Shannon Quinn

Discussions with Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada and other relevant departments and agencies regarding the role of universities in supporting federal innovation initiatives, policies and programs. Advocacy to secure federal support to develop and upgrade university infrastructure, including but not limited to research and learning facilities, digital infrastructure, and transit infrastructure. Advocacy to increase support for university research, including research funding and granting programs administered by the tri-agencies (SSHRC, NSERC and CIHR) and other departments and agencies. Advocacy to improve immigration policies and programs for university students, faculty and staff. Advocacy to ensure that proposals to develop or amend federal legislation, regulations, policies or programs that directly or indirectly impact the post-secondary system reflect the needs of universities and support our research and education mission. Advocacy to enhance support for university research mobilization and commercialization activities. Advocacy to enhance student supports, including but not limited to Canada Student Grants and Loans, the Canada Graduate Scholarship Program, supports for Indigenous students, and work-integrated learning programs.

Science & Technology Strategy - promotion of enhanced measures to increase research in science and technology Indirect Costs Program - support for enhanced provisions Increased support for commercialization of university research results Federal Research Granting Councils and agencies funding of research, academic pursuits, and publication or dissemination Centres of Excellence - promotion of increased funding for establishment of Centres of Excellence in research Budget - promotion of increased funding of research and academic pursuites

Seek funding and support for the institution’s teaching, and research and development enterprise in life sciences, basic and applied sciences, social sciences, humanities and fine arts and mental health. Support for the implementation and operation of the Canada Water Agency Support for institutional compliance with federal research security requirements. Seek program development and support for Indigenous-led research Seeking program development for career opportunities for Indigenous post-secondary graduates Seeking greater efficiencies and continued funding of the Canada Student Loan Program Seek funding for international opportunities in student experience through academic exchanges, study abroad and international student visits to Canada Secure funding for Major Science Infrastructure Policy development and research funding for knowledge transfer and the commercialization of research Increase federal funding to the Canada Graduate Scholarship Program and other national initiatives in support of graduate students Funding for research and campus infrastructure Funding for internships, fellowships and student work-integrated learning Facilitation of improved policies that impact international students and other highly qualified personnel Discuss post-secondary institutions' role in securing Canada's water future through education and research. Discuss post-secondary institutions' role in securing Canada's energy future through research and teaching. Development of a national program for the provision of long-term operating funding for major science initiatives like the Canadian Light Source (CLS) and the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) Continue and increase funding to the Tri-Agency (CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC) in order to maintain an internationally competitive research and development infrastructure. Continue and increase funding to the Indirect Costs of Research Program in order to maintain an internationally competitive research and development infrastructure Continue and increase funding to the Canada Foundation for Innovation in order to maintain an internationally competitive research and development infrastructure. Budget bills in support of the federal role in post-secondary education, research and the science and technology framework

CCA was established by the federal government in 2005 to provide assessments of evidence on policy priorities important to the Government of Canada and Canadians. CCA's interactions with federal departments and agencies are focused on developing interest in new assessment projects which are typically funded through a program or grant. Assessments are carried out by expert panels and can be on any topic in areas of health, environment, energy and society, or S&T and innovation.

Discussions related to the Canadian Innovation Pipeline Initiative, as proposed by Tech-Access Canada for consideration in the 2026 federal budget. Discussions related to improving the commercialization outcomes of Canadian university research through the UnivLaunch program, proposed by Tech-Access Canada. Discussions related to Tech-Access Canada's proposed Technical Workforce Resilience Initiative (TWR Initiative): A Proposal for Supporting Displaced Technical Workers Through TACs. Discussions related to maintaining current funding levels for the College and Community Innovation Program administered by NSERC. Discussions related to the Competency Assessment for Newcomers Pilot Program Seeking the participation of content matter experts from the Technology Access Centres in all relevant federal policy discussions concerning applied research and development, and business innovation. Requesting meetings with officials to provide an overview on the nature and contribution of Technology Access Centres to Canada's regional economic development and business innovation outcomes. Discussions related to the Interactive Visits program administered by Tech-Access Canada. Discussions related to designing and building respectful, accessible, sustainable, and functional residential housing in five First Nations communities, as proposed by Tech-Access Canada. Discussions on assisting older learners and growing Canada's talent pool by raising the upper age limit for eligibility in federal internship programs from 30 to 45. Discussions concerning federal budget priorities including support for increasing capacity of Canada's Technology Access Centres, as proposed by Tech-Access Canada.

