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Peter W.B. Phillips PhD, MSc, BA Distinguished University Professor Emeritus, U of S

Distinguished University Professor Emeritus, Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, University of Saskatchewan campus

Areas of Interest

  • Science, technology and innovation policy
  • International political economy
  • Regulation, governance and trade policy
  • Decision making theory and behavioural experimentation

About

Dr. Phillips is a distinguished university professor emeritus and was the founding Director of the Johnson Shoyama Center for the Study of Science and Innovation Policy. He earned his Ph.D. at the LSE and practiced for 13 years as a professional economist in industry and government. At the University of Saskatchewan, he was the Van Vliet Research Professor, created and held an NSERC-SSHRC Chair in Managing Technological Change in Agriculture, was director of the virtual College of Biotechnology, and was founding director of the JSGS. He has had appointments at the LSE, OECD, European University Institute in Florence, University of Edinburgh and University of Western Australia. He was a founding member of the Canadian Biotechnology Advisory Committee and was on the boards of Canadian Agri-food Policy Institute, Pharmalytics and Ag-West Bio Inc. He has held >15 peer-reviewed grants worth >$250 million and is author/editor of 15 books, >60 journal articles and >55 book chapters.

Download Peter Phillips' abridged CV.

Designations

  • Ph.D. (International Political Economy), The London School of Economics and Political Science
  • M.Sc.Econ. (Economics), The London School of Economics and Political Science
  • B.A. (High Honours in Economics and Political Studies), University of Saskatchewan

Supervisory Capacity

Peter Phillips is currently not accepting applications from new PhD or MPP students.

Current Research

  • Governance and regulation of new technologies (via Valgen and NSERC Create Projects)
  • Intellectual property management and technology governance (via SSHRC Insight Grant)
  • Decision making in complex systems (via EDL)

Recent Grants/Awards

Recent Honours

  • Distinguished University Professor Emeritus, University of Saskatchewan 2023-present
  • Distinguished University Professor, University of Saskatchewan, July 1, 2014-June 30, 2023
  • Visiting Professor, Institute for Advanced Studies, University of Western Australia, Perth, AU, 2013
  • Visiting Research Fellow, Innogen, University of Edinburgh, 2012
  • Affiliate, Martin Prosperity Institute, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto, 2010-present
  • Adjunct Professor of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Regina, 2010-2015
  • Imagining Science (edited by Caulfield and Caulfield) won first prize in the Scholarly/Reference category in the 2009 New York Book Show sponsored by the Bookbinders’ Guild of New York (March 2009). Author of one of the essays in this collection.
  • Nominated for University of Saskatchewan Distinguished Researcher Award, 2008.
  • Quality of Communication Award from the American Agricultural Economics Association, 2007, for Regulating agricultural biotechnology: Economics and Policy, edited by R. Just, J. Alston, and D. Zilberman (Smyth, Phillips and Kerr are coauthors of chapter in the book).
  • Canadian Agricultural Trade Policy Research Network (CAPTRN) Senior Fellow, 2006-present
  • Institute of Advanced Study, University of Western Australia, Perth, Professor-at-large, 2006 to 2008

