Regenerative Medicine and Nanomedicine - Strategic Initiative Announcement

Foundation Fighting Blindness will consider funding Team grants for proposals that are deemed relevant to their goals and mission.

1-A. The health impacts of nanotechnology and implications for health policy

The potential benefits of nanotechnology applied to medicine are great, due in part to the unique properties of matter at this scale length. However, these very properties also make the health safety and environmental risk assessment of some nanotechnology-based materials difficult - particularly for nanoparticles, where toxicity compared to their bulk counterparts is poorly understood at present. Specific concerns for nanoparticles include a higher chemical reactivity (due to smaller particle size, different crystal shapes/lattice arrangements, etc.) and different reactivity to light (due to quantum confinement). Applicants planning to work with nanoparticles are encouraged to explicitly address the health safety and environmental risks in their research proposals.

From a health policy perspective, stewardship for the public good clearly involves the integrated management of a variety of issues (e.g.E³LS: economic, environment, ethical, legal and social) as well as ensuring quality science-based decision-making. CIHR, its current partners, and other interested stakeholders both domestically and internationally, recognize that research directed toward supporting regulatory, E³LS and health policy aims can form an integral component of multi-disciplinary teams in nanomedicine. There is a particular need for more research in support of the regulatory system, to insure that innovative advances in nanomedicine are effectively translated for the health and benefit of all Canadians. International collaborations in this area are also encouraged.

To facilitate the greater integration of these research perspectives, applicants are encouraged to contact program staff directly to help identify potential research collaborators from other research domains and research agencies. The

2. Gene Therapy

In the context of regenerative medicine and nanomedicine, gene therapy could be broadly defined as any approach that corrects gene expression responsible for disease development. This could include, but is not limited to: insertion of a normal gene into a nonspecific location within the genome to replace a nonfunctional gene, exchange of an abnormal gene through homologous recombination, repair of an abnormal gene through selective reverse mutation, or alteration of the regulation of given gene.

Of particular relevance to this strategic initiative is the development of novel gene delivery systems based on nanomedicine principles, including the application of novel imaging technologies to monitor gene transfer status and determine immune system responses. The integration of gene therapy with stem/progenitor cell research and tissue engineering approaches to regenerative medicine is also encouraged.

Specific therapeutic applications of gene therapy include, but are not limited to:

• Identification of therapeutic genes and development of novel gene delivery systems (i.e. vectors);
• Development of culture or animal models for gene therapy;
• Optimization of appropriate vectors for specific cell types, including stem and progenitor cells and their use in bioengineered scaffolds and implants;
• Development of safe and effective strategies for delivering and integrating therapeutic genes to different organs and tissues, including across the blood-brain barrier;
• Characterization of immune system responses to vectors and transgene products using existing or novel imaging technologies;
• Exploration of the socio-economic, ethical, legal, and cultural aspects of clinical applications of gene therapy for human diseases and for influencing life-course changes in tissues, systems and functions.

The following Institutes will consider funding proposals in Gene Therapy that are deemed relevant to their respective strategic interests (please see Description of Partners later in this announcement): the Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction (INMHA), the Institute of Aging (IA), the Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health (ICRH), the Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis (IMHA). Jacob's Ladder will consider funding New Discoveries grants for proposals that are deemed relevant to their mission to aid children with leukodystrophies. The Foundation Fighting Blindness will consider funding Team grants for proposals that are deemed relevant to their goals and mission.

3. Stem Cells

Stem cells are an area of considerable research excellence in Canada, and form an integral component of this initiative in Regenerative Medicine and Nanomedicine. Eligible areas of research include pluripotent embryonic stem cells and post-natal "adult" stem cells. Researchers are encouraged to consider approaches to integrate stem cell research with tissue engineering and rehabilitation sciences, as well the application of nanomedicine technologies and gene therapy to stem cell research.

Researchers should consult with the "Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Research: Guidelines for CIHR-Funded Research" when preparing their applications. All applications that propose research falling within the scope of the Guidelines will be subject to review by the CIHR Stem Cell Oversight Committee.

