Program directory · National Research Council Canada
Research Information Technology Platforms (Enabling)
- Department
- National Research Council Canada
- Program code
- BNQ20 (NRC)
- Core responsibility
- Science and Innovation
- In Departmental Plans
- 2018-19 – 2026-27 · New since an earlier plan
What it does
The Research Information Technology (IT) Platforms program oversees and delivers on three research platforms: specialized research equipment, high performance computing and remaining research-relevant infrastructure. Specialized research equipment, IT equipment embedded within or linked to non-IT laboratory equipment, is use to provide control in the formation and gathering, storing and analyzing of research data while high performance computing is a primary research tool in a wide range of research areas, such as gene sequencing and astronomy. Research-relevant infrastructure ensures that researchers have access to a multitude of IT tools and support services, such as end user devices, research development environments and source code repositories, that are critical for delivering research outcomes.
Source: the department's Program Inventory, via GC InfoBase.
History and lineage
First appears in GC InfoBase's actual spending by program in 2018-19. The data does not record when a program was created; it may be older than its first appearance here, which is limited by the sources (program spending starts in 2010-11, Departmental Plans in 2018-19).
| Program | Relation | Years with data | Actual spending over those years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research Information Technology Platforms (Enabling) | This program | 2018-19 – 2028-29 | $53.3M |
No earlier or later program in the same department has a similar name.
Significant changes in scope and budget
Detected from the data: renames between plans, programs it appears to replace, merge with or split into (matched by name), year-over-year changes in spending of at least 25% and $5M, or in employees of at least 20% and 25 FTEs, linked budget measures, and results indicators added or dropped.
| Year | What changed | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | Spending $2.5M, against $8M in 2021-22 (−69%). | Actual spending (GC InfoBase) |
| 2024-25 | Indicators added: Number of research functions migrated to new digital platforms | Departmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase) |
| 2024-25 | Indicators dropped: Number of unique research projects operating on modern platforms (SSC infrastructure, cloud, collaboration centres, specialized research environments) | Departmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase) |
| 2024-25 | Spending $13.8M, against $3.3M in 2023-24 (+320%). | Actual spending (GC InfoBase) |
Success criteria
The program's indicators from its department's Departmental Results Framework: the target set in each year's plan, and the result reported the following year. Source: GC InfoBase.
Historical: targets against results
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | ≥ 19 | 2025 | 14 The NRC is committed to enhancing its Research Information Technology Platforms and is in the process of a significant initiative to transfer research applications and labs to modern platforms and networks. To facilitate faster achievement of this objective, a new approach to the structure of activities was taken for effective progress for the remaining migrations. | Not met |
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | TBD | 2019 | 37 | Met |
| 2019-20 | — | 2020 | 24 Target to be set for 2020-21. | No result reported |
| 2020-21 | ≥ 37 | 2021 | 18 Knowledge, Information and Technology Services anticipated an intake in projects meeting the original Research Information Technology Platforms (RITP) criteria, but the number of projects was limited by the reduced capacity of the project management team due to other pandemic related priorities, and the restrictive nature of the RITP criteria. In 2021-22 the NRC will work with the Treasury Board… | Not met |
| 2021-22 | ≥ 22 | 2022 | 27 | Met |
| 2022-23 | ≥ 35 | 2023 | 20 Research Information Technology Platforms conducted consultations with the NRC research community to inform its plans for fiscal year 2022-23 after the target setting date for this indicator. Moving forward, the program will work to adjust the timeline of its annual consultation exercise to align with NRC planning processes. | Not met |
| 2023-24 | ≥ 40 | 2024 | 19 The NRC is in process of a significant initiative to transfer research applications and labs to modern platforms and networks. After an internal assessment, stakeholder feedback, and a project health check by an independent external party, the initiative is being replanned and structured for success to proceed more rapidly and effectively. | Not met |
Current: the 2026-27 plan's targets
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | ≥ 30 | 2027 | — | Planned |
Future goals: targets due after 2026-27
No targets with a later due date.
Spending and employees: planned against actual
Spending
Show the numbers
| Fiscal year | Planned | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | $9.7M | $8M |
| 2019-20 | $8.9M | $8.6M |
| 2020-21 | $9.8M | $9.1M |
| 2021-22 | $8.8M | $8M |
| 2022-23 | $8.8M | $2.5M |
| 2023-24 | $8.8M | $3.3M |
| 2024-25 | $8.8M | $13.8M |
| 2025-26 | $13.5M | — |
| 2026-27 | $13.1M | — |
| 2027-28 | $13.1M* | — |
| 2028-29 | $13.3M* | — |
Employees (FTEs)
Show the numbers
| Fiscal year | Planned | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | 9 | 10 |
| 2019-20 | 6 | 16 |
| 2020-21 | 16 | 16 |
| 2021-22 | 16 | 13 |
| 2022-23 | 13 | 14 |
| 2023-24 | 13 | 16 |
| 2024-25 | 37 | 16 |
| 2025-26 | 17 | — |
| 2026-27 | 18 | — |
| 2027-28 | 18* | — |
| 2028-29 | 18* | — |
Planned spending, plan by plan
Each row is one year's Departmental Plan and its forecast for the next three fiscal years; read a column down to see how the forecast for one year changed. The last row is what was actually spent. Click an amount for its source. Biggest changes in federal spending plans
| Plan | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | 2024-25 | 2025-26 | 2026-27 | 2027-28 | 2028-29 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 plan | $9,700,000 | $9,700,000 | $9,700,000 | ||||||||
| 2019-20 plan | $8,895,500 | $9,700,000 | $9,700,000 | ||||||||
| 2020-21 plan | $9,754,380 | $9,772,993 | $9,772,909 | ||||||||
| 2021-22 plan | $8,772,993 | $8,772,909 | $8,772,909 | ||||||||
| 2022-23 plan | $8,772,909 | $8,772,909 | $8,772,909 | ||||||||
| 2023-24 plan | $8,772,909 | $8,772,909 | $8,770,014 | ||||||||
| 2024-25 plan | $8,772,909 | $8,452,613 | $8,452,613 | ||||||||
| 2025-26 plan | $13,474,777 | $13,474,576 | $13,474,279 | ||||||||
| 2026-27 plan | $13,059,770 | $13,065,372 | $13,256,706 | ||||||||
| Actual | $8,033,468 | $8,602,172 | $9,077,395 | $8,040,371 | $2,463,323 | $3,279,729 | $13,778,321 |
Actual spending is from Departmental Results Reports and the Public Accounts, as published in GC InfoBase. FTEs are full-time equivalents.
