ARCHIVED - Canadian Institutes of Health Research

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Section II – Analysis of Program Activities by Strategic Outcome

2.1 Strategic Outcome #1 - A world-class health research enterprise that creates, disseminates and applies new knowledge across all areas of health research

CIHR supports health research in order to improve the health of Canadians and to deliver more effective health care services to Canadians. Supporting health research that leads to this outcome may be through: creating health knowledge which leads to the development of new and better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat disease; ensuring Canada has top quality health researchers who can conduct health research; commercializing health research discoveries; or advancing the delivery of the health services that Canadians need, when and where they need them.

CIHR supports all of these approaches to better health, through four program activities: Health Knowledge; Health Researchers; Health Research Commercialization; and Health and Health Services Advances. All of CIHR's programs are aligned with the "Healthy Canadians" Government of Canada outcome.

2.1.1 Program Activity: Health Knowledge

This Program Activity supports the creation of new knowledge across all areas of health research to improve health and the health system. This is achieved by managing CIHR's open competition and related peer review processes based on internationally accepted standards of scientific excellence.

Program Activity:

Human Resources (FTEs) and Planned Spending (in millions)
2010-11		2011-12		2012-13
FTEs	Planned Spending	FTEs	Planned Spending	FTEs	Planned Spending
77	449.5	77	452.1	77	454.2

Program Activity Expected Results	Performance Indicators	Targets
Health research advances knowledge.	Outputs and impacts of CIHR-funded research.	Maintain or increase: Number of publications from CIHR-supported research; KT activities of CIHR-funded researchers; Total number and average dollar value of grants funded.

Planning Highlights

The Open Research Grant Program provides operating funds to support research proposals in all areas of health research.

• The Open Operating Grants Program is the largest component of this program. Competitions are typically held each March and September with an open call for research proposals, with no restrictions on areas of research or maximum level of requested funds. This means that research scientists are free to apply for funding for projects in any area of health, as they are in the best position to know what lines of inquiry are most likely to yield discoveries. All proposals are subject to the highest international standards of peer review to ensure excellence. In 2010-11, CIHR intends to launch two competitions each of which is expected to approve approximately 400 new multi-year proposals for funding. This will result in approximately 4,000 ongoing multi-year grants with total planned spending of $407.1 million.
  
  
• The Randomized Controlled Trial Program supports experiments to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of interventions in health or health services by randomly assigning individuals to receive or not receive one or more interventions that are being compared. The results are analyzed by comparing outcomes in the different groups. The average value and duration of grants under the RCT Program is significantly greater than that of the Open Research Grant Program. In 2010-11, CIHR plans expenditures of approximately $30.7 million for randomized control trials.

Benefits for Canadians

Canadians benefit from this health knowledge in a number of ways. Some research is aimed at immediate solutions such as finding ways of making the delivery of health services more efficient, while more basic research lays ground work for developing cures, for example by identifying the properties of specific proteins.

The work being done by Dr. Samuel Weiss provides a good example of the benefits that can accrue from enhancing health knowledge. Dr. Weiss (University of Calgary), one of three Canadian recipients of the Gairdner Foundation International Award ¹ in 2008, was recognized for his discovery of neural stem cells in adult mammals. That groundbreaking discovery has lead scientists around the world to investigate how to stimulate those cells to heal the brain. It is anticipated that Weiss' work will lead to new treatments for people with devastating brain diseases and spinal cord injuries.

2.1.2 Program Activity: Health Researchers

This Program Activity aims to build health research capacity to improve health and the health system by supporting the training and careers of excellent health researchers through a competitive peer review process based on internationally accepted standards of scientific excellence.