Relevant research areas on therapeutic applications of stem cells include, but are not limited to:

• Signaling pathways responsible for the differentiation and replication of cells, and their role in the repair of diseased/damaged cells and in the regeneration of healthy cells and tissues later in life (i.e. senescence versus quiescence);
• Stem/progenitor cell molecular biology and the use of stem/progenitor cells in regenerative medicine and tissue repair and replacement;
• Molecular and signaling pathways associated with regulation of the differentiation and replication of stem and progenitor cells and their role in the repair of diseased/damaged cells, and the regeneration of healthy cells and tissues;
• Innovative applications of stem cells to tissue repair and regeneration;
• Evaluation of stem cells in animal models of human disorders;
• Ethical, legal, social, cultural and economic consequences of stem cell-based approaches to tissue repair and replacement.

The following Institutes will consider funding proposals in Stem Cells that are deemed relevant to their respective strategic interests (please see Description of Partners later in this announcement): the Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction (INMHA), the Institute of Aging (IA), the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), the Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health (ICRH), the Institute of Infection and Immunity (III), and the Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis (IMHA). The Stem Cell Network (SCN) may participate in funding for stem cell research that meets SCN criteria for funding.

Foundation Fighting Blindness will consider funding Team grants for proposals that are deemed relevant to their goals and mission.

3-A. Stem Cells and Type 1 Diabetes

In addition to the eligible stem cell research areas describe above, a Joint Program has been established in partnership with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) International to promote the highest quality of research in stem cells in general, and in stem cell research applicable to Type 1 diabetes in particular. This Joint Program also aims to expedite the practical application of scientific advances in our understanding of beta cell growth and differentiation. It is understood that JDRF retains the right to reserve its funding for research programs focusing on Type 1 diabetes and its complications.

The Joint Program may provide support for research to:

• Characterize existing pluripotent stem cell lines;
• Identify stem cells capable of forming insulin-secreting cells either in vivo or in vitro;
• Determine culture conditions to maintain stem cells in an undifferentiated state, or to induce the proliferation and differentiation into functional beta cells;
• Develop mechanisms to protect transplanted or newly-formed insulin-secreting cells from immune attack (immunology of stem cells in a diabetes context);
• Understand the ethical, health systems and services and population and public health applications of stem cell research and therapy.

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) International will consider funding Team grant proposals that meet the goals of the Joint Program described above. Team grant proposals under this Joint Program will have a Program Coordinator based in Canada, but may have international collaborators. In addition to compliance with CIHR's Guidelines for Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Research, JDRF has convened its own Oversight Committee that will provide a separate ethical review for all applications in this area. Applications considered under this Joint Program will be subject to JDRF's lay review process. JDRF retains the right to decide whether to participate in funding, and at what funding levels, to projects recommended for funding.

4. Tissue Engineering

One of the key goals of regenerative medicine is to stimulate the renewal of bodily tissues or the restoration of function through the use of natural or bioengineered materials. Tissue engineering is thus an integral part of regenerative medicine, and Canada is recognized for its expertise in several areas, including research excellence in several key organ systems as well as the basic sciences of biomaterials, scaffolding and drug delivery for both soft and hard tissue applications.

Specific therapeutic applications of tissue engineering research include, but are not limited to:

• Novel cell delivery models and approaches, including delivery of cells in scaffolds to promote healing for repair, replacement or regeneration of tissues;
• Development of scaffolds with appropriate characteristics to promote cell and tissue survival and integration;
• Development of novel animal and culture models for regenerative medicine applications, including innovative models of acute and chronic injury, aging models, organ cultures and co-culture systems;
• Molecular and biochemical basis of vascularization and angiogenesis in native and exogenously transplanted tissues and organs;
• Approaches to minimize cell death and promote cell survival and differentiation in transplants;
• Application of tissue-engineered biomaterials as conduits or shunts in tissue regeneration;
• Development of important new insights into "normal" structure, function and/or development of tissue and organ systems of interest;
• Development of effective new strategies for improving healing, repair, biological replacement or regeneration of tissue and organ systems of interest;
• Ethical, legal, social, cultural and economic consequences of regenerative medicine based on tissue engineering strategies.

