science programs, the most prominent being the lack of any funding for new projects for Genome Canada. Critics of the cuts, including a team of neuroscientists who lost funding, argued that when coupled with the Obama administration's increased funding for science, the cuts could produce a brain drain as researchers move to the United States and secure funding. June 2009 saw Goodyear recommending the SSHRC withdraw a $19,750 funding grant for a future of Israel and Palestine conference because it was deemed by the Minister to be too anti-Israel. Goodyear responded, saying that he did call the SSHRC to ask for a funding review, but denied he asked them to cancel the grant. Economic Action Plan Under Goodyear, federal science and technology expenditures reached nearly $11.9 billion in 2010–11. In the Economic Action Plan 2012, the federal government announced that one billion new dollars are to be invested in science and technology. Under the Economic Action Plan, the National Research Council was transformed into a research and technology organization that focuses on "business-led research." On 7 May 2013, the NRC launched its new "business approach" in which it offered only four "business lines": "strategic research and development, technical services, management of science and technology infrastructure and NRC-Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP). These four business lines are intended to shorten the gap between early stage research and development and commercialization. NRC is focus "real-world applications" was the creation of the Canadian Wheat Alliance, (CWA) in 2013 with NRC, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the Government of Saskatchewan and the University of Saskatchewan. With a budget of approximately $97 million (2013-2018), the Canadian Wheat Alliance will study improving the yield of Canadian wheat even in extreme weather, integrating "basic research with genetic improvement" of wheat crops, and research on efficient use of chemical fertilizers. Working with the Crop Development Centre they will be integrating "basic research with genetic improvement" of wheat. The second major industry-led research in 2013 is the Algal Carbon Conversion Pilot Project, development of an algae system to recycle carbon emissions from the oil sands, with plans for a $19 million facility to be constructed in Alberta, in partnership between the NRC and industry partners, Canadian Natural Resources Limited (Canadian Natural) and Pond Biofuels. Political controversies View on evolution In a March 2009 interview, The Globe and Mail asked Goodyear if he believed in evolution. He responded, "I am a