ARCHIVED - Canadian Institutes of Health Research

1. Grants for Research Projects and Personnel Support

Start date: October 2000

End date: N/A

Description:
CIHR provides a wide array of funding programs under this transfer payment program. This includes grants which provide support for the direct costs of health research projects and awards that provide support to individual health researchers and trainees. Infrastructure grants help create optimum environments for the conduct of health research. This includes funding for researcher networking and collaborative activities and grants to selected organizations such as the Canadian Council on Animal Care that facilitate the ethical conduct of research.

Strategic Outcomes:
1.0 Advances in Health Knowledge, 2.0 People and Research Capacity, 3.0 Knowledge Translation and Commercialization.

Results Achieved:

1. CIHR grants helped maintain a strong and diverse health research base, programs continue to demonstrate strong application pressure and an increase in the average cost of research projects was accommodated through internal reallocation of funding.
2. CIHR invested a significant portion of its grants budget to fund health research in areas of importance to Canadians, including funding clinical research, pandemic preparedness, HIV/AIDS, cancer, regenerative medicine and Hepatitis C.
3. CIHR supported in excess of 13,000 researchers and trainees in all domains of health research.
4. CIHR worked in partnership with small and medium enterprises as well as multi-national pharmaceutical companies to support pre-competitive R&D programs; CIHR provided Research Synthesis grants, which helped researchers translate research findings into new products and services or policies and procedures for the benefit of Canadians.

Comment(s) on Variance(s): Variance between authorities and actual spending is not significant.

Audit completed or planned:

1. Audit of the Financial Administration of Open Operating Grants. (Completed November 2008)
2. Audit of the Non-Financial Administration of Open Operating Grants (Completed March 2009)
3. Audit of Salary and Training Awards (Planned 2009-10)
4. Audit of a Research-Related Activity Program (Planned 2011-12)

2. Canada Graduate Scholarships

Start date: 2003-04

End date: N/A

Description:
The Canada Graduate Scholarships (CGS) Program provides financial support to develop future researchers at both the Masters and Doctoral levels. The CGS is a tri-council program with CIHR responsible for administering that portion of the program that is directed at students pursuing health related studies.

Strategic Outcome: 2.0 People and Research Capacity

Results Achieved:
In 2008-09 CIHR funded over 900 outstanding Master's and Doctoral students through the CGS Program. With the creation of these awards in Budget 2003, and with recent additional investments in the CGS Master's and Doctoral awards in Budgets 2007 and 2009, the federal government has ensured that Canada can offer world-class support that will help to attract and retain the best research students in Canada.

Comment(s) on Variance(s): Variance between authorities and actual spending is not significant.

Audit completed or planned: N/A

3. Institute Support Grants

Start date: October 2000

End date: N/A

Description:
The Institute Support Grant (ISG) Program provides funding to select Canadian academic institutions, including universities and teaching hospitals, to assist them in hosting the 13 Institutes of CIHR. The Institutes help CIHR maintain strong ties to Canada's research communities and to understand their needs. Each CIHR-appointed Institute Scientific Director is among the top scientists in his/her field and helps CIHR define its strategic health research priorities and develop research partnerships with other interested parties.

Strategic Outcome: 2.0 People and Research Capacity

Results Achieved:
In 2008-09 CIHR provided each of its 13 virtual Institutes with a $1M grant, paid to the Institutes' host institutions for the establishment and management of an Institute Office, from which the CIHR-appointed Scientific Director along with host institution-based staff plans and executes the operations and activities of their Institute. These activities include facilitating and developing national research networks linking the Institutes' respective research communities.

Program Activities: 2.3 National and International Partnerships

Comment(s) on Variance(s): N/A

Audit completed or planned:
N/A

Name of Recipient: The Gairdner Foundation

Start Date: March 28, 2008

End Date: March 31, 2028

Total Funding: $20,000,000

Description: CIHR provided the Gairdner Foundation with a $20M grant in the form of an endowment to promote exceptional achievement in health research. In recognition of the significant endowment from the Government of Canada, the Gairdner Foundation renamed its awards as the "Canada Gairdner International Awards", helping to brand Canada internationally as a global leader in health research.

Strategic Outcome(s): 2.0 People and Research Capacity

Summary of Results Achieved by the Recipient: The first six Canada Gairdner International Awards (valued at $100,000 each) and the first ever Canada Gairdner Global Health Award (valued at $100,000) were issued to outstanding health researchers during the 2008-09 fiscal year.

Comments on Variance(s): N/A

Significant Evaluation findings by the recipient during the reporting year and future plan:

N/A

Significant Audit findings by the recipient during the reporting year and future plan:

N/A

URL to Recipient's Site: http://www.gairdner.org/

Response to Parliamentary Committees

No recommendations.

Response to the Auditor General (including to the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development)

http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_oag_200905_03_e_32516.html

2009 Spring Report of the Auditor General of Canada

Chapter 3—Health and Safety in Federal Office Buildings

3.80 Departments should ensure that fire safety plans are prepared and administered in accordance with established federal legislation and Treasury Board policies and standards.

CIHR agrees with the recommendation and will work with its landlord, within the constraints of the terms of its lease, to ensure that the building's fire safety plans meet these requirements.

3.88 Departments should ensure that all evacuation drills are held as required by federal legislation and Treasury Board policies and standards.

CIHR agrees with the recommendation and will work with its landlord, within the constraints of the terms of its lease, to ensure that drills are held as required.

3.93 Departments should ensure that building fire emergency organizations are established and administered as required by federal legislation and Treasury Board policies and standards.

CIHR agrees. As the largest federal tenant in its building, CIHR currently administers the fire emergency organizations for all federal tenants.

External Audits (Note: These refer to other external audits conducted by the Public Service Commission of Canada or the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages)

N/A