Impact Statement:

A committed researcher, institutional leader, and leading interdisciplinary figure, Frédéric Bouchard plays a decisive role in making Canada a learning society, one where the production and circulation of knowledge support scientific, social, and economic progress. His impact lies not only in the production of knowledge, but in the transformation of the institutional, political, and intellectual frameworks that structure research.

This academic recognition is accompanied by major distinctions.

As Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at the Université de Montréal, he leads one of the largest faculties in Canada (20,000 students, 650 professors, 25 departments). His work has led to the realization of landmark projects that redefine the academic and scientific ecosystem of the institution and its surroundings. The MIL Campus (2019) represents a major reconfiguration of the university–city interface, bringing together teaching, research, and innovation within an urban development space. The Courtois Institute (2022), made possible by a CAD $159 million gift that he helped to structure and secure, creates an interdisciplinary hub at the intersection of advanced materials, quantum physics, and artificial intelligence.

In 2022, Frédéric Bouchard acted as an architect of systemic transformation in research policy as chair of the Advisory Panel on the Federal Research Support System. His contribution was not only political but also a transformation of the framework of thought underlying science policy in Canada. The Bouchard Report (2023) shifted the debate from a fragmented funding model toward a systemic approach to governance, coordination, and strategic investment.

As journalist and political columnist Paul Wells noted, “It’s clear that Frédéric Bouchard’s report changed the conversation about science policy in Canada.” This observation reflects a structuring effect: science is repositioned as a central infrastructure of federal public policy.

Following its publication, the report’s recommendations were taken up by Parliament and incorporated into the 2024 federal budget, notably:

• $3.5 billion for research and infrastructure;
• An additional $1.8 billion for the granting councils;
• A historic increase in graduate scholarships ($825 million over five years);
• The creation of an integrated research funding architecture;
• And the establishment of an independent advisory council on science and innovation.

Among these measures, the increase in student scholarships has a direct and tangible impact, improving the training and research conditions of thousands of students and strengthening the appeal of scientific careers.

Frédéric Bouchard has had a structuring impact by redefining not only research policy in Canada, but also the intellectual and institutional frameworks within which science is conceived, governed, and mobilized.

Bio:

Professor Frédéric Bouchard, C.Q., Ph.D., FRSC, is the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at the Université de Montréal. As a philosopher of science, his interdisciplinary research focuses on the relationship between expertise, science, and society, as well as on the theoretical foundations of evolutionary biology and ecology.

He is Chair of the Board of Érudit, an open-access scholarly digital publishing platform, chair of the board of Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ), and of the Institut de recherche en biologie végétale (IRBV). He was formerly president of ACFAS.