New CFI president's vision for foundation

In an interview with University Affairs, Canada Foundation for Innovation president Gilles Patry, who took the helm of the foundation in August, says he sees his mission as assessing and marrying the needs of the federal government, provinces, and institutions. The former University of Ottawa president believes CFI must continue with its slightly shifted direction to acknowledge the need for operation support as well as infrastructure funding. He is asking the federal government for $750 million in the 2011 budget, to be spent over 5 years, starting in 2013. Of the total "ask," $150 million would be allocated to CFI's Infrastructure Operating Fund. Patry points to South Korea and Finland as examples of countries that offset declining business R&D investments with public investments in education and research institutions, and believes Canada should adopt the same strategy. University Affairs