John Wilkinson, Minister of Research and Innovation	Bob Delaney, Parliamentary Assistant
George Ross, Deputy Minister	Adam Chowaniec, Chair of Ontario Research and Innovation Council

Major branches within the ministry are:

Outreach, Promotion and Business Development Branch

The Outreach, Promotion and Business Development Branch’s mandate is to:

• Develop a strategic framework for MRI’s international activities and lead specific international activities and programs

• Develop an overall marketing and promotion plan to showcase Ontario internationally and raise the profile and awareness of Ontario’s innovation agenda internationally

• Increase MRI’s outreach activities, including developing a new Innovation Ontario web site and implementing key youth outreach programs, including Youth Science and Technology Outreach Program (YSTOP) and Teachers’ Science and Technology Outreach Program (TSTOP)

• Implement the government’s commitment to the Ontario Venture Capital Fund

The Innovation Policy Branch

The Innovation Policy Branch assists the ministry through its:

• Integrated, evidence-based policy framework for research and innovation across government
• Support for the Innovation Deputy Ministers’ Committee and the Assistant Deputy Minister’s Committee on Innovation
• Arrangements to work horizontally with key ministries across government to ensure coordination of innovation-related activities
• The Branch also provides policy and secretariat support to the Ontario Research and Innovation Council (ORIC). ORIC provides expert advice on how to get the most out of Ontario’s creative potential.

Research Branch

The Research Branch manages MRI programs that fund leading edge research, provide matching funding for federally funded research infrastructure awards, celebrate Ontario’s top researchers and innovators and support early career researchers.

The branch is responsible for the delivery of the following programs:

• Ontario Research Fund program
• Early Researcher Award program
• Premier’s Discovery and Catalyst Awards programs
• Ontario Research Development Challenge Fund

Commercialization Branch

The Commercialization Branch works to support technology transfer, technology uptake and commercialization in knowledge intensive industries. The branch also focuses on life science related activities for the ministry.

The branch administers the following programs:

• Market Readiness Programs
• Ontario Research Commercialization Program
• Ontario Commercialization Network Program
• Ontario Fuel Cell Innovation Program
• Ontario Centres of Excellence Inc.
• Health Technologies Exchange Program
• Innovation Demonstration Fund
• Ontario Institute for Cancer Research.