Recent Research Funding

  • Phillips, P, S. Smyth and L. Awada. 2019-22. Renewed funding for Maintenance Project for social sciences as part of the Designing Crops for Global Food Security, $37.5 million. Canada First Research Excellence Fund Program. Budget $1.31 million
  • Phillips, P and S. Smyth. 2019-22. GIFS-CSIP Strategic Partnership. $675,000.
  • Bett, K., B. Vandenberg, P. Phillips, et al. 2019-23. Enhancing the Value of Lentil Variation for Ecosystem Survival (EVOLVES). Genome Canada Large Scale Applied Research Project ($7,432,397). Coapplicant and PI.
  • Fraser, Evan, P. Phillips et al. 2019. Farming 4.0: Investigating how the digital data revolution may change how we produce food and the nature of rural communities. SSHRC Insight Grant, $399,248. (Coapplicant)
  • Phillips, P, A. Ballantyne, M. Hurlbert and J Rayner. 2018-21. CNL/COG grant on Low Dose Radiation; $650K.
  • Beaudry, Catherine, P. Phillips, et al. 2018. Partnership Grant for the Organization of Innovation and New Technologies (4POINT0). SSHRC Partnership Grant, $2.5 million (estimate $75K share for research at Saskatoon).
  • Elgie, S. Peter Phillips et al. 2016-22. Co-applicant and collaborator. Greening Growth Research and Policy Partnership (GGRAPP). SSHRC Partnership Grant, $2.5 million. (Estimate $50K share for research at Saskatoon).
  • Doern, GB, D. Castle and P. Phillips. 2016. Awards to Scholarly Publication Program (ASPP) grant awarded by the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences, using funds provided by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. $8,000 awarded in support of the publication of Canadian Science, Technology and Innovation Policy: The Innovation Economy and Society Nexus.
  • Moloney, M., P. Phillips, et al. 2015-22. Co-applicant. Designing Crops for Global Food Security, $37.5 million. Canada First Research Excellence Fund Program. Receive $3.4 million to run Pillar 4.
  • Potter, A., B. Hancock, P. Phillips et al. 2015-19. Co-applicant. Reverse Vaccinology Approach for the Prevention of Mycobacterial Disease in Cattle, $7,408,600. Genome Canada. Receive $480K to run GE3LS project.
  • Betts, K., B. Vandenberg, P. Phillips, et al. 2015-19. Co-applicant. Application of Genomics to Innovation in the Lentil Economy (AGILE), $8,132,067. Genome Canada.
  • Phillips, P. (2015-18), GIFS Contribution Agreement with CSIP, $300,000.
  • Hebert, P. Phillips, P. et al. 2013-14. Co-applicant. CIFAR Global Diversity Project Collaborator (P. Hebert, UGuelph, Lead), LOI funded $20,000 (one of six finalists of 260 invited to submit formal application for >$5 million project; project rejected June 2014).
  • Singh, B., Phillips, P. et al. 2013-14. Co-applicant. One Health NCE. LOI funded $20,000 (one of 10 finalists invited to submit formal application for >$25 million project; application submitted June 2014)
  • Wolfe, D., Phillips, P. et al. 2014-19. Co-applicant. Creating Digital Opportunity: Canada’s IT Industry in Global Perspective, SSHRC Partnership Grant ($3.2 million project).Co-Applicant and member of Management Committee; receive $81K for research.
  • De Beer, J., Phillips, P. and I McCarthy. 2013-18. Co-applicant. Rethinking intellectual property rights for open innovation, SSHRC Insight Grant, $354,375.
  • Phillips, P. and D. Castle. 2013-14. Co-applicant. One year no-cost extension of VALGEN ($1.1 million) approved by Genome Canada.
  • Phillips, P. 2012-3. Applicant. Funding for J. Leonard, MPP candidate and VALGEN Scholar, The Innovation and Diffusion of Policy: Novelty in the Canadian Regulatory System for Plants with Novel Traits Budget; Canadian Agriculture Innovation Research Network (CAIRN) $10,500
  • Singh, B, Phillips, P. et al. 2013-17. Co-applicant. NSERC CREATE for Protecting the health of Canadians: Integrated Training Program in Infectious Disease, Food Safety and Public Policy (B. Singh, PI; $1.65 million; matched, NSERC # 414153-2012).
  • Phillips, P, Nolan, J and Thompson, V. 2011-16 . Co-applicant. CFI # 27856 Experimental Decision Laboratory (EDL) at the University of Saskatchewan: A facility for the study of decision-making in complex, uncertain situations (CFI Contribution: $154,137; total budget $385,342).
