A Personal End of Year Message from the President

With 2001 rapidly drawing to a close, I would like to extend my very best wishes to everyone in the Canadian health research community for a happy and healthy New Year.

This past year has been marked by the very best and the very worst of humanity: the completion of a rough draft of the human genome sequence and the events of September 11, respectively. Hopefully, next year will bring new hope and the resolution or at least amelioration of age-old conflicts.

I also would like to express my appreciation to the many people, organizations and institutions across Canada who worked so hard, and so effectively, to convince the federal government to stay the course on CIHR's budget growth. The $75 million increase to our base budget, representing a 15% increase, is simply stunning. Given the state of the economy and the global situation, it is a real demonstration of the government's support and commitment for CIHR and the positive outcomes that arise when we collectively deliver positive and re-inforcing messages.

CIHR is striving to be a transparent, proactive, strategic, innovative, collaborative, and integrative organization that is committed to outstanding research and its translation into improved health, an innovative health system, and a strong, diversified, knowledge-based economy.

The budget increase for 2002/03 will allow the Institutes, with partners, to develop and fund major new strategic research initiatives, expand the number of grantees across Canada, and continue to increase the average value of grants in the open competitions (now up by almost 40% in just 18 months), increase the number of career awards and trainee support, and develop an innovative suite of programs within our knowledge translation mandate. Early in the new year, the Institute Scientific Directors and Governing Council will be meeting to make final decisions on the allocation of funds within these broad envelopes.

In closing, I would like to express my personal thanks to the staff at CIHR, old and new colleagues and friends across Canada, and our partner organizations in the health charities, industry and government for making 2001 exhilarating, productive, and deeply satisfying. We should all take great pride in the health research enterprise that is taking shape in Canada.