The following Institutes will consider funding proposals in Tissue Engineering that are deemed relevant to their respective strategic interests (please see Description of Partners later in this announcement): the Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction (INMHA), the Institute of Aging (IA), the Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health (ICRH), and the Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis (IMHA) will consider funding Team grants that relate to their respective strategic interests. Jacob's Ladder will consider funding New Discoveries grants for proposals that are deemed relevant to their mission to aid children with leukodystrophies.

Foundation Fighting Blindness will consider funding Team grants for proposals that are deemed relevant to their goals and mission.

4-A. Tissue Engineering in the Space Environment - Canadian Space Agency (CSA) Partnership

The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) will support high quality research leading to tissue engineering in microgravity.  Space offers several advantages over the Earth environment for tissue engineering.  Shear forces and gravity may contribute to the restricted size of developing tissue complexes.  Sedimentation and differences in structures related to density and size of aggregates are reduced or eliminated in free-fall environment (microgravity).  In addition, the contribution of polymeric matrix components to the tissue can be reduced considerably. Comparing space-grown and Earth-grown tissue, it is possible to gain a better understanding of the role of gravity in tissue engineering.

The Canadian Space Agency will consider funding New Discoveries grants for proposals deemed relevant to its strategic interests.  In order to encourage innovative and diversified ideas, proposals in the area of tissue engineering in space will not otherwise be restricted to specific areas of research.  Please see Description of Partners for more information about the Canadian Space Agency.

5. Rehabilitation Sciences

This initiative in Regenerative Medicine and Nanomedicine is also interested in funding innovative research in rehabilitation. Advances in neurosciences, physiology, motor learning and brain imaging techniques have challenged the traditional view of regeneration as it applies to rehabilitation. The broader concept of functional restoration is proposed to embrace the continuum of restorative processes or plasticity induced by rehabilitation interventions that occur in the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerves and muscles to promote recovery of function after stroke, injury or disease, or to limit the effects of aging.

Specific therapeutic applications of rehabilitation research to regenerative medicine include, but are not limited to:

• Understanding skill-dependent cortical plasticity at the level of biochemical and molecular events using novel nanomedicine and technological developments;
• Development of research programs that bridge basic animal and human studies, leading to the development of improved rehabilitation interventions;
• Understanding how muscle responds at the molecular level to different types of exercise (e.g. strength, endurance, sprint), and what effects exercise may have in reversing or preventing immobilization-induced skeletal muscle atrophy, as an aid to devising guidelines for therapy;
• Examining whether there are gender- or age-based differences in skeletal muscle adaptation to exercise, and what effects pharmacological treatments may have on this process (e.g. corticosteroids, angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), statins, etc.);
• Characterization of factors regulating restoration of motor patterns after spinal cord injury (SCI) in humans, and determination of stimulation parameters to promote appropriate long-term re-expression;
• Effects of activity-based intervention approaches on reversal of pathological muscle fiber type changes after SCI;
• Understanding alterations in intrinsic neuroplasticity, at cortical or segmental levels, following traumatic CNS injury, and the effects of pharmacological or physical therapies on unmasking or reactivating latent innervation;
• Understanding the molecular and biochemical basis of muscular dystrophy and myopathies, and what types of exercises or interventions are effective and why (e.g. is there a "threshold" where adaptive stressors can induce physiological adaptation, beyond which an exacerbation of the pathology occurs?);
• Understanding the mechanisms of cancer cachexia and the effects of chemotherapeutics on muscle, and development of effective rehabilitation countermeasures;
• Determination of secondary biological changes in hemiparetic muscle that may effect performance capacity, metabolic characteristics and stroke risk factor profiles;
• Effects of stem cells, tissue engineering, or gene therapy on restoration of function following CNS injury, stroke or degenerative brain disease, when delivered alone or in combination with physical therapy;
• Development of interventional models that are most effective in improving motor function following CNS injury, stroke (e.g. role of task-oriented exercise) or onset of degenerative brain disease;
• Evaluation of rehabilitation techniques and delivery of rehabilitation services to aboriginal populations;
• Evaluation of rehabilitation techniques on functional recovery, cortical re-organization, muscle adaptation, social re-integration and quality of life issues.

