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The inaugural Science Meets Parliament – Ontario Program (SMP-ON 2025) is now complete and was a huge success! 30 SMP delegates met with 36 MPPs, resulting in a total of 73 one-on-one meetings.

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. Science Meets Parliament is not an advocacy program – it is for strengthening the connections and mutual understanding between scientific and political communities.

SMP-ON was organized by the Canadian Science Policy Centre, and had the Honourary Patronage of the Hon. Edith Dumon, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, and support from the Speaker of the Ontario Legislative Assembly, the Hon. Donna Skelly and championed by MPPs Andrew Dowie, Catherine Fife, Ted Hsu and Aislinn Clancy.

Finally, thank you to our Champion Sponsors, Perimeter Institute and Royal Military College of Canada / Collège militaire royal du Canada, and our Collaborator Sponsors – University of Ottawa, University Health Network, and Queen’s University for making this event possible!

CSPC is pleased to launch this program for the first time in the spring of 2025 to help strengthen the connection between the science and policy communities in Ontario. The program provides an excellent opportunity for Ontario researchers to learn about the process of policymaking at the provincial Legislative Assembly.

The federal edition of the Science Meets Parliament program has been held four times since 2018, culminating in in-person events at Parliament Hill. SMP then expanded to the provinces, with the first-ever SMP-BC event held in April 2024, bringing over 30 emerging leaders from across BC to the Legislative Assembly for extensive engagements with MLAs. Given the success of SMP-BC, we are pleased to expand our provincial program further with SMP-ON.

SMP-ON is pleased to have the patronage of The Hon. Edith Dumont, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario and the support of the Hon. Donna Skelly

Hon. Edith Dumont, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario. Photo-by-Cole-Burston.

Hon. Edith Dumont

Lieutenant Governor

Ontario

Honourable Donna Skelly

Hon. Donna Skelly

Speaker of the Legislative Assembly

Ontario

Special thanks to our sponsors

Perimeter logo
RMC Logo
uottawa logo
Queens-university-logo-full-colour

Get involved with SMP ON!

ABOUT SCIENCE MEETS PARLIAMENT – Ontario

The objective of this initiative is to strengthen the connections between Canada’s scientific and political communities in Ontario, facilitate a two-way dialogue, and promote mutual understanding. This program is designed to familiarize scientists with the intricacies of policymaking at the provincial political level, and encourage parliamentarians to incorporate scientific evidence into their policy decisions. This initiative is not a lobbying exercise, and Delegates are asked to avoid advocating for science funding or other support for a specific scientific program.

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 political community, the scientific community, and the Canadian public.

Science Meets Parliament 2023
Orientation video

Benefits to MPPs

  • Engage with emerging leaders in the Ontario science community that drive science and innovation
  • Learn from Ontarioscientists about resources in Canadian research institutions available to MPPss
  • 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 local and provincial innovation and economies
  • Build lasting connections with Ontario scientists from diverse regions and specialties

Benefits to Scientists

  • Learn about the legislative and political processes and the reality of being a parliamentarian
  • Understand how their research can be useful to MPPsto maximize its impact
  • Gain insights about how to effectively communicate research to MPPs
  • Share insights and experiences from ‘Science Meets Parliament – Ontario with peers and students at respective research institutions.
  • Build lasting connections with MPPs and their staff

Benefits to Ontarians

  • Bring together and encourage mutually beneficial engagements between scientists and MPPs
  • Foster a conversation about relevant issues using scientific evidence
  • Empower scientists with tools and strategies to better engage with MPPs, strengthening the role of science for the public good
  • Promote equity and diversity in science and amplify a range of voices from across Ontario

The program will be open to three groups of researchers affiliated with a post-secondary institution in Ontario:

  • Researchers holding a full-time independent investigator position (for up to 10 years, excluding eligible leave, from their initial appointment)
  • Indigenous and/or Black researchers holding a full-time independent investigator position
  • Postdoctoral fellows who currently hold a CIHR / NSERC / SSHRC Tri-agency Postdoctoral Fellowship and are affiliated with a post-secondary institution in Canada (Postdoctoral Fellowship status must be announced by November 8, 2024).

Former Science Meets Parliament delegates (federal or provincial) are excluded from application.

About 30 researchers from a diverse range of disciplines are expected to participate in Science Meets Parliament – Ontario in 2025. 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 has been extended to December 6, 2024.

You can apply for all Science Meets Parliament programs that you are eligible for (e.g., federal and BC or federal and ON) – if selected for both, you will be able to decide which program you would like to participate in.

The program consists of several Virtual Zoom sessions, as well as two days (and one evening) in-person in Toronto, which is currently tentatively scheduled for March 24-26, 2025. To participate in the program, you must attend all scheduled events, including all virtual workshops and the in-person meetings at the Queen’s Park Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

The Science Meets Parliament – Ontario 2025 program will include:

  • An orientation session
  • Virtual workshops on evidence-based decision making, science communication and media, equity and diversity, policymaking in the Legislature, and policymaking in bureaucracy
  • Meetings with MPPs and staff members
  • Attending Question Period
  • Networking reception with MPPs and staff
  • Meetings with bureaucrats and public servants, to better understand policymaking at the non-political level of government
  • January-March, 2025: Virtual (Zoom) training sessions

Tentative dates of in-person events in Toronto:

  • March 24 (evening): Networking dinner
  • March 25 (full day): Science communication, meeting with bureaucrats, panel discussions, official group dinner
  • March 26 (full day): Day at the Legislative Assembly and meeting with MPPs, evening reception

Deferral of the program: In the case of a provincial election or events outside of our control (such as a pandemic), the program may be delayed up to one year (Delegates would be informed and the new date would be set as early as possible).

  1. Registration fee: Accepted delegates will be required to pay a registration fee of $1200 (Canada Research Chairs) or $800 (Postdoctoral Fellows), which includes admission to the program, breakfast and lunch for March 25-26, dinner for March 24-25, and an evening networking reception on March 26. 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-ON program through a lecture at their host institution and/or an editorial in a CSPC featured editorial series.

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)

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

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

Building Better Bantings: Connecting Canada’s Postdoctoral Fellows is critical for Canada’s Scientific Future
(2023), Canadian Science Policy Magazine

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