On November 4, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne delivered the 2025 federal budget in the House of Commons, protecting investments in research made in last year’s budget.
CAUT said that Budget 2025 did not make needed investments in colleges and universities, as a funding crisis has led to the loss of more than 13,000 academic jobs, the suspension of hundreds of programs, and the closure of campuses.
In its pre-budget submission, CAUT recommended the federal government deliver on its commitments to science and research, and work with the provinces and territories to develop and fund a plan to address the urgent need for predictable, stable funding.
The federal government “needs to work with the provinces to ensure adequate funding for public universities and colleges,” said David Robinson, executive director of CAUT.
Budget 2025 includes an investment of $1.7 billion in an “International Talent Attraction Strategy and Action Plan” for the recruitment of “exceptional” international researchers to Canadian universities and other supports.
“Academic staff in Canada have a long tradition of welcoming international research colleagues,” said Robinson. “But they are being welcomed to a system that is facing a funding crisis, where existing researchers are struggling and jobs are being lost.”