Some of the broader research questions that could be addressed in proposals submitted to this initiative include, but are not limited to:

• Key issues surrounding the time course of recovery: i.e. when should rehabilitation be started, what intensity and duration of therapy should be provided; and is there a therapy "window of opportunity", etc.?
• How to promote the maintenance of gains over time?
• Should restorative therapy be provided to persons with all levels of impairment (mild, moderate, severe)?

The following Institutes will consider funding proposals in Rehabilitation Sciences that are deemed relevant to their respective strategic interests (please see Description of Partners later in this announcement): the Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction (INMHA), the Institute of Aboriginal Peoples' Health (IAPH), the Institute of Aging (IA), the Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health (ICRH) and the Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis (IMHA). The Canadian Stroke Network (CSN) may participate in funding for stroke research that meets CSN criteria for funding, especially with regard to stroke in the context of brain injury and disease. Jacob's Ladder will consider funding New Discoveries grants for proposals that are deemed relevant to their mission to aid children with leukodystrophies. The Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation may participate in funding for research on brain injury or spinal cord injury if a relevant link exists to ONF's strategic research programs.

Eligibility

Eligibility criteria for all CIHR research funding programs apply. The business office of the institution of an eligible Nominated Principal Applicant generally administers CIHR funds. Please refer to the Eligibility Requirements for CIHR Grants and Awards regarding the eligibility requirements for individuals and institutions.

General CIHR Guidelines

This Request for Applications will follow the General Guidelines for All Research Funding Grants.

Mechanisms of Support

For instructions on how to apply for Team grants and New Discovery Grants, please refer to the specific Request for Applications (RFAs) below:

Additional Funding Opportunities related to this Strategic Initiative

1. NeuroScience Canada Brain Repair Program

NeuroScience Canada will shortly be announcing the second Brain Repair Program competition, to fund the final two teams of our five-team objective for the program. The timing of the announcement and commencement of funding are pending our fundraising results, but we anticipate that we will be able to confirm funding for one team according to the timeline of this RFA, at $1.5 million over three years. NeuroScience Canada will run its own peer review, as per the first Brain Repair Program competition, but will follow the CIHR guidelines and scale, with a minimum score of 4.0 to qualify for funding. NeuroScience Canada is currently in discussions with CIHR regarding the possibility of partnered support to enable us to fund the second team within this RFA. Should this partnership proceed, we would be in a position to extend these two grants from the current three-year period, to five years, for total funding of $2.5 million per team, conditional to a satisfactory review during the third year. Please check the NeuroScience Canada Web site and this Request for Applications for further updates.

2. Proof of Principle (POP) Program

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research is pleased to announce the re-launch of the Proof of Principle Program.

Proof of Principle Phase I (POP-I) Grants will fund proof of principle research projects of up to 12 months duration designed to advance discoveries/inventions towards commercializable technologies, with a view to attract new investment and create new science-based businesses.

Proof of Principle Phase II (POP-II) Grants will fund proof of principle research projects up to 12 months duration at the co-investment stage undertaking follow-on proof of principle activities in partnership with a non-academic investor. This new funding opportunity is aimed at providing a platform to better enable the academic institution/researcher to move the discovery/invention further down the innovation pipeline.

Letters of Intent are due October 1, 2005, with full applications by November 1, 2005. For more information please see the Proof of Principle Program.

