Summer provides a good opportunity to take a moment to reflect on the year just completed, and contemplate the coming year. Transition toward a "Better, Simpler" CIHR is proceeding apace, with more evidence of progress in this newsletter. The proliferation of funding tools and opportunities that characterized CIHR's early years is now giving way to a shake out phase of consolidation and rationalization. Old competitions are being absorbed or replaced; along the way, old tools that were not well-suited to the transformative vision for CIHR are disappearing. In their place are emerging new programs that provide more equitable opportunities for health researchers from across the entire spectrum.
In this newsletter you will find descriptions of a large number of current or pending funding opportunities. Some of these, such as the "Team Grants", are direct products of the consolidation and rationalization process. A number of new funding opportunities developed by the knowledge translation branch provide additional options for our research community.
September promises to be a busy month for our community, featuring the Jean-Yves Rivard symposium, the second CAHSPR conference, and the International Conference on the Scientific Basis of Health Services, back-to-back-to-back, mid-month, in Montreal. And before the next newsletter lands on your desk, the first issue of Healthcare Policy should be available, in paper and electronic formats. That first issue is shaping up as a must read, as a result of the energetic efforts of our distinguished editorial group and the Longwoods team (not to mention the many authors who have submitted papers or responded to invitations to contribute). And later this year we will be publishing the Institute's first Knowledge Translation Casebook.
This fall, the process of gearing up for institute transition (including a competition/search for the second Scientific Director) will begin in earnest. Watch for more details on our website and in the December newsletter. In the meantime, enjoy that short Canadian summer while it lasts.
Morris Barer
Scientific Director
1) RFA: "Partnerships for Health System Improvement"
CIHR intends to post the funding decisions for its inaugural Partnerships for Health System Improvement (PHSI) competition by the end of August 2005. This CIHR initiative to support research projects was developed and previously managed by the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation (CHSRF) as part of its "Open Grants Competition." It is designed to support teams of researchers and decision-makers interested in conducting applied health research useful to health system managers and/or policy makers over the next two -to five years. CIHR will run this competition annually so please check the CIHR website in mid-September 2005 when the second PHSI competition will be launched.
2) CIHR Team Grant Program (Letter of Intent deadline - November 14, 2005; Full Application deadline - September 5, 2006)
This is the second competition of the CIHR Team Grant Program, part of the regular suite of programs offered by CIHR. A subsequent competition is planned for launch in June 2006. The objective of the CIHR Team Grant program is to strengthen Canadian health research by supporting teams of talented and experienced researchers conducting high-quality research and providing superior research training and mentorship. The program emphasis is on the production of new knowledge, and the translation of research findings into improvements in the health of Canadians and the Canadian health care system. This competition replaces a number of earlier funding tools, including "Group Grants", and "Interdisciplinary Capacity Enhancement" infrastructure grants, and provides the opportunity for renewal/continuation of the transition "IHRT" and "CAHR" competition-funded teams.
More information on this funding opportunity is available online.
3) Priority Announcements:
IHSPR has launched Priority Announcements for the following Fall 2005 competitions, to support strategic health services and policy research and/or to increase the supply of excellent researchers in Canada who successfully lead, participate in, and translate outstanding research in thematic areas identified as important through national consultations to the current and emerging information needs of policy, administrative and clinical decision-makers:
4) Funding Opportunities from the Knowledge Translation (KT) Branch
1) Toward Canadian Benchmarks for Health Services Wait Times - Evidence, Application and Research Priorities
In February 2005, the Conference of Provincial/Territorial Deputy Ministers of Health, and CIHR's Institutes of Health Services and Policy Research, Cancer Research, and Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis launched the Request for Applications (RFA) "Toward Canadian Benchmarks for Health Services Wait Times - Evidence, Application and Research Priorities".
The purpose of this RFA was to fund initiatives designed to inform the work of Provincial/Territorial Deputy Ministers of Health in meeting the commitments in the Ten Year Plan to Strengthen Health Care related to establishing evidence-based benchmarks for medically acceptable wait times, in five priority areas: cancer, heart, diagnostic imaging, joint replacement, and sight restoration.
Seventeen grant applications were received, of which eight were approved for funding (see below).
As part of the conditions of funding, the grantees are required to submit three separate reports:
Report 1 - due July 22, 2005 is intended to identify areas/procedures where there is currently sufficient evidence, and general consensus exists, regarding wait time benchmarks, and describe the benchmarks being used, for what purposes and by whom, and the range of settings where such benchmarks are currently applied. In addition, this first report will briefly summarize progress toward the other four objectives.
Report 2 - due October 15, 2005 will contain the results of work on the synthesis of evidence regarding:
Report 3 - due April 30, 2006 will contain:
Note: The objectives are listed in the "Objectives and Eligible Research Areas" section of the RFA.
