Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences

Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences
Name	Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences
Formation	2000
Dissolution	2014
Type	Non-profit funding organization
Headquarters	Ottawa, Ontario
Region served	Canada
Leader title	President
Parent organization	Networks of Centres of Excellence

Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences The Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences (CFCAS) was a national research funding organization that supported atmospheric, climate and cryospheric science in Canada from 2000 until its merger into other bodies in 2014. It distributed competitive grants to research teams working across institutions such as University of Toronto, University of British Columbia, McGill University, University of Alberta and Université Laval, and coordinated with international partners including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, UK Met Office, European Space Agency, World Meteorological Organization and International Arctic Science Committee.

History

CFCAS was established in 2000 following recommendations from panels involving stakeholders such as the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, Canadian Institutes of Health Research advisory groups, and reviews led by figures associated with Environment Canada and the Canadian Space Agency. Early milestones included funding responses to events studied by researchers at Fisheries and Oceans Canada labs, collaborations with the Canadian Polar Commission, and contributions to assessments like those of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Throughout the 2000s CFCAS issued strategic calls that shaped projects at centres including the ArcticNet network, the Prairie Climate Centre, and regional teams in partnership with provincial agencies such as Ontario Ministry of the Environment and British Columbia Ministry of Environment.

Mission and Objectives

CFCAS aimed to strengthen Canadian capacity in atmospheric and climate science by awarding grants to investigators at institutions including Dalhousie University, McMaster University, Simon Fraser University, Queen's University, and University of Calgary. Objectives featured development of long-term observational networks tied to infrastructures like the Canadian Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Change, support for field programs in the Arctic, Hudson Bay, and Great Lakes, and training of students and postdoctoral fellows from programs at Institut national de la recherche scientifique, University of Saskatchewan, and Memorial University of Newfoundland.

Governance and Funding

Governance of CFCAS involved boards and scientific advisory committees populated by academics and policymakers from organizations such as Royal Society of Canada, Canada Foundation for Innovation, and representatives from provincial research agencies like Alberta Innovates. Funding streams came from federal allocations negotiated with departments exemplified by Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat decisions and leveraged matching support from partners such as Suncor Energy, Shell Canada, Hydro-Québec, and philanthropic entities including the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Grant administration followed peer review models involving panels drawn from scholars at Imperial College London, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Cambridge, ETH Zurich and CSIRO.

Research Programs and Projects

CFCAS sponsored programs spanning atmospheric chemistry, climate modelling, cryosphere processes, and integrated assessment carried out by consortia that included scientists from National Research Council of Canada, Environment Canada', and university groups at Concordia University and York University. Major initiatives supported deployment of observing systems such as radiosonde networks tied to Global Atmosphere Watch, satellite validation campaigns with the Canada Centre for Remote Sensing, paleoclimate reconstructions using cores studied at Canadian Museum of Nature, and coupled model development interfacing with ensembles from Coupled Model Intercomparison Project participants. Projects addressed issues linked to phenomena studied by teams focusing on El Niño–Southern Oscillation, Arctic amplification, North Atlantic Oscillation, and pollutant transport akin to research from Paul Crutzen-influenced atmospheric chemistry groups.

Partnerships and Collaborations

CFCAS cultivated partnerships with domestic bodies including Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society, Climate Change and Emissions Management Corporation, and provincial research networks such as Manitoba Climate Change Program. International collaborations aligned CFCAS-funded teams with projects under auspices of UNESCO, the International Arctic Science Committee, Global Climate Observing System, and bilateral programs with agencies like National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NOAA, European Commission research directorates, and national meteorological services including Météo-France.

Impact and Achievements

CFCAS funding contributed to peer-reviewed outputs from researchers affiliated with University of Victoria, Université de Montréal, McGill University Health Centre, and national labs, influencing assessment reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and informing policy analyses in venues such as House of Commons of Canada committee briefings. Outputs included enhanced observational datasets archived at facilities like the Canadian Cryospheric Information Network and improvements to regional climate model suites used by provincial planners in Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland and Labrador. CFCAS-supported trainees moved to roles in institutions such as World Bank climate units, provincial ministries, and international research centres including Hadley Centre.

Criticism and Controversies

Critics from organizations such as think tanks aligned with Fraser Institute and commentators in outlets like National Post questioned aspects of CFCAS funding priorities, transparency, and industry partnerships with firms including Encana and Chevron Canada; debates also occurred over allocation between basic research at universities like University of Ottawa and applied projects for regional stakeholders such as Northwest Territories governments. Some academic observers compared CFCAS governance to models at European Research Council and National Science Foundation and argued for greater openness in peer review and longer-term sustained funding for infrastructure valued by organisms studying permafrost and sea-ice at sites used by Canadian Ice Service.

Category:Climate research organizations Category:Scientific organizations based in Canada