Contact Information

For questions on CIHR funding guidelines, how to apply, and the peer review process contact:

Karen Dewar, Ph.D.
Deputy Director
Knowledge Creation Programs
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
160 Elgin Street, Room 97
Address locator 4809A
Ottawa, ON K1A 0W9

Tel: (613) 941-4576
Fax: (613) 954-1800
E-mail: kdewar@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

For questions about this initiative and research objectives contact:

Eric Marcotte, Ph.D.
Team Lead
Regenerative Medicine and Nanomedicine
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
160 Elgin Street, Room 97
Address locator 4809A
Ottawa, ON K1A 0W9

Tel: (905) 467-1822
E-mail: emarcotte@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

Description of Partners: CIHR Institutes and Partner Organizations

Note: Additional partners, including partners from industry and the private sector are expected to join this funding initiative over the coming year.

Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)

CIHR is Canada's major federal funding agency for health research. Its objective is to excel, according to internationally accepted standards of scientific excellence, in the creation of new knowledge and its translation into improved health for Canadians, more effective health services and products and a strengthened Canadian health care system.

CIHR - Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction

The vision of the Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction (INMHA) is that innovative research will provide new knowledge of the biological and socio-cultural processes underlying neurological, mental and addictive disorders. As such, the INMHA's mission is to foster excellence in innovative, ethically responsible research in Canada that aims to increase our knowledge of the functioning and disorders of the brain and the mind, the spinal cord, the sensory and motor systems, as well as mental health, mental illness and all forms of addiction. The INMHA intends to support initiatives that mobilize and link scientists in innovative collaborative programs across these research domains. The INMHA seeks to translate this new knowledge into a better quality of life for all Canadians through improved outcomes, health promotion and health care services.

CIHR - Institute of Genetics

The mission of the Institute of Genetics (IG) is to support excellent research on the genetic and biochemical basis of health and disease, including the interaction of genes with the physical and social environments, to facilitate the translation of research findings into health policy and practice, and to examine the ethical, legal and social implications of genetic discoveries. The IG encourages translational research by fostering collaboration between the basic and clinical research communities, and collaborates with other Institutes of CIHR to optimize the impact of genetic discovery on other disciplines. A critical responsibility of the IG is to examine the ethical, legal and social implications of new genetic discoveries.

CIHR - Institute of Aboriginal Peoples' Health

The CIHR Institute of Aboriginal Peoples' Health (IAPH) will support research to improve the health of First Nations, Inuit and Metis people by supporting innovative research programs based on scientific excellence and community collaboration. IAPH's mission is to play a lead role in building research capacity in the First Nations, Inuit and Metis communities, and will support partnerships and alliances between aboriginal communities and non-aboriginal health research organizations/institutes at the local, regional, national and international levels. IAPH supports health research that respects aboriginal cultures, while generating new knowledge to improve the health and well-being of aboriginal people.

CIHR - Institute of Aging

The Institute of Aging (IA) will support research to promote healthy aging and to address causes, prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, support systems, and palliation for a wide range of conditions associated with aging. IA has identified five priority areas for research on aging and health (in no particular order): healthy and successful aging, biological mechanisms of aging, cognitive impairment in aging, aging and maintenance of functional autonomy, and health services and policy relating to older people.

CIHR - Institute of Cancer Research

The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) fosters research based on internationally accepted standards of excellence, which bear on preventing and treating cancer, and improving the health and quality of life of cancer patients. The ICR supports research to reduce the burden of cancer on individuals and families through prevention strategies, screening, diagnosis, effective treatment, psycho-social support systems, and palliation. Advances in genomics and functional proteomics have the potential to allow much more effective cancer diagnosis, prevention and therapeutic intervention. The ICR is well positioned to support and facilitate the exciting new research challenges and opportunities in population health and health delivery, as well as in critical basic and clinical research issues

CIHR - Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health

The mission of the ICRH is to support research into the causes, mechanisms, prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, support systems, and palliation for a wide range of conditions associated with the heart, lung, brain (stroke), blood, blood vessels, critical and intensive care, and sleep. The vision of the ICRH is to achieve international leadership by fostering an environment of openness, excitement, energy, commitment and excellence in highly ethical partnered initiatives focused on research, research training, and research translation in the circulatory and respiratory sciences, for the betterment of the health of Canadians. One of the strategic initiatives of the ICRH is self-regeneration, repair and replacement of damaged and diseased cells, tissues and organs in circulatory and respiratory diseases.

