Meet NRCan’s Chief Scientist

As the department’s Chief Scientist, Dr. Ranjana Sharma is the senior-most scientific authority in NRCan, accountable for providing corporate science leadership, oversight and strategic policy advice on all aspects of cross-cutting science priorities, policies, capacity and management in NRCan. She leads the Office of the Chief Scientist in its role of advancing science policy by leading on the development of horizontal policies and implementing related systems and tools; she facilitates evidence-based decision-making by coordinating NRCan science advice, including for impact assessments.

Prior to this role, Dr. Sharma was Senior Director responsible for providing science-specific policy advice and guidance for the Laboratories Canada program at Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC). In this role, she led science-based collaboration with partners, including science-based departments and agencies, academia, industry, Indigenous groups, Provinces, and other stakeholders.

Dr. Sharma holds a Ph.D. in Molecular Physiology and has over 20 years of experience in science-based organizations and the science policy sector. She started her research career at the University of Alberta and joined the public service as a Research Scientist at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) in 2003.