Discussions about financial sustainability measures for universities. Discussions about shared priorities related to universities including workforce, talent, and employment. Discussions on the Canada-India Talent and Innovation Strategy. Government of Canada - Universities Working Group roundtable discussion on research security. Discussions about artificial intelligence (AI) funding as it relates to universities. Student housing and community enabling campus infrastructure programs. Working group meeting to discuss academic contributions to the Defence Industrial Strategy. Immigration policies and programs related to international students and affecting universities. Discussions of education and international relations opportunities. Engaging in discussions on research priorities for Canadian universities. Discussions about research policy and programs, Canada-US relations, and their impacts on the post-secondary sector Discussions about international students, the workforce, and the benefits of a university degree. Discussions about the Global Excellence Initiative (GEI) and future funding commitments. Meeting to discuss science policy and programs, impact of Canada-US relations Recent policy changes and development of other policy tools including the Recognized Institutions Framework.

Working with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to improve visa processing times, the Study Direct Stream program, and lower refusal rates for international students accepted to Canadian universities Lobbying to maintain fair dealing for education. Lobbying for an explicit exception for charities, not-for-profits and/or educational institutions to Canada’s Anti-Spam Law (CASL). Increased supports for Indigenous students seeking to access post-secondary education. Harmonization of immigration policies with regard to the improvement of study and work permit processing to identify areas where policies and procedures could be strengthened. Engaging with reviews of existing legislation covering charities to clarify how they apply to educational institutions. Engage with Statistics Canada regarding postsecondary education and research data collection and analysis with particular attention to the University and College Academic Staff System survey and labour market information. Engage with Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada regarding the role of universities in supporting innovation through the full suite of innovation initiatives (eg. Superclusters, economic sector tables, Innovation Canada, knowledge mobilization, digital research infrastructure etc.) Engage with Global Affairs Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and ESDC on the implementation of the government’s International Education Strategy – including the targeting and recruitment of international students and the design of the outbound student mobility program for Canadian students to study abroad. Engage with Department of Status of Women and Statistics Canada regarding data collection and policies/frameworks regarding student safety on campus. Discussions with Employment and Social Development Canada concerning international student mobility and internship programs. Discussions concerning federal budget priorities. Priority topics include: federal government's support for university research through the federal granting agencies and other government programs; support for graduate students and post-doctoral fellows; changes to the Canada Research Chairs program; university infrastructure; international research collaboration; knowledge mobilization; equity diversity and inclusion; cybersecurity; and expanding university education opportunities for Indigenous Canadians. Discuss effective strategies and programs to support student transition to the work place and access to upskilling and reskilling programs for mid-career Canadians with Employment and Social Development Canada, including the Student Work-Integrated Learning Program (SWILP) and the Canada Training Benefit.

Advocating for faster processing of student immigration applications. Arranging meetings to advocate for research and infrastructure support and to increase awareness of the client's research capabilities, and government support for university-led innovation and commercialization. Communication with regards to the role of the University of New Brunswick (UNB) and public universities in the emerging federal innovation agenda and how UNB can get funding. Sources of funding are to be determined. Communication with regards to the role of the University of New Brunswick (UNB) and public universities in the emerging federal innovation agenda. Communication with federal government with regards to ongoing status of National Research Council Canada.

Arranging meetings to advocate for research and infrastructure support, and to increase awareness of the client's research capabilities.

