is situated in the west-central portion of the province along the Saint John River (Bay of Fundy), Saint John River, ...

, New Brunswick *** Charlottetown Research and Development Centre -

Charlottetown Charlottetown is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Prince Edward Island, and the county seat of Queens County, Prince Edward Island, Queens County. Named after Queen Charlotte, Charlott ...

, Prince Edward Island *** Kentville Research and Development Centre - Kentville, Nova Scotia *** St John's Research and Development Centre - St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador *

Canadian Food Inspection Agency The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA; ) is a regulatory agency that is dedicated to the safeguarding of food, plants, and animals (FPA) in Canada, thus enhancing the health and well-being of Canada's people, environment and economy. The age ...

- Ottawa, Ontario ** National Centre For Animal Disease ** Area Laboratories Network - Atlantic ** Area Laboratories Network - Quebec ** Area Laboratories Network - Ontario ** Area Laboratories Network - Western * Canadian Grain Commission - Winnipeg, Manitoba ** Grain Research Laboratory *

Canadian Polar Commission Polar Knowledge Canada is a departmental corporation of the Government of Canada under the Crown–Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC) portfolio. It is responsible for monitoring, promoting, and disseminating knowledge of th ...

- Ottawa, Ontario * Communications Security Establishment - Ottawa, Ontario **Cryptological research for Canadian government foreign signals intelligence gathering ***Canadian Forces Base Leitrim - Leitrim, Ontario ***Canadian Forces Base Masset - Masset, British Columbia ***Canadian Forces Base Alert - Alert, Nunavut *

Environment Canada Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC; )Environment and Climate Change Canada is the applied title under the Federal Identity Program; the legal title is Department of the Environment (). is the Ministry (government department), department ...

- HQ, Gatineau, Quebec ** Canadian Ice Service ** Canadian Wildlife Service ** Meteorological Service of Canada * Fisheries and Oceans Canada - HQ, Ottawa, Ontario ** Canadian Hydrographic Service **Research institutes *** Institute of Ocean Sciences - Sidney, British Columbia *** Pacific Biological Station **** West Vancouver Laboratory *** Cultus Lake Salmon Research Laboratory - Cultus Lake, British Columbia *** Bayfield Institute -Burlington, Ontario *** Sea Lamprey Control Centre - Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario *** Freshwater Institute Science Laboratory - Winnipeg, Manitoba ***

Experimental Lakes Area IISD Experimental Lakes Area (IISD-ELA, known as ELA before 2014) is an internationally unique research station encompassing 58 formerly pristine freshwater lakes in Kenora District, Ontario, Canada. In response to the International Joint Comm ...

- Kenora, Ontario *** Saqvaqjuac research camp - Kivalliq Region, Nunavut *** Resolute Bay Laboratories - Resolute Bay, Northwest Territories *** The Maurice Lamontagne Institute - Pointe aux Cenelles, Quebec *** St. Andrews Biological Station - St. Andrews, New Brunswick *** Bedford Institute of Oceanography - Dartmouth, Nova Scotia *** Otolith Research Laboratory *** Canadian Shark Research Laboratory *** Mactaquac Fish Culture Station - Mactaquac, New Brunswick *

Health Canada Health Canada (HC; )Health Canada is the applied title under the Federal Identity Program; the legal title is Department of Health (). is the Structure of the Canadian federal government#Departments, with subsidiary units, department of the Gove ...

- Ottawa, Ontario **Research institutes: ***

- Ottawa, Ontario *

Industry Canada Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED; ; )''Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada'' is the applied title under the Federal Identity Program; the legal title is Department of Industry (). is a department of the G ...

- HQ, Ottawa, Ontario ** Communications Research Centre Canada - Ottawa, Ontario *

International Development Research Centre The International Development Research Centre (IDRC; , ''CRDI'') is a Canadian federal Crown corporation. As part of Canada's foreign affairs and development efforts, IDRC champions and funds research and innovation within and alongside developi ...

- Ottawa, Ontario *

Natural Resources Canada Natural Resources Canada (NRCan; ; )Natural Resources Canada is the applied title under the Federal Identity Program; the legal title is Department of Natural Resources (). is the department of the Government of Canada responsible for natural r ...

- HQ, Ottawa, Ontario **Canadian Forest Service ***Research institutes **** Pacific Forestry Centre - Victoria, British Columbia **** Northern Forestry Centre - Edmonton, Alberta **** Great Lakes Forestry Centre - Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario **** Laurentien Forestry Centre - Quebec, Quebec **** Atlantic Forestry Centre - Fredericton, New Brunswick **

Geological Survey of Canada The Geological Survey of Canada (GSC; , CGC) is a Canadian federal government agency responsible for performing geological surveys of the country developing Canada's natural resources and protecting the environment. A branch of the Earth Science ...

- Ottawa, Ontario ** Geomatics Canada - Ottawa, Ontario ** Polar Continental Shelf Project, Ottawa, Ontario ** CANMET Energy Technology Centre - Ottawa, Ontario *** CANMET Energy Technology Centre - Devon, Alberta *** CANMET Energy Technology Centre - Varennes, Quebec ** CANMET Materials Technology Laboratory - Hamilton, Ontario *

Public Health Agency of Canada The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC; ) is an agency of the Government of Canada that is responsible for public health, emergency preparedness and response, and infectious and chronic disease control and prevention. History The PHAC was f ...

- HQ, Ottawa, Ontario ** Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Control - Ottawa, Ontario ** Centre for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control - Ottawa, Ontario ** Laboratory for Foodborne

Zoonoses A zoonosis (; plural zoonoses) or zoonotic disease is an infectious disease of humans caused by a pathogen (an infectious agent, such as a virus, bacterium, parasite, fungi, or prion) that can jump from a non-human vertebrate to a human. When h ...

