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Institute of Genetics
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
123 Edward Street, Suite 1211
Toronto, ON M5G 1E2
© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada (2002)
Cat. No.: MR1-21/2002E-HTML
ISBN 0-662-35543-1
Message from the Scientific Director
Excellent Researchers and a Robust Research Environment
Knowledge Translation and Public Engagement
It has been a privilege and pleasure to work with the Canadian community of researchers and stakeholders aligned with the Institute of Genetics (IG) during the first year of its existence.
Our principal initial task was to identify the areas of research to which the IG should direct its strategic funding program. This process required consultation, across the country, with the geneticists, biochemists, bioinformaticians, ethicists, lawyers and other researchers aligned with the Institute. Based on this national multi-constituency input, the Institute Advisory Board (IAB) then defined eight Research Priority Themes, which are listed in this first Annual Report. These Themes are described in detail in the Draft Strategic Plan of the Institute, which will be modified and refined, in consultation with the IAB, by 50 leaders of the IG research community at a retreat in September 2002.
The initial set of Requests for Applications (RFAs) from the IG was based on these Priority Themes. In particular, it became clear that several research areas are underdeveloped in Canada because there are insufficient numbers of researchers working in them. These areas include population genetics and genetic epidemiology, bioinformatics, research on health services for genetic disease, and those fields that investigate ethical, legal and social issues related to genetics. Some of the RFA tools that we have designed to address these capacity problems include the Career Transition Award and the IG Clinical Investigatorship Award.
The IG also participated in a major CIHR initiative to facilitate training, the Strategic Health Research Training Program. The 15 Training Program Grants funded by the IG and its partners are presented in this Report. Of particular note is that the bulk of this funding (5.8 million over the 6 years of the Training Program) is for training in proteomics and other areas of biochemistry; this support demonstrates the strong commitment of the IG to the funding of basic science research as well as more applied areas of investigation.
One of the great pleasures associated with being the Scientific Director of the IG has been working with many of the country's leading researchers to build the Institute. Under the excellent Chairmanship of Dr. Joel Weiner, the IAB has shown great leadership and judgment in advising me on the directions the Institute should take. I owe an equally great debt to the more than 100 scientists who, as Chairs or members of our 11 Priority and Planning Committees, have worked hard, and with great enthusiasm, to advise the Institute on the issues it should address in the specific area of research related to each Committee. I am also indebted to the members of our Voluntary Health Organization (VHO) Working Group, who are determining how the VHOs of this country can most profitably and effectively work with the Institute to the benefit of the people of Canada.
Finally, the Institute of Genetics has been blessed with superb staff who have made the job of Scientific Director a real pleasure. In particular, I would like to thank the Assistant Director, Dr. Milka Popov, the Executive Assistant, Jennifer Jennings, and the IG Liaison Officer at CIHR in Ottawa, Dr. Judith Bray for their hard work, wise counsel and enthusiastic support during the past year.
Sincerely,
Roderick R. McInnes, M.D., Ph.D., FRSC
Scientific Director
Institute of Genetics
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Established in December 2000, the Institute of Genetics (IG) is one of 13 virtual Institutes of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). The IG is based at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, the
home institution of the Scientific Director,
Dr. Roderick R. McInnes.
|
Institute of Genetics Mandate The IG will 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 (see Figure1). |
The IG's Institute Advisory Board (IAB) consists of 17 individuals with exceptional qualifications and demonstrated leadership, from Canada and abroad, under the guidance of the Chair, Dr. Joel Weiner, and the Vice-Chair, Dr. François Rousseau (see Appendix 1).
The IAB gives the IG expertise and advice regarding:
To fund research effectively from the outset, the Institute of Genetics (IG) sought to identify the research priorities of its stakeholders as quickly as possible. During its first 15 months, the IG carried out a range of activities to define its strategic directions, but the most important task throughout has been to consult researchers, academics, clinicians, policy makers, voluntary health organizations, companies and other stakeholders with an interest in basic biochemistry and genetics, including its societal impacts.
FIgure 1Genetic, Ethical, Legal and Social Issues
At its first meeting in March 2001, the Institute Advisory Board (IAB) identified five research areas as particularly important. In response, the IG arranged five consultation workshops that gave IG stakeholders a forum to identify needs and opportunities in these research areas:
These workshops brought together unique combinations of research communities that had never worked together before, resulting in novel perspectives and recommendations. The proceedings of these workshops are available on the IG website.
