The federal government should be more transparent about how it hands out money for science research and technology, said Preston Manning, the former leader of the Reform party.

It's not clear how the government decides how to divvy up the cash, and someone is always disappointed they didn't get more, Manning said.

"When they don't understand the process and the structure, I think there's suspicion," Manning told reporters in Ottawa.

"Was somebody else lobbying better than I was lobbying, or do they like this more than that? I think when you don't know the process or the structure, you can misinterpret motives and why things happen the way they do."

Manning made the remarks at the day-long Science Day in Canada conference in Ottawa. The event was organized by the Public Policy Forum, a not-for-profit organization which says it "aims to improve the quality of government in Canada through enhanced dialogue among the public, private and voluntary sectors."

The federal government currently spends between $12 billion and $13 billion a year on science research — money that is divided among research agencies, granting councils, universities and other groups.

The government has made significant investments in science research, so the misunderstanding isn't deliberate, Manning said, adding that part of the problem is there is even confusion among government departments.

"There's no agreement on definitions. Everybody with the stimulus and the economic recovery package is presenting their demands in terms of infrastructure," Manning said. "But the word infrastructure means quite a different thing to a manager of a science project than it does to Public Works or the Treasury Board or to the university."

Manning is also recommending Prime Minister Stephen Harper make a declaration that he appreciates the importance of science so the public understands that taxpayers' dollars spent on research is money well spent.

After the last budget, some research groups complained that the Harper government was cutting off funding for some sectors.

Manning has been critical of Canada's science policies in the past, writing in a December 2007 Globe and Mail editorial that the lack of oversight during the medical isotopes shortage was in part due to a lack of engineers and scientists in Parliament and the lack of a dedicated science ministry.

Last summer the Conservative government named him to the board of governors of the Council of Canadian Academies, an advisory body that doesn't have a role in science funding.