National Research Council Act

Marginal note:Powers of Council

• 5 (1) Without limiting the general powers conferred on or vested in the Council by this Act, the Council may

  • (a) subject to the approval of the Governor in Council, make by-laws for the conduct of its business;

  • (b) control and direct the work of the Council through the President;

  • (c) undertake, assist or promote scientific and industrial research, including, without restricting the generality of the foregoing,

    • (i) the utilization of the natural resources of Canada,

    • (ii) researches with the object of improving the technical processes and methods used in the industries of Canada, and of discovering processes and methods that may promote the expansion of existing or the development of new industries,

    • (iii) researches with the view of utilizing the waste products of those industries,

    • (iv) the investigation and determination of standards and methods of measurements, including length, volume, weight, mass, capacity, time, heat, light, electricity, magnetism and other forms of energy, and the investigation and determination of physical constants and the fundamental properties of matter,

    • (v) the standardization and certification of the scientific and technical apparatus and instruments for the Government service and for use in the industries of Canada, and the determination of the standards of quality of the materials used in construction of public works and of the supplies used in the various branches of the Government service,

    • (vi) the investigation and standardization, at the request of any of the industries of Canada, of the materials used or usable in, or the products of, the industries making the request, and

    • (vii) researches, the object of which is to improve conditions in agriculture;

  • (d) have charge of and direction or supervision over the researches that may be undertaken, under conditions to be determined in each case, by or for single industrial firms or by such organizations or persons as may desire to avail themselves of the facilities offered for this purpose;

  • (e) expend, for the purposes of this Act, any money appropriated by Parliament for the work of the Council or received by the Council through the conduct of its operations;

  • (f) acquire any money, securities or other property by gift, bequest or otherwise, and expend, administer or dispose of any of the money, securities or other property subject to the terms, if any, on which the money, securities or other property is given, bequeathed or otherwise made available to the Council;

  • (g) appoint such scientific, technical and other officers as are nominated by the President, fix the tenure of their appointments, prescribe their several duties and, subject to the approval of the Governor in Council, fix their remuneration;

  • (h) authorize the President or any other officer of the Council to appoint persons to perform duties of a temporary nature for a period not exceeding six months;

  • (i) establish, operate and maintain a national science library;

  • (j) subject to the approval of the Minister, publish and sell or otherwise distribute such scientific and technical information as the Council deems necessary;

  • (k) carry on work and manufacturing of an experimental and developmental nature with respect to the matters referred to in paragraphs (c) and (d) so as to render the processes, methods or products relating to those matters more available and effective in useful arts and manufacturing and for scientific purposes and otherwise;

  • (l) license, sell or otherwise grant or make available to others, and receive royalties, fees and payment for, any intellectual property right — including any patent, copyright, industrial design, trademark, trade secret, know-how or other similar right and any such future right that is described under a written agreement — that is held, developed, administered or controlled by the Council, whether vested in Her Majesty in right of Canada or in the Council; and

  • (m) operate and administer any astronomical observatories established or maintained by the Government of Canada.

• Marginal note:Delegation to President

  (2) The Minister may authorize the President to approve on the Minister’s behalf the publication, sale or other distribution by the Council of scientific and technical information.

• Marginal note:Public Servants Inventions Act

  (3) Despite section 9 of the Public Servants Inventions Act, the administration and control of any invention made by a public servant, as defined in section 2 of that Act, who is employed by the Council, and vested in Her Majesty by that Act, and any patent issued with respect to the invention, are vested in the Council.