An Act respecting the National Research Council of CanadaNational Research Council ActNational Research Council201301
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N-15SHORT TITLEShort titleThis Act may be cited as the National Research Council Act.
R.S., c. N-14, s. 1.
INTERPRETATIONDefinitionsIn this Act,company[Repealed, 1999, c. 31, s. 168]CouncilConseilCouncil means the Council established by subsection 3(1);MinisterministreMinister means such member of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada as may be designated by the Governor in Council as the Minister for the purposes of this Act;PresidentprésidentPresident means the President of the Council appointed under subsection 3(1).
R.S., 1985, c. N-15, s. 2;
1999, c. 31, s. 168.
ESTABLISHMENT OF COUNCILCouncil establishedThere is established a Council, to be called the National Research Council of Canada, consisting of a president and not more than 18 other members to be appointed by the Governor in Council.Council incorporatedThe Council is a body corporate that has power to acquire and hold real, personal, movable and immovable property for the purposes of and subject to this Act.
R.S., 1985, c. N-15, s. 3;
2001, c. 4, s. 108;
2010, c. 12, s. 1757.
Previous VersionDUTIES AND POWERSDuties of CouncilThe Council has charge of such matters affecting scientific and industrial research in Canada as may be assigned to it by the Governor in Council.
R.S., c. N-14, s. 7;
1976-77, c. 24, s. 55.
Powers of CouncilWithout limiting the general powers conferred on or vested in the Council by this Act, the Council maysubject to the approval of the Governor in Council, make by-laws for the conduct of its business;control and direct the work of the Council through the President;undertake, assist or promote scientific and industrial research, including, without restricting the generality of the foregoing,the utilization of the natural resources of Canada,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,researches with the view of utilizing the waste products of those industries,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,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,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, andresearches, the object of which is to improve conditions in agriculture;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;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;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;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;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;establish, operate and maintain a national science library;subject to the approval of the Minister, publish and sell or otherwise distribute such scientific and technical information as the Council deems necessary;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;license, sell or otherwise grant or make available to others, and receive royalties, fees and payment for, Canadian or other patent rights or any other rights, vested in or owned or controlled by the Council, to or in respect of any discovery, invention or improvement in any art, process, apparatus, machine, manufacture or composition of matter; andoperate and administer any astronomical observatories established or maintained by the Government of Canada.Delegation to PresidentThe 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.
R.S., 1985, c. N-15, s. 5;
2001, c. 4, s. 109(F);
2004, c. 25, s. 165(F).
Previous VersionORGANIZATIONTenure of officeEach member of the Council, other than the President, shall be appointed to hold office for a term of not more than three years.
R.S., c. N-14, s. 5;
1976-77, c. 24, s. 52.
Appointment of PresidentThe President shall be appointed to hold office for such term, not exceeding five years, as the Governor in Council may determine.
R.S., c. N-14, s. 6;
1976-77, c. 24, s. 53.
Executive capacity of PresidentThe President is the chief executive officer of the Council and has supervision over and direction of the work of the Council and of the officers, technical and otherwise, appointed for the purpose of carrying on the work of the Council.
R.S., c. N-14, s. 6;
1976-77, c. 24, s. 53.
Acting PresidentIf the President is absent or unable to act or if the office of President is vacant, the Minister may appoint, for a period not exceeding ninety days, an acting President who, while so acting, is a member of the Council and has all the powers of the President.
1976-77, c. 24, s. 54.
Re-appointmentAny retiring President or other retiring member of the Council is eligible for re-appointment.
R.S., c. N-14, ss. 5, 6;
1976-77, c. 24, s. 53.
Salary and expenses of PresidentThe President shall be paid such salary and expenses as are fixed by the Governor in Council.Acting President’s salary and expensesAn acting President shall be paid such salary and expenses as are fixed by the Governor in Council.Travel and other expensesThe members of the Council, other than the President, shall serve without remuneration but each of those members is entitled to be paid reasonable travel and other expenses incurred while absent from his ordinary place of residence in the course of performing duties under this Act.Remuneration for additional dutiesNotwithstanding subsection (3), a member of the Council, other than the President, shall, for any period during which the member performs with the approval of the Council any duties on its behalf in addition to his ordinary duties, be paid such remuneration therefor as may be authorized by the Council.
R.S., c. N-14, ss. 6, 12;
1976-77, c. 24, ss. 53, 54, 58.
Head officeThe head office of the Council shall be at such place in Canada as may be designated by the Governor in Council.
R.S., c. N-14, s. 10;
1976-77, c. 24, s. 56.
MeetingsThe Council shall meet at least three times a year at such times and at such places in Canada as it considers necessary.
R.S., c. N-14, s. 10;
1976-77, c. 24, s. 56.
Executive committeeThere is hereby established an executive committee of the Council consisting of the President and at least six other members to be selected by the Council.Powers of executive committeeThe executive committee of the Council may exercise the powers of the Council and shall submit, at each meeting of the Council, minutes of the proceedings of that committee since the last preceding meeting of the Council.
R.S., c. N-14, ss. 5, 11;
1976-77, c. 24, ss. 52, 57(F).
Agent of Her MajestyThe Council is for all purposes of this Act an agent of Her Majesty and it may exercise its powers under this Act only as an agent of Her Majesty.Proceedings by and against the CouncilActions, suits or other legal proceedings in respect of any right or obligation acquired or incurred by the Council on behalf of Her Majesty, whether in its name or in the name of Her Majesty, may be brought or taken by or against the Council in the name of the Council in any court that would have jurisdiction if the Council were not an agent of Her Majesty.
R.S., c. N-14, s. 9.
AUDITAudit relating to CouncilAll the receipts and expenditures of the Council are subject to examination and audit by the Auditor General of Canada.
R.S., c. N-14, s. 15;
1976-77, c. 34, s. 30(F).
ANNUAL REPORTAnnual report to ParliamentThe President shall, within four months after the termination of each fiscal year, transmit to the Minister a report of the operations of the Council for that fiscal year and the Minister shall cause that report to be laid before Parliament within fifteen days after the receipt thereof or, if Parliament is not then sitting, on any of the first fifteen days next thereafter that either House of Parliament is sitting.