The aims of this paper are to summarize Canadian government programs pertaining to research and development (R&D) and R&D support programs, and to propose a method for analyzing their socio-economic impact. The programs under investigation include:  • Canada Research Chairs •                Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation •              Canada Foundation for Innovation •              Technology Partnerships Canada (TPC) •            Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP) •       Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) •             Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) •   Canada Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) •                Canadian Institute of Advanced Research (CIAR) •    Pre-Competitive Advanced Research Networks (PRECARN) • Networks of Centres of Excellence