Program Activity:

Human Resources (FTEs) and Planned Spending (in millions)
2010-11		2011-12		2012-13
FTEs	Planned Spending	FTEs	Planned Spending	FTEs	Planned Spending
30	201.6	30	173.2	30	165.2

Program Activity Expected Results	Performance Indicators	Targets
A strong and talented health research community with the capacity to undertake health research.	Number, types and share of graduate trainees in Canada compared to international levels.	Maintain or increase international ranking.
	Number and fields of investigators and trainees funded.	Maintain number and diversity (by theme and Institute domain) of trainees funded.

Planning Highlights

The Salary Support Programs provide salary support to help new health researchers develop their careers and devote more time to initiating and conducting health research. There is intense competition globally for talent and CIHR's programs are designed to attract and keep the brightest minds in Canada throughout their research careers. Young investigators will continue to be supported through the awarding of salary support awards that will enable them to devote more time to research.

• The Open Salary Support Program provides salary support to help new health researchers develop their careers and devote more time to initiating and conducting health research in any area related to health. In 2010-11, CIHR plans to spend $14.6 million on salary support programs which will provide 278 researchers with $0.3 million for new awards in 2010-11 and $14.3 million committed to previously approved salary support awards.

A number of programs within this Program Activity are administered in collaboration with the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. They are often referred to as Tri-Council programs. They include:

• The Canada Research Chairs Program (CRC), which aims to attract and retain some of the world's most accomplished and promising researchers. CIHR provides two levels of salary support awards that are allocated to universities and research institutes who recruit researchers into the "Chair" positions. The CRC Program provides long term funding to outstanding researchers nominated by Canadian universities and other eligible academic institutions. The three Councils support a total of 2,000 Chairs in all disciplines including the 700 Chairs in the health and life sciences domains managed by CIHR. In 2010-11 CIHR plans to spend $103.6M of which $72.2M is already committed to previously approved Canada Research Chairs and $31.5M will be related to the new Chairs approved in 2010-11.
  
  
• The new Canada Excellence Research Chairs (CERC) program, announced in Budget 2008 and launched in September 2008. This Tri-Council program has a two stage competitive selection process: universities compete for the opportunity to establish Chairs in Phase 1 of the process and universities on the shortlist are invited to submit nominations in Phase 2. Up to 20 Chair positions will be funded and the announcement of the results of the first competition is anticipated for the spring of 2010. There will be a minimum of three Chairs created in health and related life science and technologies. CIHR will provide each with up to $10M over seven years to support the CERC holders to establish ambitious research programs in Canada. Until the results of this competition are known, CIHR will not be able to submit a request to Treasury Board to access the Grants funding. As a result, no additional CERC funds are included in the tables in this RPP.

In 2010-11, CIHR will address the results of its evaluation of the Canada Research Chairs Program and the Salary Support Programs. In addition, recommendations from the audit of the non-financial administration of the Salary Support Programs will be implemented during this period.

The Training Support Programs provide support and special recognition to master, doctorate, post-doctorate or post-health professional degree students who are training in health research areas in Canada or abroad. These programs include the Open Training Support Program, the Canada Graduate Scholarship Program, and the Vanier Program.

• The Open Training Support Programs provide support and special recognition to master, doctorate, post doctorate or post health professional degree students who are training in any area of health research in Canada or abroad. In 2010-11, CIHR plans to spend $18.6M on training support programs which will provide 522 researchers with $1.1M for new awards in 2010-11 and $17.5M committed to previously approved awards.

Tri-Council programs include:

• The Canada Graduate Scholarship Program (CGS), which develops future health researchers at both the Masters and Doctoral levels in all health-related fields in Canada by supporting them financially as they obtain their graduate degrees. In Budget 2009, Canada's Economic Action Plan, the government announced that it would provide an additional $35M to CIHR, over three years beginning in 2009-2010, to temporarily expand the CGS program. CIHR will receive $35M (in addition to its base funding) to fund 200 new three-year Doctoral Awards, starting in 2009-2010, and 400 new one-year Master's Awards in each of 2009-2010 and 2010-2011.
  
