The Daily — Spending on research and development in the higher education sector, 2022/2023
Concepts for expenditures on research and development in the higher education sector
The higher education sector is composed of all universities, colleges of technology, and other institutions that provide formal tertiary education programs, as well as all research institutes and centres, experimental stations, and clinics that are operated under the direct control of higher education institutions.
Higher education research and development (HERD) is a large component of Canada’s overall gross expenditures on research and development (R&D). Science and technology (S&T) activities conducted by higher education institutions produce knowledge that seeds innovations in the other performing sectors of the economy. Moreover, HERD spending increases the capacity of S&T activities that researchers are able to perform in all sectors of the Canadian economy.
Total expenditures on R&D are classified into two fields of science: natural sciences and engineering and social sciences, humanities and the arts.
There are six funding sources for R&D expenditures in the higher education sector: business enterprises, private non-profit organizations, the federal government, provincial governments, the foreign sector and internal funding from the higher education sector.
The R&D intensity of a country is the ratio of R&D expenditures to gross domestic product (GDP). This can also be calculated for the sectors of a country’s economy. This indicator facilitates comparisons both over time and between countries.
To better understand the concepts and definitions relating to R&D expenditures in the higher education sector, please consult the Frascati Manual 2015: Guidelines for Collecting and Reporting Data on Research and Experimental Development, The Measurement of Scientific, Technological and Innovation Activities, OECD Publishing, Paris.
References
Main Science and Technology Indicators (MSTI database). (2024). On this page, under “Related files,” download the Excel Workbook and search for “HERD as a percentage of GDP” in the “List of tables” tab.
