Background: The outbreaks of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in the spring of 2003 have posed significant challenges for the world's public health system and front-line health care workers, challenges that remain with us today.
Global outbreaks of newly emerging infectious diseases seem likely to continue. New approaches are necessary to address the research essential to identifying and controlling infectious pathogens and agents that are a threat to public health, our food and water supply, and the Canadian economy.
In short, rapid response mechanisms are called for to mobilize Canada's health research community to address, in a coordinated and focused manner, specific research questions posed by emerging new pathogens. Composed of funding agencies, public and private sector organizations, and investigators, the Canadian SARS Research Consortium (CSRC) arose from discussions within Canada's health research community, funding agencies and industry, to develop rapid research responses that address public needs.
Mandate: To coordinate, promote and support SARS research in Canada and develop international linkages and partnerships to control and eradicate SARS. The CSRC is a deliverables-driven network which will establish research priorities and clear objectives, coordinate funding, and facilitate integration of the funded research projects.
Operation: The CSRC will develop and coordinate the implementation of a national research agenda on SARS in five broad research areas: diagnostics, vaccine development, therapeutics, epidemiology and databases, public health and community impact. The Consortium will be made of a Management Group (chaired by Dr. Bhagirath Singh, Scientific Director of CIHR Institute of Infection and Immunity), Scientific Advisory Committee, Executive Committee and Research Team. The CSRC, aided by the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC), will facilitate collaboration among researchers and among research funders, nationally and internationally, to eliminate redundancy and encourage synergy through partnership, and will facilitate coordinated distribution of clinical samples; establish national research platforms, for example in clinical trials; provide information and advice to the federal National Advisory Group on SARS and Public Health; and solicit participation from the biopharmaceutical industry.
The Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC): Co-chaired by Dr. Brett Finlay and Dr. Donald Low, the SAC will incorporate membership from the research community in the five research areas listed above. Its role is to advise the Management Group on research areas that should be supported through RFA, opportunities for international collaboration, and the coordination of research programs within Canada.
The National SARS Research Team: The team will consist of researchers funded by the Consortium and will form research action groups to address specific research areas and identify gaps in the national research agenda.
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