  
• The Vanier CGS Program, which will enable Canada to build world-class research capacity by attracting the best doctoral students both nationally and internationally. This program is expected to become Canada's flagship scholarship program capable of competing internationally with programs such as the Rhodes and Fulbright Scholarships. CIHR, together with the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, implemented modifications to the Vanier CGS Program in 2009-10 to address areas of improvement identified in an evaluation. In 2010-11, CIHR plans to expend $5.5M on the Program to support approximately 55 new scholarships and 56 ongoing scholarships.

Benefits for Canadians

Canadians benefit from this program activity by having a strong research community able to deal with current health challenges and by the economic benefits that innovation creates. CIHR supports more than 2,500 individuals, including undergraduates, masters and doctoral students, postdoctoral fellows and new investigators/researchers who are just getting started in their independent research careers, as well as more than 5,000 trainees indirectly supported from CIHR grants held by researchers.

The calibre of these researchers emerges when one looks at, for example, Dr. John C. Bell, who noticed early in his career that the lack of success of traditional forms of cancer therapy might be related to a cancer's ability to adapt to its environment. Over the years, Dr. Bell has successfully shown that genetically modified viruses can be used as a desirable, targeted therapeutic for treating cancer by infecting and killing cancer cells all the while leaving normal cells unaffected. In 2008, Dr. Bell and his colleagues published groundbreaking clinical results which showed a genetically-modified virus successfully treating primary and metastatic liver cancer. CIHR has supported and continues to support Dr. Bell's innovative work in cancer research.

2.1.3 Program Activity: Health Research Commercialization

This program activity supports and facilitates the commercialization of health research to improve health and the health system. This is achieved by managing funding competitions to provide grants, in partnership with the private sector (where relevant); by using peer review processes based on internationally accepted standards of scientific excellence; and by building and strengthening the capacity of Canadian health researchers to engage in the commercialization process.

Program Activity:

Human Resources (FTEs) and Planned Spending (in millions)
2010-11		2011-12		2012-13
FTEs	Planned Spending	FTEs	Planned Spending	FTEs	Planned Spending
6	46.2	6	45.7	6	41.4

Program Activity Expected Results	Performance Indicators	Targets
Commercial activity – products (patents and intellectual property), companies and employment generated.	Health research is commercialized more effectively. Strong linkages and partnerships created between universities, governments, industry, and other users.	Maintain or increase: Numbers of patents, licenses, copyrights, centres; New products or processes; Policies influenced or created; Influence on health delivery.

Planning Highlights

The Research Commercialization Programs are a suite of funding initiatives that aim to support the creation of new knowledge, practices, products and services and to facilitate the commercialization of this knowledge. This is done by funding research commercialization projects (such as proof of principle projects) which encourage collaboration between academia and industry in the promotion and support of the commercial transfer of knowledge and technology resulting from health research. In 2010-11, CIHR is planning expenditures of $16.4M for research commercialization programs.

The Networks of Centres of Excellence Programs (NCE) are delivered collaboratively by NSERC, SSHRC, and CIHR through the NCE Secretariat. They support the networking of centres of research excellence with industrial know-how and strategic investment to turn Canadian research and entrepreneurial talent into economic and social benefits for Canada. These programs also help achieve the objectives of the Federal Government's S&T Strategy. 17 Centres of Excellence were selected between 2008 and 2009 and will receive funding until 2013-2014. CIHR is funding 11 of these.

The Networks of Centres of Excellence programs are national in scope, multi-disciplinary and involve multi-sectoral partnerships. These programs include the Network of Centres of Excellence Grants, the Business-Led Networks of Centres of Excellence Program, and the Centres of Excellence for Commercialization and Research Program (CECR).