- Guelph, Ontario **

National Microbiology Laboratory The National Microbiology Laboratory (NML) is part of the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), the agency of the Government of Canada that is responsible for public health, health emergency preparedness and response, and infectious and chronic ...

- Winnipeg, Manitoba ** Centre for Health Promotion - Ottawa, Ontario *

Royal Canadian Mounted Police The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; , GRC) is the Law enforcement in Canada, national police service of Canada. The RCMP is an agency of the Government of Canada; it also provides police services under contract to 11 Provinces and terri ...

- HQ, Ottawa, Ontario ** Human Resources Assessment and Research - Ottawa, Ontario ** Forensic Science and Identification Services - Ottawa, Ontario *

Statistics Canada Statistics Canada (StatCan; ), formed in 1971, is the agency of the Government of Canada commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and culture. It is headquartered in ...

- Ottawa, Ontario *

Transport Canada Transport Canada () is the Ministry (government department), department within the Government of Canada responsible for developing regulations, Policy, policies and Public services, services of road, rail, marine and air Transport in Canada, tra ...

- HQ, Ottawa, Ontario ** Transportation Development Centre - Montreal, Quebec

Provincial organizations

Alberta Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...

* InnoTech Alberta (formerly Alberta Research Council) ** Advanced Materials Laboratories ** Analytical Chemistry Laboratory ** Fuels and Lubricants Laboratory ** Plant Genetic Engineering Laboratory ** Waste Materials Engineering Laboratory ** Papermaking Laboratory *Telecommunications Research Laboratories - Research Areas **TRLabs

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

BCIT The British Columbia Institute of Technology (also referred to as BCIT), is a public Institute of technology#Canada, polytechnic institute in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. The technical institute has five campuses located in the Metro Vanco ...

Technology Centre - Vancouver, British Columbia

Manitoba Manitoba is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population ...

* Food Development Centre * Internet Innovation Centre

Newfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region of Labrador, having a total size of . As of 2025 the populatio ...

*Atlantic Cool Climate Crop Research Centre *Centre for Cold-Ocean Research Engineering * Geological Survey of Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John's, Newfoundland *Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Centre

New Brunswick New Brunswick is a Provinces and Territories of Canada, province of Canada, bordering Quebec to the north, Nova Scotia to the east, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the northeast, the Bay of Fundy to the southeast, and the U.S. state of Maine to ...

*Research and Productivity Council - Fredericton, New Brunswick

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...

Research Nova Scotia
- Halifax, Nova Scotia

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

* Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation - Toronto, Ontario **Research organizations ***Ontario Centres of Excellence ****Centre of Excellence for Communications and Information Technology ****Centre of Excellence for Earth and Environmental Technologies ****Centre of Excellence for Energy ****Centre of Excellence for Materials and Manufacturing ****Centre of Excellence for Photonics *** Ontario Institute for Cancer Research *** Regional Innovation Network Program ** Commercialization and funding organizations *** Early Researcher Awards *** The Health Technology Exchange *** Innovation Demonstration Fund *** International Strategic Opportunities Program *** Ontario Commercialization Investment Funds *** Ontario Fuel Cell Innovation Programme *** Ontario Research Commercialization Program *** Premiers Discovery Awards

Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island is an island Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. While it is the smallest province by land area and population, it is the most densely populated. The island has several nicknames: "Garden of the Gulf", ...

* Atlantic Technology Centre * Food Technology Centre * Prince Edward Island Analytical Laboratories

* L'institut nationale de recherche scientifique (INRS) - Quebec, Quebec ** INRS Eau, Terre et Environnement ** INRS Energie, Materiaux et Telecommunications ** INRS Institut - Armand-Frappier ** INRS Urbanisation, Culture et Societe *Centre de recherche informatique de Montréal

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada. It is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and to the south by the ...

* Saskatchewan Research Council ** 3D Virtual reality Centre ** SRC Analytical Laboratories ** Biofuels Test Centre ** Bova-Can Laboratories ** Fermentation Pilot Plant ** GenServe Laboratories ** Geoanalytical Laboratories ** Petroleum Analytical Laboratories ** Pipe Flow Technology Centre ** Transformer OilTesting Laboratory * Saskatoon Research Centre - Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Northwest Territories The Northwest Territories is a federal Provinces and territories of Canada, territory of Canada. At a land area of approximately and a 2021 census population of 41,070, it is the second-largest and the most populous of Provinces and territorie ...

* Aurora Research Institute - Inuvik, Northwest Territories

Nunavut Nunavut is the largest and northernmost Provinces and territories of Canada#Territories, territory of Canada. It was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the ''Nunavut Act'' and the Nunavut Land Claims Agr ...

* Nunavut Research Institute ** Igloolik Research Centre ** Iqaliut Research Centre

Expenditures on scientific research and development by sector

Canadian gross expenditure on R&D (GERD) by performing sectors - 2006 estimates in C$ millionsStatistics Canada, Science Statistics September 2006 (2/2007) : * Business enterprises: 14,850, 52.4% * Higher education : 10,890, 38.4% * Federal Government 2,145, 7.6% * Provincial Government 345, 1.2% * Provincial research organizations 127, 0.4% * Total: 28,357, 100.0%

References

* Government of Canada public website - CBC.ca, CBC News
"Federal Science tech spending continues to decline"
11 Dec 2007 {{Politics of Canadian provinces * Lists of scientific organizations Government research

Federal organizations

Devoted exclusively to scientific research

Conducting scientific research in support of a larger mandate

Provincial organizations

Expenditures on scientific research and development by sector

See also

References