The 4th Edition of Science Meets Parliament Program (SMP 2024) is now complete and was a huge success!

cspc tree

47 researchers from across Canada met one-on-one with 59 Parliamentarians, in 118 one-on-one meetings at Parliament Hill in Ottawa May 6-7, 2024. Delegates also attended Committees and Question Periods in both the Senate and the House of Commons.

The program also included eight training sessions centered on science policy, government structure and policy making, science communication and EDI in science, among others.

Overall, this unique, once-in-a-lifetime experience changed the ways that participating scientists think about parliament and pointed out the numerous ways that one can connect with parliamentarians – on the hill or in their ridings in the future. Science Meets Parliament is not an advocacy program – it is for strengthening the connections and mutual understanding between scientific and political communities.

This event was organized by CSPC and Canada’s Chief Science Advisor Mona Nemer, supported by Speaker of the House of Commons Hon. Greg Fergus and championed by the Honourable Members of the Parliament Honourable Lena Metlege Diab,QC, Matt Jeneroux, Maxime Blanchette-Joncas and Mike Morrice as well as by Senators Hon. Judith Seidman, Rosa Galvez, and Stan Kutcher.

This program would not have been possible without the generous support of our sponsors: the Royal Military College of Canada, The Stem Cell Network, and the University of British Columbia.

Previous iterations of the program can be found here.

Special thanks to our sponsors

Stem Cell Network Logo
the Royal Military College of Canada's coat of arms
Perimeter Logo

Get involved with SMP

Thank you to our 2021 sponsors:

the Royal Military College of Canada's coat of arms
Logo and name of Carleton University
Queen's University's Crest
Logo and name of UOttawa
Logo of Ryerson University
logo for the Canadian Society for Molecular Biosciences

ABOUT SCIENCE MEETS PARLIAMENT

The objective of this initiative is to strengthen the connections between Canada’s scientific and political communities, enable a two-way dialogue, and promote mutual understanding. This initiative aims to help scientists become familiar with policy making at the political level, and for parliamentarians to explore using scientific evidence in policy making. This initiative is not meant to be an advocacy exercise, and will not include any discussion of science funding or other forms of advocacy.

The Science Meets Parliament model is adapted from the successful Australian program held annually since 1999. Similar initiatives exist in the EU, the UK and Spain.

CSPC’s program aims to benefit the parliamentarians, the scientific community and, indirectly, the Canadian public.

Science Meets Parliament 2023
Orientation video

Eligibility

The program will be available to three groups of researchers:

1. Tier II Canada Research Chair

Researchers who currently hold a Tier II Canada Research Chair position and are affiliated with a Canadian research institution (Tier II Canada Research Chair status must be announced by November 9th, 2023).

2. Indigenous Principal Investigator

Indigenous Principal Investigator (priority will be given to researchers who are independent investigators affiliated with academic research institutions).

3. Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship

Researchers who currently hold a Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship and are affiliated with a Canadian research institution (Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship status must be announced by November 9th, 2023).

Program

The Science Meets Parliament 2024 program will include:

Virtual workshops on evidence-based decision making, science communication and media, equity and diversity, policy making in Parliament, and policy making in bureaucracy.

An orientation session in Ottawa to provide information about the business of Parliament and exercises to prepare delegates to meet with politicians.

Meetings with members of Parliament, Senators, and the Chief Science Advisor of Canada.

Observation of House and/or Senate committee meetings.

Attending Question Period in Parliament.

Networking reception with MPs, Senators, staff, and public servants.

Survey Data

Delegates represent a diverse cross-section of the Canadian scientific community

10%

Francophone

18%

Visible minorities

14%

Indigenous

2%

Living with disability

Delegates overwhelmingly recommend the experience to others

93%

Found meeting peers across fields extremely valuable

93%

Consider themselves more likely to reach out to a Parliamentarian

100%

Rate Science Meets Parliament as a positive experience overall

The program has been a great success, receiving positive feedback from both Science Meets Parliament delegates and participating Parliamentarians.

Here is what delegates had to say:

“This is a valuable eye-opening experience for scientists to learn about current issues, the legislative process, and most importantly, to get to know the MPs.”
– delegate

“My ability to connect with parliamentarians and policy-makers and move my research into policy channels has never before felt so possible.”
– delegate

The application deadline is November 9th, 2023.