  • Ryan, C., P. Phillips and K. Siddique. 2010-11. Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia International Science Linkage Grant (A$7,500).
  • Castle, D., P. Phillips et al. 2010-13. Theme 5 GE3LS Project, International Barcode of Life Consortium, $990,000 (USask direct budget of $178,923).
  • Gray, R, P. Phillips, et al. 2009-12. Co-applicant. Canadian Agricultural Innovation and Regulation Network (CAIRN), an Enabling Research for Competitive Agriculture Network funded by Agriculture and Agri-food Canada ($750,000)
  • Kerr, W., P. Phillips, et al. 2009-12. Co-applicant. Canadian Agri-Food Trade Policy Research Network, an Enabling Research for Competitive Agriculture Network funded by Agriculture and Agri-food Canada ($750,000)
  • Phillips, P, D. Castle et al. 2009-13. Co-applicant. Value Generation through Genomics and GE3LS (VALGEN), Genome Canada, $5.4 million.
  • Levin, D. P. Phillips, et al. 2009-13. Co-applicant., Microbial Genomics for Biofuels and Co-Products from Biorefining Processing (Levin and Sparling, leads), Genome Canada, $9.75 million (handed off to S. Smyth).
  • Rowland, G. P. Phillips, et al. 2009-13. Co-principal. Total Utilization of Flax GENomics (TUFGEN) (Rowland and Cloutier, leads), Co-applicant. $11.3 million; (, handed off to S. Smyth)
  • Phillips, P., D. Castle, et al. 2008. Co-Champion, Genome Canada Theme Paper on GELS ($15K development grant; proposal rejected).
  • Weslake, R., Phllips, P., et al. 2007-11. Co-applicant., Bioactive Oils Program (Weslake, PI, $4.5 million; AVAC; ~$100,000 USask cash flow)
  • Wolfe, D., Phillips, P. et al. 2006-10. Co-applicant. Major Collaborative Research Initiative on Innovation Systems Research Network II. SSHRC, $2.5 million (received $75K).
    Einsiedel, E., P. Phillips, et al. 2006-10.Co-applicant. Translating Knowledge in Health Systems. Genome Canada, $2.6 million
  • Weslake, R., W. Keller, P. Phillips, et al. 2006-10. Co-applicant. Designing Oilseeds for Tomorrow’s Markets (Westlake and Keller, PIs). Genome Canada, $17 million
  • Fulton, M. P. Phillips, et al. 2006-09. Co-applicant. Adapting to New Environments: Agriculture and Rural Economies in the 21st Century. SSHRC Knowledge Impact in Society Grant, $300,000.
  • Gray, R., P. Phillips, et al. 2005-09. Co-applicant. Agriculture and Agri-food Canada Agrifood Policy Research Network on Innovation ($750,000).
  • Kerr, W., P. Phillips, et al. 2005-09. Co-applicant. Agriculture and Agri-food Canada Agrifood Policy Research Network on Trade ($750,000)
  • Yada, R. et al. 2003-07. Network Investigator, Advanced Foods and Materials National Centre of Excellence. NCE Program, $22 million.
  • Gold, R. et al. 2003-06. Investigator. Modeling Agricultural Biotechnology Intellectual Property Protection, SSHRC Major Collaborative Research Grant, $2,989,500.
  • Phillips, P. 2002-04. Applicant. Cluster structure in Saskatoon; linked into $2.5 M ISRN project. AAFC $75K
  • Caulfield, T., Philips, P. et al. 2001-04. Co-Applicant., Translating Science: Genomics, Genome Prairie $3.3 million.
  • Nolan, J., J. Hobbs, W. Kerr and P. Phillips. 2001-02. Co-applicant. Identify preservation in grain system, SSHRC Standard Grant, $55,000
  • Phillips, P. et al. 2001-02. Co-applicant. Canadian Agri-Food Trade Research Network (CATRN), April 2001 to March 2002. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. $250,000
  • Phillips, P., et al. 2000-01. Co-applicant. Technology Enhanced Learning Case Study. TEL, $100,000
  • Phillips, P. 2000-04. Applicant. NSERC/SSHRC Chair in Managing Knowledge Based Agri-Food Development, $1.1 Million, NSERC/SSHRC
  • Phillips, P. and P. Pardey. 2000-03. Co-applicant., IPRs in Agriculture. IFPRI/CIDA Linkage Grant, $150,000.
  • Phillips, P. et al. 1999-01. Applicant. Identity Preserved Systems for Agri-Food Products and the Impact on the Present Regulatory System. Saskatchewan Agriculture Development Fund $79,000.
  • Phillips, P. et al. 1999-01. Co-applicant. Canadian Agri-Food Trade Research Network (CATRN), Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. $750,000.
  • Phillips, P. 1997-99. Applicant. Van Vliet Chair Research Program. Van Vliet Chair Endowment Fund, $62,500