CIHR - Institute of Infection and Immunity

The Institute of Infection and Immunity (III) seeks to establish national leadership, priorities and programs that promote innovative research to reduce the global burden of infection and immune-based disease and improve quality of life. The III supports research to enhance immune-mediated health and to reduce the burden of infectious disease, immune-mediated disease, and allergy through prevention strategies, screening, diagnosis, treatment, support systems, and palliation. The III has identified a need to support the development of new tools, technologies and methods capable of providing non-invasive evaluation of infectious and immune processes in vivo.

CIHR - Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis

The Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis (IMHA) will support research to enhance active living, mobility and movement, and oral health; and to address causes, prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, support systems, and palliation for a wide range of conditions related to bones, joints, muscles, connective tissue, skin and teeth. The mission of IMHA is to eradicate pain, suffering and disability, in order to enhance quality of life for people affected by arthritis, and musculoskeletal, oral and skin conditions. Applications will be considered in IMHA's six focus areas: arthritis, bone, oral health, muscle, MSK rehabilitation, and skin and must be linked to one of its three research priorities:

• Physical Activity, Mobility and Health
• Tissue Injury, Repair and Replacement
• Pain, Disability and Chronic Diseases

Partners

ALS Society of Canada

The mission of the ALS Society of Canada is to support research towards a cure for ALS and to support Provincial ALS Societies in their provision of quality care for persons affected by ALS. We fund RESEARCH for a cure. We SUPPORT people affected by ALS to serve immediate needs. We provide INFORMATION to build awareness. The ALS Society of Canada was founded in 1977 as a national voluntary organization dedicated solely to those affected by ALS. Member of the International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations.

Canadian Space Agency

The primary objectives of the Space Life Sciences Program of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) are to explore basic principles of biology to understand the role of gravity in life processes, to better understand how life functions and adapts to the environment of space and readapts upon return to the conditions on Earth, and to obtain knowledge and develop technology to produce safer space travel and improve life on Earth.  Particular areas of interest include bone and muscle loss, adaptation of heart and other body systems and organs to weightlessness, maturation of organisms in space, biological effects of space radiation, and space psychology.

Space life science is essential in the preparation for the exploration of space.  Long duration flight will become commonplace in future inter-planetary exploration, and understanding the biological consequences of microgravity and radiation exposure may be essential to survival.  As more becomes known of these factors, countermeasures and pre-adaptations can be developed.  Significant benefits to the quality of life and contributions to human welfare on Earth can be expected from the enhanced knowledge and new medical technologies resulting from the program.

Canadian Stroke Network

One of the Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE), the Canadian Stroke Network's (CSN) mission is to reduce the effects of stroke on the lives of Canadians and on Canadian society. The CSN was established to create a national consortium with the capacity to enhance our knowledge of stroke, develop new treatment plans and medical technologies to improve individual outcomes, and create policies that will benefit the country as a whole. The Network places Canada at the forefront of stroke research through its multi-disciplinary research program, high-quality training for Canadian scientists and clinicians, and national and global partnerships. The CSN is also equally dedicated to decreasing the physical, social, and economic consequences of stroke on the individual and on society.

Jacob's Ladder

Jacob's Ladder is a charitable organization established in 1998 that aims to benefit children with leukodystrophies and to reduce the occurrences of these types of diseases in the future. A group of dedicated business and community leaders, doctors, researchers and concerned parents have come together to form The Canadian Foundation for Control of Neurodegenerative Disease, which is aimed at financially assisting the following efforts: research to discover and develop therapy and diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases; genetic screening for parents, and parents to be, in Canada; and to facilitate the education of medical personnel and the public of rare genetic diseases, like Canavan disease and Leigh's disease, and the tests which are currently available.