Benefits to Canadians

  • Bring together and encourage mutual understanding between scientists and parliamentarians
  • Foster a conversation about locally relevant issues using scientific evidence
  • Educate the scientific community on how to better engage with parliamentarians, thereby enhancing the use of science for the public good

Benefits to Parliamentarians

  • Engage with emerging leaders in the science community that drive science and innovation
  • Learn from scientists about resources in Canadian research institutions available to parliamentarians
  • Receive direct answers to questions they may have on scientific matters or background issues
  • Discuss how training highly qualified personnel (HQP) in their research laboratories contributes to the local and national economies
  • Build lasting connections with scientists from diverse regions and specialties

Benefits to Scientists

  • Build lasting connections with parliamentarians and their staff
  • Learn about the legislative and political processes and the reality of being a parliamentarian
  • Understand how their research can be useful to parliamentarians to maximize its impact
  • Gain insights about how to effectively communicate research to parliamentarians
  • Communicate lessons learned from Science Meets Parliament to colleagues and students at their home research institutions

The program will be available to three groups of researchers:

  • Researchers who currently hold a Tier II Canada Research Chair position and are affiliated with a Canadian research institution (Tier II Canada Research Chair status must be announced by November 9th, 2023).
  • Indigenous Principal Investigator (priority will be given to researchers who are independent investigators affiliated with academic research institutions).
  • Researchers who currently hold a Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship and are affiliated with a Canadian research institution (Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship status must be announced by November 9th, 2023).

Former Science Meets Parliament delegates are excluded from application.

About 40 researchers from a diverse range of disciplines will be invited to participate in Science Meets Parliament 2024. In future iterations of this program, we hope to expand the application process further to include researchers from more career stages.

A multi-disciplinary committee will oversee the application and selection process, during which the diversity of disciplines, geography, and identities will be considered.

The application deadline was November 9th, 2023.

The program consists of 8-10 Virtual Zoom sessions, as well as two days in- person program in Ottawa, which is currently tentatively scheduled for May 6-7, 2024. To participate in the program, you must attend all scheduled events, including all virtual workshops and the in-person Day on the Hill.

The Science Meets Parliament 2024 program will include:

  • An orientation session that includes information about the business of Parliament and exercises that prepare delegates to speak with politicians
  • Virtual workshops on evidence-based decision making, science communication and media, equity and diversity, policy making in Parliament, and policy making in bureaucracy
  • Meetings with members of Parliament, senators, staff members, as well as the Chief Science Advisor of Canada
  • Observation of House and/or Senate committee meetings
  • Attending Question Period in Parliament
  • Networking reception with MPs, senators, and staff (including a poster session)
  • Meetings with bureaucrats and public servants, to better understand policy making at the non-political level of government

  1. Registration fee: Accepted delegates will be required to pay a registration fee of $650 (Canada Research Chairs) or $350 (Banting Postdoctoral Fellows), which includes admission to the program, breakfast, lunch, one dinner and an evening networking reception. All delegates will be responsible for their own travel and accommodation costs.
  2. Scientists who attend this session are required to share their experience and insights from the SMP program through a lecture at their host institution and/or an editorial in a CSPC featured editorial series or the OCSA website.

Delegates are highly encouraged to publish about their experience in academic or news publications. Participants are also encouraged to publish pieces in other media on their research to engage the general public.

For more information, please contact sciencemeetsparliament@sciencepolicy.ca

Annual Report of the Chief Science Advisor (2023)

Science Meets Parliament 2023 Delegate Booklet – English

Science Meets Parliament 2023 Delegate Booklet – French

Annual Report of the Chief Science Advisor (2018), Science Meets Parliament, page 27

Science Meets Parliament 2018 Delegate Booklet – English

Science Meets Parliament 2018 Delegate Booklet – French

Politicians and scientists need strong connections during the coronavirus crisis — and beyond (2020) The Conversation Canada

De l’importance des relations entre politiciens et scientifiques (2020) La Conversation Canada

Canadian Science Policy Centre Strategic Plan

CSPC Professional Workshops Program

Zhao J. et al., Canadian Science Meets Parliament: Building relationships between scientists and policymakers
(2020) Science and Public Policy

Evidence in Action Report. An analysis of information gathering and use by Canadian Parliamentarians.
(2019), Evidence for Democracy

Do we have enough scientists in Parliament?
(2019) iPolitics – Op ed

Politicians and scientists need strong connections during the coronavirus crisis — and beyond
(2020) The Conversation

De l’importance des relations entre politiciens et scientifiques
(2020) The Conversation

If you have any questions about the program, please contact us at sciencemeetsparliament@sciencepolicy.ca

Here is what delegates had to say

“This is a valuable eye-opening experience for scientists to learn about current issues, the legislative process, and most importantly, to get to know the MPs.”
– delegate

“My ability to connect with parliamentarians and policy-makers and move my research into policy channels has never before felt so possible.”
– delegate