List of Approved Research Projects for the RFA: "Toward Canadian Benchmarks for Health Services Wait Times - Evidence, Application and Research Priorities"
| Project Title | Nominated Principal Investigator | Research Institution | Funding Partner(s) |
| Towards Establishing Evidence-Based Benchmarks for Acceptable Waiting Times for Joint Replacement Surgery | NOSEWORTHY, Thomas W | University of Calgary | Conference of Provincial / Territorial Deputy Ministers of Health |
| A Systematic Review of Waiting Times and Outcomes for Sight Restoration | HODGE, William G | Ottawa Health Research Institute | Conference of Provincial / Territorial Deputy Ministers of Health |
| Toward Canadian Benchmarks for Waiting Times for Radiotherapy for Cancer: Synthesizing the Evidence and Establishing Research Priorities | MACKILLOP, William J | Queen's University | Conference of Provincial / Territorial Deputy Ministers of Health |
| Priority Criteria for Hip/Knee Replacement: Addressing Health Service Wait Times for Surgery | DUNCAN, Clive P | University of British Columbia | CIHR Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis |
| Sight Restoration: Benchmark Waiting Times for Cataract Removal and Corneal Transplantation | NOSEWORTHY, Thomas W | University of Calgary | Conference of Provincial / Territorial Deputy Ministers of Health |
| Moving Evidence to Application: A Three Province Cancer Collaborative | WINGET, Marcy D | Alberta Cancer Board | CIHR Institute of Cancer Research |
| An Evidence Based Assessment of Appropriate Waiting Times for Suspected Gastrointestinal Cancers | MOAYYEDI, Paul | McMaster University | CIHR Institute of Cancer Research |
| Determining Acceptable Waiting Times for the Surgical Treatment of Solid Organ Malignancies - A Systematic Review | TAYLOR, Mark C | Cancer Care Manitoba | Conference of Provincial / Territorial Deputy Ministers of Health |
2) Workshop and Research Community Development Program (Program Competition June 15, 2005)
IHSPR is accepting applications for workshops or research community development initiatives. The application form and guidelines are now available on IHSPR's website. The deadline for this round of applications is October 15, 2005.
IHSPR's Workshop and Research Community Development Program is intended to support health services and policy research initiatives that contribute to the goals and objectives outlined in our strategic plan. Thematic research areas identified for priority investment are highlighted in Listening for Direction II, which is available on CHSRF's website.
We are pleased to announce the following successful applicants to the June 2005 round of the Workshop and Research Community Development Program:
| Project Title | Nominated Principal Investigator | Research Institution |
| Maximizing Knowledge Translation Capacity in Palliative and End-of Life Care New and Emerging Teams | DOLL, Richard | BC Cancer Agency |
| An Appreciative Injury Workshop: Creating a Sustainable Future Through Best Practices of Formal and Informal Hospice Palliative Caregivers | LANDER, Dorthy | St. Francis Xavier University |
| Research Priorities for Public Health Infrastructure in Atlantic Canada (a workshop of the Public Health Knowledge Research and Knowledge Translation Network of Atlantic Canada) | LYONS, Renee | Dalhousie University |
| Optimal delivery of medical genetic services to the Amish and Mennonite communities in Canada | RUPAR, Tony | University of Western Ontario |
| Facilitators and Barriers of Conducting Scientifically Rigorous Research in Drug Policy and Medication Management in the Real World | SKETRIS, Ingrid | Dalhousie University |
| Developing the pharmacy practice research community | TODD, Angela | Canadian Pharmacists Association |
1) Canadian Association for Health Services and Policy Researchers (CAHSPR) Conference
The CAHSPR Conference will be held in Montreal from September 16-18, 2005, just prior to the International Conference on the Scientific Basis of Health Services (ICSBHS) and following the University of Montreal's Jean-Yves Rivard Conference.
The theme of the conference is "Canada's Health Priorities: Building and Maintaining Research Capacity." The conference will include plenary and panel sessions featuring high profile presenters, concurrent sessions focusing on profiling new and emerging researchers and poster sessions.
Examples of subject areas include patient safety and quality of care, accountability, governance, accessibility, approaches to building research capacity, methods for developing/implementing best practices, health research career pathways, global health, pharmaceutical policy and primary care.
To register visit: http://www.cahspr.ca/conference/about_en.html
2) International Conference on the Scientific Basis of Health Services (ICSBHS)
The 2005 ICSBHS will be held in Montreal from September 18-20, 2005.
The theme of the 2005 ICSBHS is "Improving Health by Advancing Healthcare: Linking Research, Policy and Action." The ICSBHS aims to improve research dissemination, synthesis translation and uptake at different levels of decision-making in health services and will serve as a marketplace of ideas, with each session placing a strong emphasis on involvement by delegates.
Complimenting this will be a stimulating social program, set against the
beautiful backdrop of Montreal. To register visit: http://www.icsbhs.org/registration.html
SafetyNet and the Eastern Canada Consortium on Workplace Health and Safety, the RURAL Centre for Research Development, the Atlantic Network for Prevention Researchers, the Atlantic Regional Training Centre and the Newfoundland and Labrador Centre for Applied Health Research hosted the 2005 Summer Institute last June in Rocky Harbor, Newfoundland. On behalf of IHSPR, the CIHR Institute of Population and Public Health (IPPH) and the Summer Institute's other co-sponsors, the CIHR Institute of Aging, the CIHR Knowledge Translation Branch, the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation, the Canadian Population Health Initiative of the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI-CPHI) and the Public Health Agency of Canada, we wish to thank the local hosts for the superb organization of the event.