Select Publications

Books

  • Phillips, Peter WB, Puja Sharma, Ebrahim Hassanpour, Lucy Zhang, Haizhen Mou, Eric Warren, Andrew Phillips, Bethany Penn, Bill Boland, Aaron Hertes, Yvonne Nyake and Simbo Olobobokun. 2023. Studies in Research Design: Investigating the Genome Canada Experience. CSIP Research Paper, 90 pp. https://www.schoolofpublicpolicy.sk.ca/csip/documents/research-paper-summaries/2023_studies-in-research-design.pdf.
  • Phillips, P. and D. Castle. 2022. Ideas, Institutions, and Interests: Canadian Provincial Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy. University of Toronto Press.
  • Phillips, Peter W.B., Canute Rosaasen and Andrew Phillips. 2021. Public Policy Analysis Workbook. Saskatoon: Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy. ISBN: 978-0-9959904-3-2.
  • Smyth, S., W. Kerr and P. Phillips. 2019. GM Agriculture and Food Security: Fears and Facts. CABI, 162 pp.
  • Smyth, S. P. Phillips and W. Kerr. 2017. Biotechnology Regulation and Trade. Springer. 275 pp. DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-53295-0
  • Doern, DB, P. Phillips., and D. Castle. 2016. Canadian Science, Technology and Innovation Policy: The Innovation Economy and Society Nexus. MQUP, pp 444
  • Kalaitzandonakes, N., P. Phillips, S. Smyth and J. Wesseler (eds). (Contracted). The Co-existence of Genetically Modified, Organic and Conventional Foods:  Government Policies and Market Practices. Springer.
  • Smyth, S, D. Castle and P. Phillips. (Accepted); forthcoming December 2015. Research Collection on Agriculture, Biotechnology and Development. Edward Elgar.
  • Phillips, P., Ebrahim Hassanpour, Mohammad Emdad Ullah Mian, Heemel Dutta, Sheryar Nasir, Nancy Carlson, and Lokpriy. 2015. Innovation in Saskatchewan: The Theory and Evidence. Ottawa: The Conference Board of Canada, pp. 104 (published in English and French).
  • Smyth, S, D. Castle and P. Phillips (eds). 2014. Handbook on Agriculture, Biotechnology and Development. Edward Elgar, pp. 890.
  • Atkinson, M., Béland, D., Marchildon, G., McNutt, K., Phillips, P., and Rasmussen, K. 2103. Governance and Public Policy in Canada: A View from the Provinces. University of Toronto Press, pp. 224.
  • P Phillips, G Webb, J Karwandy & C Ryan. 2012. Innovation in Agri-food Research Systems: Theory and Case Studies. CABI, pp 215.
  • Porter, J. and P. Phillips (eds). 2007. Public Science in Liberal Democracy. University of Toronto Press, pp. 343.
  • Phillips, P. and C. Onwuekwe (eds). 2007. Accessing and Sharing the Benefits of the Genomics Revolution. Kluwer/Springer, pp. 224.
  • Phillips, P. 2007. Governing transformative technological innovation: Who's in charge? Oxford: Edward Elgar, pp. 306.
  • Phillips, P., S. Smyth and W. Kerr (eds). 2006. Governing Risk in the 21st Century: Lessons from the World of Biotechnology. Nova Science Publishers, pp. 112.

Research collections

The following collections compile multiple works that build on a common theme. Some of these works are published and copyright and others are working papers not otherwise available. For copies, please email Dr. Phillips.

  • Innovations in Policy Analysis (14 papers, 286 pp)
  • Innovation in Saskatoon (5 papers, 96 pp)
  • Innovation Policy in Saskatchewan (6 papers, 196 pp)
  • Open data in agrifood research: opportunities and barriers (10 papers, 148 pp)
  • Regulating and Governing New Biotechnologies: New Models, Methods and Metrics (11 papers, 141 pp)
  • Studies in Innovation Adoption (14 papers, 193 pp)
  • Studies in Research Design: Investigating the Genome Canada Experience (5 papers, 91 pp)
  • Studies in the design and management of intellectual property rights (9 papers, 204 pp)
  • Traditional Knowledge, Access and Benefits Sharing and Agri-food Innovation (5 papers, 122 pp)