Backgrounder

From the Prime Minister's Web Site (http://www.pm.gc.ca/)

---

Canada-Brazil cooperation on science, technology and innovation, and education

August 8, 2011
Brasília, Brazil

Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced renewed funding for the International Science and Technology Partnership Program, as well as the development of a new and unique bilateral Science and Technology Action Plan focused on innovation. Prime Minister Harper also announced that eleven scholarships have been granted under the first-ever Canada-Brazil scholarship program.

International Science and Technology Partnership Program

The International Science and Technology Partnership Program (ISTPP) was announced in 2005 and renewed in 2010-2011. The program is designed to advance Canadian industrial productivity and competitiveness through the commercialization of technology resulting from market-oriented international partnerships. Budget 2010 provided $20 million over five years (2010-2015) for four countries (Israel, India, China and Brazil). From that sum, bilateral projects with Brazil have been allocated $5 million over five years.

To date, the Program has resulted in new and important collaborative research and development projects with Brazil, notably in the areas of satellite technology, biodegradable plastics, and wavelength converter technology for electrical power.

Partners and R&D project participants bring expertise and funds of their own to the bilateral relationships. The Government of Canada has enjoyed a 3:1 leverage of its funds from partners and participants.

Canada-Brazil Framework Agreement for Cooperation on Science, Technology and Innovation

Canada and Brazil signed the Framework Agreement for Cooperation on Science, Technology and Innovation in 2008, which came into force in April 2010. It promotes greater collaboration in areas of mutual interest, allowing Canadian and Brazilian partners from industry, academia and government to collaborate on joint research and development (R&D) projects, conferences and workshops, equipment loans and student exchanges.

Under the Agreement, a joint committee has been tasked with developing and implementing a Canada-Brazil Science and Technology Action Plan focused on innovation designed to accelerate the commercialization of research in promising areas such as: ocean technology, life sciences, information and communication technology, clean energy, green technologies, and nanotechnology.

The Action Plan will leverage key Canadian and Brazilian strengths, with the objective of improving prospects for jointly commercializing new technology. The Action Plan may refer to leveraging international events for joint opportunities in priority sectors, conducting joint projects and focusing on the mobility of people to enhance academic or industrial exchanges. The Action Plan will benefit from the renewal of the ISTPP, which will continue to facilitate collaborative research projects with potential for commercial application.

Canada-Brazil Cooperation on Education

Brazil is a priority country for Canada in terms of scholarships, education promotion and student exchanges. In fact, Canada is now the number one study abroad destination for Brazilians. In 2008, 17,000 study permits and temporary resident visas were issued to Brazilians to allow them to study in Canada. As well, since 2007, 465 Brazilian students and professors received scholarships to study or conduct research in Canadian universities. There is an active Brazilian Association of Canadian Studies (ABECAN) established since 1991 that includes 12 Canadian Studies centres throughout Brazil and over 500 members. In terms of academic relations, there are over 130 Memoranda of Understanding between Canadian and Brazilian institutions.

The Canada-Brazil Awards: Joint Research Projects support team-oriented research projects between higher education institutions in Canada and Brazil in key areas of mutual cooperation, such as democratic governance, prosperity and security, as well as science and technology. Each year, a total of 50 Canadian and Brazilian PhD students will travel to the partner country for a period of six months to undertake research in two-year joint projects.

The Canada-Brazil Awards: Joint Research Projects scholarship program is the first initiative launched in the context of a Memorandum of Understanding signed on August 30, 2010 by Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada and the Federal Agency for Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education of Brazil to enhance academic mobility and scientific cooperation.

The Canada-Brazil Awards: Joint Research Projects are also a component of the Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program (ELAP), announced by Prime Minister Stephen Harper at the Summit of the Americas in 2009, designed to support the development of human capital and promote a next generation of leaders in the Americas, while strengthening inter-institutional relations. Brazil is the largest ELAP beneficiary with over 230 awards from 2009 to 2011. Brazil also figures among a select group of countries and receives seven postdoctoral research fellowships from Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada.

---

The Prime Minister's Office - Communications
[Manage my subscriptions | Unsubscribe]