The Scientific Director's extensive national consultations-including workshop sponsorship and visits to over 15 universities and research institutions-forged essential links with the research community and provided direction for the priority-setting process. The results of these consultations were refined by the IAB and informed the IG's Draft Strategic Plan, completed in the summer of 2002. The Draft Strategic Plan identifies eight research priority themes as the focus of the IG's strategic activities for the next five to ten years.
| The Institute of Genetics Research Priority Themes* |
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* from the Draft Strategic Plan
For each research priority theme, a Priority and Planning (P&P) Committee(s) was formed to:
Additional P&P Committees and a Working Group enable IG development in other critical areas. Each P&P; Committee is led, or co-led, by a distinguished Canadian researcher(s) with expertise and a strong commitment to advancing research in a specific area (see Appendix 2 and Figure 2).
In the next stage of its strategic planning process, the IG will solicit feedback on the Draft Strategic Plan. To this end, a Planning Retreat is scheduled for September 2002 with IAB members, P&P Committee Chairs, CIHR Staff, CIHR Institute Scientific Directors, Voluntary Health Organization representatives and national and international experts in genetics and basic biochemistry.
After the Strategic Plan is finalized, the IG will continue to consult with researchers and stakeholders, adjusting its strategic directions in response to changing research priorities.
| During the 2001-'02 reporting period, significant work was carried out within each research priority theme, including the issuing of seven Requests for Applications (see Appendix 3). |
Figure 2.
The leadership of the Institute of Genetics is widely distributed across Canada. The location of the chairs of each P&P Committee or Working Group is indicated. The shaded circles indicate P&P Committees that support the IG Research Priority Themes, the open circles indicate P&P Committees that support the IG Enabling Strategies.
During this reporting period, the IG's research capacity building efforts have focused on the following five research priority themes:
Dr. Ann Robertson, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Toronto. Career Transition Awardee, "The meaning and use of genetic risk as evidence: policy and practice issues in public health genetics", based at The Centre for Family Research, University of Cambridge, UK under the mentorship of Dr. Martin Richards. Following her period of study, Dr. Robertson is working on a manuscript entitled "Genes and the Common Good: Towards a Public Health Ethics Perspective on Human Genetics".
In response to the research community, the IG has undertaken a range of activities to build research capacity, strengthen existing research communities and facilitate interdisciplinary training and research.
Strategic Health Research Training Program
Launched in May 2001, the CIHR Strategic Health Research Training Program aims to build the capacity of the Canadian health research community by training and supporting young talent. This program was the first major CIHR strategic initiative to involve all 13 Institutes and their partners. In May 2002, 51 new training programs were funded for a total investment of $85 million over six years. Of these, 15 training programs were co-funded by the IG and its partners (see Appendix 4). These programs deliver unique training, creative curriculum, and often involve faculty from diverse disciplines and backgrounds. The IG has committed over $5.7 million to this program over the next six years, representing 78% of the IG's strategic initiative funding in fiscal year 2002-2003.
Career Development Awards
Recognizing that researchers are attracted to areas of investigation within the mandate of the IG from a variety of disciplines at varying stages of their careers, the IG has developed two innovative funding programs unavailable through the existing CIHR national programs: IG Career Transition Awards and IG Short-Term Exchange Grants.
IG Career Transition Awards support career transition of faculty members who are planning to undertake rigorous training outside of their primary area of expertise in order to transition into an area of need identified by the IG community. Six applications were received for the November 2001 deadline, of which four were approved for funding (see Appendix 4). This program has attracted:
IG Short-Term Exchange Grants facilitate cross-disciplinary training by giving biomedical and health researchers financial support for short-term exchange visits (three months or less) to research centres within Canada and abroad. The huge demand for bioinformatics knowledge has made this award particularly attractive to students and faculty who wish to attend specialized bioinformatics courses.
Celera Genome Database Grant
CIHR, the IG and Compaq Canada Corporation have worked together to enable Canadian researchers to access Celera's proprietary genomic database. Moreover, to facilitate access to this database, CIHR and the IG have launched a funding program, Celera Genome Database Grant, to subsidize the licensing fee.
Focus on Clinical Genetics Research
Apart from a small number of outstanding individuals, Canada has too few clinical genetics researchers (i.e., geneticists who study patients or patient populations, in contrast to laboratory research). To gain input from stakeholders, the IG sponsored a major consultative workshop, established a P&P committee and commissioned an environmental scan. To meet the identified needs, the IG has developed two funding programs and is participating in a major initiative led by the Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health (ICRH).
