Read our 2-page overview: What is the CBRS?
Canada’s Brain Advantage for a Thriving Economy
Aug 2025 – Written submission to the Department of Finance Canada: Pre-Budget Consultations in Advance of the 2025 Budget
- Positioned brain capital as economic infrastructure, linked research directly to workforce productivity and competitiveness, and reinforced urgency of sustained federal investment
Canada’s Brain Advantage for a Thriving Economy
Aug 2025 – Written Submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance Pre-Budget Consultations in Advance of the 2025 Budget
- Spotlighted brain economy framing, directly connected to Canada’s G7 Presidency and economic competitiveness
Canada Brain Economy Declaration
Jun 2025 – Adopted at the conclusion of the G7 Canada Brain Economy Summit
- Called on governments to recognize brain health and research as economic priorities, commit sustained investment, strengthen international coordination, and build workforce and societal capacity for the brain economy
Brain Research: The Cornerstone for Canada’s Future Socio-Economic Wealth
Mar 2025 – Written submission to the Department of Finance Canada: Pre-Budget Consultations in Advance of the 2025 Budget
- Framed brain health as a workforce and productivity issue, and emphasized Canada’s position in global momentum on brain health and research
Canada 2025 G7 Brain Economy Summit: Call to Action
Feb 2025 – CBRS co-led this policy note with 20 international co-authors, and endorsed by 50+ global signatories
- Issued a call to Canada under its G7 Presidency to recognize brain health and research as core economic priorities
Support for the National Strategy on Brain Injuries Act
Oct 2024 – Written Submission to the Standing Committee on Health: Study on Bill C-277, An Act to establish a national strategy on brain injuries
- Expressed support for a national brain injury strategy; linked to CBRS vision of coordinated approaches across brain health conditions and across the lifespan
Brain Research: The cornerstone for Canada’s future social-economic wealth
Aug 2024 – Written Submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance Pre-Budget Consultations in Advance of the 2025 Budget
- Outlined the need for a coordinated, lifespan approach to brain health and aligned Canada with global brain initiatives
Capstone Consultation Submission
Jul 2024 – Written submission to the Canada Research Coordinating Committee in response to the Capstone Consultation
- Stressed the need for new, dedicated funding outside Tri-Council budgets, preservation of Tri-Council autonomy, and researcher oversight in mission-driven programs; positioned CBRI as a model for cross-disciplinary funding
Strengthening the Research Ecosystem through a National Brain Research Initiative
Jun 2024 – Written Submission to the Standing Committee for Science and Research Study on Federal Government Funding of Canada’s Post-Secondary Institutions
- Argued that inequities in funding outcomes reflect chronic underfunding, and positioned a Canadian Brain Research Initiative (CBRI) as a way to promote equitable access to resources and support excellence in brain research across the country
Immersing and Utilizing Indigenous Knowledges in Policy to Bridge Brain Science with the Future
Feb 2024 – Written Submission to the Standing Committee for Science and Research: Study on Integration of Indigenous Traditional Knowledge and Science in Government Policy Development
- Presented a framework developed through CBRS’s Two-Eyed Seeing Workshop, highlighting Indigenous Knowledges as a key strength in shaping Canada’s research and policy
Brain Research: The cornerstone for Canada’s future social-economic wealth
Feb 2024 – Written submission to the Department of Finance Canada: Pre-Budget Consultations in Advance of the 2024 Budget
- Linked brain research to productivity and innovation; underscored Canada’s collaborative strengths and highlighted Indigenous Knowledges as a unique strength in Canada’s approach
Brain Research: The cornerstone for Canada’s future social-economic wealth
Aug 2023 – Written submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance: Pre-Budget Consultations in Advance of the 2024 Budget
- Introduced the “brain capital” framing and highlighted coalition leadership with shared strategic priorities in building an open, collaborative, and transdisciplinary brain research ecosystem
A National Brain Research Initiative for the Health, Social, and Economic Advancement of Canada
Mar 2023 – Written submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee for Science and Research: Study on International Moonshot Programs
- Positioned brain research as a pressing challenge requiring moonshot-level coordination—large-scale, long-term, and collaborative—citing brain initiatives in other countries as models
Brain Research Must Be a National Priority for the Social, Health, and Economic Advancement of Canada
Feb 2023 – Written submission to the Department of Finance Canada: Pre-Budget Consultations in Advance of the 2023 Budget
- Additional emphasis on pandemic impacts, dementia, and caregiving burdens; positioned brain research alongside AI and Quantum as a moonshot investment
Brain Research Must Be a National Priority for the Social, Health, and Economic Advancement of Canada
Aug 2022 – Written submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance: Pre-Budget Consultations in Advance of the 2023 Budget
- Our first CBRS budget submission positioned brain research as a national priority with health, social, and economic benefits, and introduced CBRI as the solution
Establishing a Brain Research Initiative for Canada
Mar 2022 – Written submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee for Science and Research: Successes, Challenges and Opportunities for Science in Canada
- Highlighted Canada’s scientific strengths in brain research, challenges due to fragmentation and underfunding, and pointed to the opportunity to advance through a coordinated national brain research initiative
