Keith Ashfield, minister of fisheries, was in New Brunswick Friday. (CBC)

Fisheries Minister Keith Ashfield denies showcasing a New Brunswick prosthetic leg research project was deflecting criticism for cuts to basic research.

The federal government is looking to develop more partnerships with universities and the private sector to commercialize scientific research, Ashfield told media Friday.

He made the comment at a photo opportunity to showcase the research project at the University of New Brunswick.

The research team is working on ways to improve prosthetic legs.

They're using high-speed cameras and pressure plates in the floor to develop computer models of the forces involved in activities like walking.

Researcher Chris McGibbon says the goal is to help companies develop prosthetics that can mimic natural movements.

"The purpose of this particular project is to better understand how individuals with lower extremity amputation, above the knee, how they compensate for that deficiency, how they use their prosthesis — correctly or incorrectly — and how the prosthesis itself performs, how well it integrates with the body," McGibbon said.

The federal government provides about half of the $150,000 cost of this project, McGibbon said.

"We invest a lot of money in Canada on research and development and this is an important project in this region,” Ashfield said. “I think we have about 10,000 projects across the country and about 14,000 researchers."

The federal government is being criticized for cutting its own basic research in environmental and fisheries science. Just last week scientists demonstrated on Parliament Hill to mourn what they call the death of evidence and the muzzling of scientists by the federal government.

Ashfield denied that the event Friday was designed to deflect such concerns.

"This is nothing to do with those [cuts] at all. We're fanning out across the country, various ministers and MPs, to take a look at the kind of projects that we're involved in on the health care side."

But the minister says Ottawa wants to concentrate its science spending on practical applications.

"That in itself is creating a lot of employment and at the same time providing the government with the opportunity to spend their dollars in a wiser fashion perhaps," he said.

"And if we can take projects and move them to commercialization, that's where we want to go, that's the best direction to go. Commercialization in the end is one of the most important things."

But many federal scientists question that cutting basic research eliminates discoveries that can lead to commercial applications.