• CIHR provides funds to support the best NCE applications in the area of health research through the Network of Centres of Excellence Grants. In 2010-2011, 19 NCE will receive Tri-Council funding. Of these, 12 will receive funding from CIHR. In 2011-2012, CIHR will be funding nine of 13 NCE, and in 2012-2013, 2 of 4 Networks will receive CIHR funds. In 2010-11, CIHR plans to expend $27.5M on these grants.
• The Business-Led Networks of Centres of Excellence Program (BL-NCE) funds large scale collaborative networks to perform research to support private sector innovation in order to deliver economic, health, social and environmental benefits to Canadians. In 2010-11, CIHR plans to expend $1.7M on the BL-NCE supporting innovation in health.
• Currently, 17 Centres of Excellence for Commercialization and Research are in operation. CECR competitions are being held in 2010-2011, and the decisions resulting from this process may result in CIHR funding in 2010-2011.

Benefits for Canadians

Turning knowledge into new commercial products and services generates wealth for Canadians and supports the quality of life and health outcomes we all want. It can also create sustainable employment for highly skilled workers. For example, biomedical engineers Dr. Peter Cripton and PhD student Tim Nelson at the University of British Columbia, have invented a revolutionary helmet designed to guard the spine and protect the head, thereby reducing the risk of paralysis from head-first impacts in sports. Additional funding from CIHR this year will help move the helmet closer to commercial reality.

2.1.4 Program Activity: Health and Health Services Advances

Through the competitive peer review process, based on internationally accepted standards of scientific excellence, these programs aim to support the creation of new knowledge in strategic priority areas and its translation into improved health and a strengthened health system.

Program Activity:

Human Resources (FTEs) and Planned Spending (in millions)
2010-11		2011-12		2012-13
FTEs	Planned Spending	FTEs	Planned Spending	FTEs	Planned Spending
116	257.8	116	249.0	116	243.7

Program Activity Expected Results	Performance Indicators	Targets
Translation and use of health research takes place as a result of effective funding programs.	Outputs and impacts of CIHR funded research. Evidence of Institutes emerging leadership within the research community.	Increase or maintain: Number and average dollar value and duration of grants funded; Number of publications from CIHR funded research; KT activities of CIHR-funded researchers.

Planning Highlights

The Knowledge Translation (KT) Program consists of a suite of funding opportunities that aim to support the synthesis, dissemination, exchange and ethically sound application of knowledge in any area of health research. These programs support the science of KT, capacity development in KT science, and integrated KT-collaborative research, which involves researchers and knowledge users working together to address relevant research questions and to exchange and apply knowledge to solve health and health system problems. In 2010-11, CIHR plans to spend $18.1M on various initiatives supporting knowledge translation.

The Institute Strategic Initiatives Program is led by CIHR's 13 Institutes and funds grants to support research and awards to support trainees and researchers in strategic priority areas to address health opportunities, threats and challenges to Canadians. The Institutes identify these areas in consultation with stakeholders from government, health care, patient and community groups, researchers, and industry. Proposals are solicited from researchers by issuing a Request for Applications outlining the specific theme/area where research is needed. Applications are peer reviewed using criteria specific to the funding opportunity. In 2010-11, CIHR plans to expend $171.2M on these types of initiatives.

CIHR also funds large strategic initiatives, which involve a joint, cross-cutting effort involving two or more of the CIHR Institutes. These include:

• The HIV/AIDS Research Initiative, a targeted investment that supports four research streams - biomedical and clinical research, health services and population health research, community-based research and the Canadian HIV Trials Network. In 2010-11, CIHR plans to expend $22.7M on prevention and access to diagnosis, care, treatment and support for those populations most affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Canada - people living with HIV/AIDS, gay men, Aboriginal people, people who use injection drugs, inmates, youth, women, and people from countries where HIV is endemic. 
• The Pandemic Preparedness Strategic Research Initiative (PPSRI) identifies strategic research priorities and supports pandemic preparedness research. This targeted investment aims to identify strategies to prevent or mitigate a pandemic outbreak as well as methods and procedures to control disease spread (both human to human and from animals to humans) and to treat affected individuals. PPSRI will also develop a strong network of researchers, ensuring Canada has the necessary expertise to respond effectively in the event of a pandemic or to assist other countries in crisis. In 2010-11, CIHR plans to spend $10.5M on this initiative.
• The National Anti-Drug Strategy Treatment Research Initiative is a targeted investment to support grants for strategic research that will help develop and evaluate drug treatment models and approaches, as part of the Strategy's Treatment Action Plan. In 2010-11, CIHR plans to spend approximately $1M on this initiative.
• The Strategy on Patient-Oriented Research Initiative (NSPOR) will effectively bridge the gap between basic health research discoveries and their application to the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of human disease. It will foster a culture of inquiry at all levels of the health system by supporting people, infrastructure and programs devoted to leading-edge patient-oriented research, with the aim of ultimately improving health outcomes. In 2010-2011 CIHR plans to spend $7.5M.
• The Drug Safety and Effectiveness Network (DSEN) Initiative will link centres of excellence in post-market pharmaceutical research across Canada to facilitate targeted research to increase knowledge about the real world safety and effectiveness of drugs. This network will help assess the risks and benefits of medications currently on the market. In 2010-11, CIHR plans to spend $5.5M.
• The Regenerative Medicine and Nanomedicine Initiative (RMNI) is a major long-term CIHR initiative, co-led by the Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction and the Institute of Genetics. RMNI and its partners provide support for research in nanomedicine, gene therapy, stem cells, tissue engineering, and rehabilitation sciences. The fundamental goal of this initiative is the development of meaningful multi-disciplinary research approaches to regenerative medicine and nanomedicine. Research into the maintenance of health or prevention of disease and degeneration is also encompassed by this initiative. In 2010-2011, CIHR plans to spend $6.7M on this initiative.

Benefits for Canadians

The funding of health research in strategic areas has a number of benefits. First, it reduces human suffering caused by specific conditions. For example, in the area of HIV/AIDs (which has received Government of Canada funding since 1990), the World Health Organization Epidemiological Fact Sheet on Canada (2008)² shows the dramatic reduction in deaths in Canada due to AIDs: from 5000 annually in 1995 to 1000 in 2007. Second, research finds ways to make Canada's health system more responsive and efficient by, for example, developing more effective and/or less costly medical procedures. For example, Drs. Christine Allen and Raymond Reilly at the University of Toronto are developing a new technology that could ultimately save the lives of women with metastatic breast cancer - the most advanced stage (stage IV) of the disease. The researchers are using discoveries in nanotechnology to selectively deliver radiation to breast cancer cells for treatment. This new approach could overcome some of the challenges in treating stage IV breast cancer. The team is building specialized nanoparticles that are modified with a protein that binds them to breast cancer cells and causes them to be absorbed by the cells. Once inside the cells, the nanoparticles emit radiation that damages the DNA, killing the cells.

2.1.5 Program Activity: Internal Services

Internal Services are groups of related activities and resources to support the needs of programs and to meet other corporate obligations of CIHR. These services include such functional areas as Finance, Procurement, Planning, Human Resources, Informatics, Security, Information Management, Internal Audit, Evaluation and Analysis, Marketing and Communications, and Corporate Governance. Internal Services include only those activities and resources that apply across the organization and not those provided directly to a program.

As identified in the Management Priorities, CIHR will continue to strive for organizational excellence and will continue to offer a world-class working environment. (In recognition of its efforts, in 2010-2011 CIHR will be included in the annual Mediacorp Inc. survey of employers as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers for 2010, and as one of the Top 25 Employers in the National Capital Region.) CIHR will continue to foster a culture of ethical research by building capacity in ethics research. In addition, CIHR will undertake its second international review to assess its performance and determine the benefits of its investments.

Program Activity:

Human Resources (FTEs) and Planned Spending (in millions)
2010-11		2011-12		2012-13
FTEs	Planned Spending	FTEs	Planned Spending	FTEs	Planned Spending
201	25.7	201	25.4	201	25.4

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