The 2005 Summer Institute's theme was "Rural and Remote Research: Rhetoric and Reality" and over fifty students (doctoral, postdoctoral and masters) and community learners in the fields of population and public health, health services and policy research and other social science disciplines participated. By all accounts, the event was a success. The final report of the 2005 Summer Institute will be available on our website in the fall.
Plans are underway for a similar event in the summer of 2006. Watch for more information on our website and in future newsletters.
A CIHR-funded study describing the current status of population-based health and health services research databases in Canada was released in May 2005. The final report, Data, data, everywhere: Improving access to population health and health services research data in Canada, presents the results of interviews with data collectors, custodians and users around collection, storage and use of data; reviews privacy and access issues; surveys international and Canadian activities in providing access to data sets; outlines considerations for creating an inventory of research databases; and makes recommendations for improving access to and use of Canadian data in population health and health services research.
The report finds that while Canada has an international reputation as an innovator in understanding the power of population-based administrative data, and in converting that understanding into research findings, this country is not currently recognized as a leader when it comes to the systematic organization, archiving, documentation of and access to data relevant to population health and health services research. The report highlights numerous barriers to the current use of and access to data and presents ten recommendations for change.
IHSPR and IPPH, in partnership with the CIHI - CPHI, Health Canada's Centre for Surveillance Coordination and Statistics Canada, jointly issued a RFP in the fall of 2002 for the study. The Canadian Policy Research Networks, in partnership with the Centre for Health Services and Policy Research at the University of British Columbia, were awarded the contract.
Since its release, the report's findings have been presented to the IHSPR Institute Advisory Board as well as to CIHR's Research Priorities and Planning Committee, which includes all thirteen scientific directors as well as CIHR's vice presidents and president. The report has also generated a great deal of external interest, including an invitation to the authors from the World Health Organization to contribute to a special issue of their Bulletin on health information systems.
The executive summary is available online.
By Brian Hutchinson, Editor-in-Chief
Creation of the first issue of Healthcare Policy, due for publication in early September, 2005, is well underway. Over 40 papers have been submitted for editorial review, which iscurrently in progress. Confirmed invited contributors for the first issue include Robert Evans, Morris Barer, Noralou Roos, Patricia Martens, John Lavis, Jonathan Lomas, Colleen Flood and Steven Lewis.
A benefit of attending the annual CAHSPR conference in Montreal this year will be a printed copy of Healthcare Policy. Those who would like to subscribe to the journal can visit http://www.longwoods.com/ and then click on "subscriptions". Both electronic and print versions are available. An institutional subscription will make the electronic version available to anyone who works within that institution's IP range. Librarians should contact Rebecca Hart (rhart@longwoods.com). Organizations might also want to use the journal to advertise their universities, courses, conferences, books, appointments and career opportunities. These are priced at $2000 per page and will also appear online and in the Longwoods eLetter which reaches an estimated 10,000 readers. Interested advertisers should contact Susan Hale (shale@longwoods.com) for more information.
The CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research is dedicated to supporting outstanding research, capacity-building and knowledge translation initiatives designed to improve the way health care services are organized, regulated, managed, financed, paid for, used and delivered, in the interest of improving the health and quality of life of all Canadians.
Morris Barer, Scientific Director
Tel: (604) 222- 6872
Fax: (604) 224-8635
mbarer@ihspr.ubc.ca
Diane Watson, Associate Director
Tel: (604) 222-6871
Fax: (604) 224-8635
dwatson@ihspr.ubc.ca
Craig Larsen, Institute Manager
Tel: (604) 222-6874
Fax: (604) 224-8635
clarsen@ihspr.ubc.ca
Heidi Matkovich
Associate - Communications and Knowledge Translation
Tel: (604) 222-6870
Fax: (604) 224-8635
hmatkovich@ihspr.ubc.ca
Lindsay Hedden, Special Projects Officer
Tel: (604) 222-6873
Fax: (604) 224-8635
lhedden@ihspr.ubc.ca
Shareen Khan
Finance and Administrative Officer
Tel: (604) 222-6875
Fax: (604) 224-8635
skhan@ihspr.ubc.ca
CIHR - Ottawa
Michelle Gagnon, Assistant Director
Partnerships and Knowledge Translation
Tel: (613) 952-4538
Fax: (613) 941-1040
mgagnon@cihr-irsc.gc.ca
Michèle O'Rourke, Associate
Strategic Initiatives
Tel: (613) 952-4539
Fax: (613) 941-1040
morourke@cihr-irsc.gc.ca
Kim Gaudreau, Project Officer
Tel: (613) 957-6128
Fax: (613) 941-1040
kgaudreau@cihr-irsc.gc.ca