Seek support for funding operations of Canadian Light Source Seek support for continued growth in funding to the research granting councils Seek support for Capital funding for Canadian Light Source equipment and infrastructure expansion. Seek support for an appropriate mechanism for funding operations of national research facilities

Advocate for place-based solutions to Canada’s biggest challenges, which support the region-specific mandates of public colleges and ensure local training needs are considered in policy development. Increase support to developing countries and other partner countries to build technical and vocational training capacity, strengthen skills development and education systems, and enhance Canada’s global education brand. Advocate for support for college-led research as a core component of federal research and innovation funding and policy. Discuss how colleges can support immigration programs, such as foreign credential recognition or international students, to meet Canada’s labour market needs, and share with officials impacts of policy changes on the college sector. Share with officials how colleges can support Canada’s training and workforce development needs to meet Canada’s biggest challenges. Share with officials the role of colleges and institutes in delivering high quality education for Canadians, and ensuring access to education for Canadians. Advance reconciliation through partnerships with Canada’s public colleges, institutes, CEGEPs, polytechnics, and Indigenous Institutes of Education. Promote the role and expertise of colleges in deepening Canada’s relationships with other countries. Promote the value of educational fair dealing in supporting colleges and institutes in their mandate to provide advanced skills and to enable them to better respond to the skills shortage. Increase investments and support to address colleges’ infrastructure needs to increase Canada’s training space and access in key high-demand fields that align with federal priority areas. Enable post-secondary institutions to obtain grants and loans to develop student housing projects, with additional supports for housing that supports students from vulnerable populations. Ensure Canada’s colleges and institutes have the necessary federal support to provide high-quality training for future healthcare professionals. Ensure the specific needs of institutions, including French institutions and those in minority linguistic communities, are taken into account when federal policies and programs are designed and delivered.

The Council of Canadian Innovators (CCI) is engaging with government officials to discuss the alignment between CCI’s priorities and the federal government’s efforts to foster innovation in Canada. These discussions focus on ensuring that government programs and policies effectively support high-growth Canadian technology firms and strengthen the country’s innovation ecosystem. Canadian Sovereign AI Compute Strategy: advocacy was focused on bringing domestic firms into the value chain through policies and measures that provide equal opportunity for Canadian Head Quartered companies. Discussion on the intangible economy, SR&ED, and economic growth as it relates to domestic expenditures for intellectual property filing, as well as a focus on small and medium-sized companies. US Trade - discussed Tariffs and handling of Canada US Mexico Trade Agreement. Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) to establish a sponsorship agreement related to CCI's Board education training program for the intangible economy. Small Business and Tourism, Changes to Canadian Export Program (CanExport) so it allows more technology companies to apply Procurement – Changes to Request for Proposal (RFP) process to break down large bundles into smaller amounts for Medium and Small Business (SMEs) can apply Health Canada: advocate for an increase of resources for Therapeutics Canada for them to speed up processing times and efficiencies within their department; create working groups and framework with industry leaders and health Canada on digital and data health, and create a therapeutics working group with industry and health Canada. Finance – Changes to Scientific research and experimental development (SR&ED) tax incentive program to make the process easier for Medium and Small Business (SMEs) to apply and report on the current program, to further increase the maximum a SME can apply for Export Development Canada (EDC) to establish a sponsorship agreement related to CCI's Board education training program for the intangible economy. Environment and Climate Change Canada, give input and feedback on the PanCanada Framework, Canada-China agreement for scientific and technological cooperation, and the relationship between Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Emitters & CO2 Reducers. Our focus is on involving Canadian high-growth firms in the policies and programs the government is working on regarding climate change and the greening of government. Discussions on international trade, specifically on the North American Free Trade Agreement with respect to data localisation, labour mobility and tariffs. Defence & Security: advocate for a domestic-focused cybersecurity ecosystem that has Canadian companies at the centre of a national cybersecurity defence policy. Citizenship and immigration – Change the current work visa time lines, seek changes to the the Labour Market Impact Assessment for expatiating and a faster process Changes to Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP) to make the process easier for Medium and Small Business (SMEs) to apply and report on the current program, to Increase the maximum amount a SME can apply for Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) - changes to (scientific research and experimental development) SR&ED program with how it is administered and reviewed. Discussed companies SR&ED claims and issues with their processing. Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) to establish a sponsorship agreement related to CCI's Board education training program for the intangible economy.