The first funding program, the IG Clinical Investigatorship Award, enables clinical geneticists, clinicians, other health professionals and PhDs to become successful clinical genetics researchers by providing two
years of protected research time to pursue clinical or translational research.
The second funding program, the Drs. Walter and Jessie Boyd & Charles Scriver MD/PhD Studentship Award, provides six years of support for MD/PhD students with a research focus in one of the following areas - genetics and genetic-related diseases (including medical genetics, bioinformatics and bioethics of medical genetics), population genetics, translational genetics; fundamental biochemical research - in healthy and disease states.
This program was developed in collaboration with the Canadian Gene Cure Foundation (CGCF) and the Canadian Genetic Disease Network (CGDN). The IG and its partners have committed $1.23 million over the next six years to ten MD/PhD Studentship awards.
Support for New Investigators
Planning is underway for the IG's first annual New Principal Investigators Meeting, to be held in November 2002. Approximately 100 new Principal Investigators, working in the area of biochemistry, cellular biology, molecular biology and bioinformatics, from across the country will meet and engage with their peers and leading scientists from a variety of disciplines. The meeting aims to foster peer networks, mentorship and collaboration among Canada's basic biomedical researchers.
Partnerships
The enormous scope of genetics and basic biochemistry research and the relevance of genetic research to the biology and disease of all organ systems underscore the need for the IG to foster partnerships. Over the past 15 months, the IG has collaborated with other CIHR Institutes, Voluntary Health Organizations and the public and private sector to build on the IG's strengths and capitalize on Canada's health research investment.
Two of these initiatives deserve particular mention because they are large and likely to have a substantial national impact:
Furthermore, one working group and one committee have been staffed specifically to work with national and international partners:
|
Partnerships |
||
| Initiative | Partner(s) | |
| Canadian Lifelong Health Initiative | Institute of Population and Public Health (IPPH), Institute of Aging (IA) | |
| Canadian Proteomics Initiative | Protein Engineering National Centre of Excellence (PENCE) | |
| Celera Genomics Database | Compaq Canada Corporation, CIHR | |
| CIHR Clinician Scientist Initiative | Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health (ICRH) | |
| Health Services for Genetic Disease Initiative | Institute of Health Services and Policy Research (IHSPR) | |
| Canadian/German International Collaborations | Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics | |
| MD/PhD Studentships | Canadian Gene Cure Foundation (CGCF), Canadian Genetic Diseases Network (CGDN) | |
Voluntary Health Organizations
Voluntary Health Organizations (VHOs)-which strive to cure single-gene disorders, or diseases with a strong genetic contribution-are an important resource and stakeholder for the IG. Consequently, the IG's Voluntary Health Organizations Working Group partners with VHOs to promote public engagement and develop collaborative efforts to facilitate health research.
International Partnerships
The IG is pursuing collaborations internationally, in order to share costs, link with large international research teams and facilitate Canadian participation in international research efforts. The IG & CGDN International Collaborations in Human Genetics P&P Committee will pursue opportunities to work with international colleagues. The goal is to build on the strength of Canadian human genetic research, with a long-term commitment to the advancement of research and training.
In partnership with the CGDN, the IG has facilitated international collaborations with Germany, including signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics in Berlin (February 2002). Similar collaborative activities are being planned in concert with international counterparts in Sweden
and Italy.
Yves Savoie (Muscular Dystrophy Association of Canada) and Suzanne Lawson (ALS Society of Canada), Co-Chairs of the
IG Voluntary Health Organizations Working Group.
At the signing of the Max-Planck-Institut für molekulare Genetik
(MPIMG) agreement (February 19, 2002 in Berlin, Germany).
From left to right: Hans-Hilgar Ropers (MPIMG), Ron Woznow (CGDN),
Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, and Stephen Scherer (IG & CGDN International Collaborations on Human Genetics P&P Committee Chair).
One of the primary objectives of the IG is to increase the knowledge of genetics and genetic health services among health service providers and the general public.
The IG's Public Engagement and Knowledge Exchange P&P Committee was therefore created to identify critical issues and opportunities in the areas of public engagement and genetic knowledge exchange, and to develop initiatives where appropriate. This committee links closely with the Health Services for Genetic Diseases P&P Committee, which has identified knowledge transfer and exchange to health service providers, to the public and to policy makers as an essential component of its mandate.
The IG has co-funded a grant (see Appendix 4) to study knowledge transfer strategies among Canadian health researchers in promoting the uptake of their research, in partnership with the CIHR Knowledge Translation Branch and the Institute of Health Services and Policy Research (IHSPR).