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) International

JDRF's mission is to find a cure for diabetes and its complications through the support of research with emphasis on Type 1 diabetes and its complications. JDRF continues to set the research agenda based upon the results of funded research, and on the latest advances in biomedical technology. As research continues within and across JDRF's three research goals (restoration of normal metabolism; avoidance and reversal of complications; prevention of diabetes and its recurrence), the fast track for the cure increases in potential and speed. Thirty years of pioneering research, focused by the needs of people with diabetes, has created quantum increases in the knowledge of diabetes and potentials for a cure.

National Research Council Canada (NRC)

The NRC is recognized globally as a leader in the development of an innovative, knowledge-based economy for Canada through science and technology. NRC is committed to contributing to significant innovations that support Canada's quality of life, improve the environment, protect health, and create new sources of wealth for Canadians. Through its focused research programs, its Industrial Research Assistance Program ("NRC/IRAP") and the rapid-access service to world-wide scientific, technical and medical information provided by the Canada Institute for Scientific and Technical Information (CISTI), NRC is a key player in the national system of innovation. NRC has also recently formed the National Institute for Nanotechnology (NINT) in Edmonton, Alberta, which will serve as a key resource for developing an Integrated Nanostructures Network in Canada. Working with other progressive organizations, NRC is helping provide the bridge between strategic research and wealth creation.

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada - Nano Innovation Platform (NanoIP)

NSERC is Canada's federal funding agency for university based research in the natural sciences and engineering. Through various programs, NSERC supports fundamental discovery based research, collaborative university-industry research partnerships and the advanced training of Canada's future scientists and engineers. In recognition of the strategic importance and multidisciplinary nature of nanotechnology and nanoscience, within its scientific and engineering community, NSERC recently created a Nano Innovation Platform (NanoIP) to coordinate Canadian university research in this area and to collaborate with organizations such as the National Institute for Nanotechnology (NINT) and NanoQuebec.

NeuroScience Canada

Established in 1998 as the successor to the NeuroScience Network Centre of Excellence, NeuroScience Canada is a national, non-profit organization that aims to bring relief and hope to the millions of Canadians challenged by neurological and psychiatric diseases, disorders and injuries. NeuroScience Canada supports researchers across disciplines and institutions who are investigating the mechanisms that protect and repair the brain and nervous system. NeuroScience Canada collaborates with the public, private and voluntary sectors, in order to harness the knowledge and resources of all those who wish to support neuroscience research and training programs. Our collective efforts will ensure that Canada continues and grows its research capacity in the neurosciences and maintains its status as a world-leader in excellent neuroscience research.

Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation

The Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation (ONF) recognizes the importance of setting and striving for clearly defined goals and practices. In collaboration with consumers, and other provincial and national stakeholders, ONF is committed to continuously strengthening activities and initiatives that support its core business to create new and applied knowledge through strategic investment in the neurotrauma field, and to build the research capacity of the neurotrauma field. The ONF's vision is to achieve reduced impact, incidence and prevalence of neurotrauma injuries and have people living with brain and spinal cord injuries participating as full members of society.

Stem Cell Network

Stem cells play a critical and essential role in the human body, from the embryonic stem cells that can grow into any of the specialized cells that form the body, to post-natal "adult" stem cells that function within the body to repair and regenerate tissue. One of the Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE), the Stem Cell Network brings together experts from all sectors and backgrounds, to share and build on their experiences and ideas, and to work together to achieve common goals. These include being a catalyst for the development of new therapies, creating a critical mass of knowledge and people in Canada by contributing to the training and education of specialists in stem cells, facilitating the transfer of technologies to the marketplace, and promoting informed debate on the source and use of stem cells.

The Foundation Fighting Blindness

As Canada's largest independent charity for vision research, The Foundation Fighting Blindness is responsible for groundbreaking genetic eye research in teaching hospitals and universities across the country. Its mandate is to support Canadian research directed at discovering causes, treatments and ultimately cures for eye diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa, macular degeneration and related retinal diseases. Its mandate is also to educate Canadians about prevention of eye diseases and promotion of eye health. The Foundation Fighting Blindness was established in 1974 and since then has funded over millions in vision research in Canada. To learn more about the latest vision research, visit their web site. The Foundation Fighting Blindness believes that "A Cure is in Sight".