In order to coordinate communication strategies and initiatives among the many Canadian agencies involved in the field of genetics, the IG participates in the multi-agency Genetics Outreach Committee. This joint committee works closely with and builds on the activities of the Public Engagement and Knowledge Exchange P&P Committee, and includes representatives from the IG, the Canadian Genetic Diseases Network, the Canadian Biotechnology Advisory Committee, Stem Cell Network and Genome Canada.
The IG is participating in the concept design for the Geee! In Genome travelling museum exhibit. This exciting public education project, scheduled to open in April 2003, is being developed by the Canadian Museum of Nature in partnership with Genome Canada and CIHR. This project aims to educate Canadians about genomics and the relevance of genomic discoveries to nature and human life, and also to highlight Canadian scientific excellence in this field, paying particular tribute to the late Dr. Michael Smith.
The accomplishments of the IG over the past 15 months towards building a national health research agenda in genetics and basic biochemistry are a direct reflection of the dedication, commitment and collaborative involvement of the IAB, the P&P Committees and Working Group.
Institute Advisory Board
Institute Advisory Board members provide invaluable assistance and advice with the development and implementation of the IG's research priority-setting process. In addition to participating actively on P&P Committees, IAB members meet at least twice a year to discuss the IG's research priorities and allocation of funds.
Priority & Planning Committees and Working Group
The ten P&P Committees and the VHO Working Group are essential to the IG's ability to carry out its mandate. Each P&P Committee presents the research priorities that have been defined in consultation with the research community to the IAB and Scientific Director. Some P&P Committees - e.g., International Collaborations in Human Genetics and New Principal Investigators - have a different role, which is to advise the IG on how it should facilitate the research activities and careers of researchers.
These P&P Committees and the Working Group present recommendations to the IAB for discussion and funding consideration. Through their membership in P&P committees, over 100 leading researchers from across Canada, as well as other committed stakeholders, regularly inform and advance the research agenda of the IG in genetic and basic biochemical health research.
Organizational Structure of the Institute of Genetics
Scientific Director and IG Staff
Operationally, the IG is supported by teams based at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto and the CIHR Secretariat in Ottawa.
| Toronto | Ottawa |
|
Scientific Director |
Institute Liaison Officer |
|
Assistant Director |
Projects and Communications Officer |
|
Executive Assistant |
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| Communications and Partnerships Manager Carrie Olha, MSc Tel: (416) 813-7671 Fax: (416) 813-7673 (02/02 - 07/02) |
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| Mailing Addresses: CIHR Institute of Genetics 123 Edward Street, Suite 1211 Toronto ON M5G 1E |
CIHR Corporate Headquarters: 410 Laurier Avenue, West 9th. Floor, Postal Locator 4209A Ottawa ON K1A 0W9 |
| Table 1 . Investments in Strategic Initiatives For the year ended March 31, 2002 | ||||||
| Contributions Through Grants and Awards | ||||||
| Number | 2001-02 | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004 and beyond | Total | |
| Strategic Initiatives | ||||||
| Career Transition Awards | 3 | $196,500 | $40,833 | $237,333 | ||
| Short-Term Exchange Grants | 10 | 15,100 | 76,970 | 92,070 | ||
| Strategic Training Initiative in Health Research | 11 | 81,142 | 975,484 | 995,000 | 3,697,084 | 5,748,710 |
| 24 | $96,242 | $1,248,954 | $1,035,833 | $3,697,084 | $6,078,113 | |
Note: Figures displayed represent CIHR financial commitments for these programs in 2001-02 and subsequent years. Availability of these funds in future years are subject to funding appropriations by Parliament. For some initiatives, partners are contributing to the funding of the grants and awards.
| Table 2 . Institute Support Grant For the year ended March 31, 2002 (only 2001/2002 FY budget) | ||
| Available Funds |
$1,325,549 | |
| Expenses | ||
|
Institute Development
|
$150,228 |
|
|
Institute Operations
|
$335,669 |
|
| Total Expenses |
$780,172 | |
| Unspent Balance |
* $545,377 | |
* Note: The unspent balance as at March 31, 2002 is carried forward to the subsequent fiscal year.
Appendix 1
Institute of Genetics (IG) Institute Advisory Board (IAB)
| Dr. Joel Weiner (Chair) University of Alberta |
Dr. François Rousseau (Vice-Chair) Université Laval |
|
| Dr. Françoise Baylis Dalhousie University (01/01 - 01/02) |
Dr. Béatrice Godard Université de Montréal |
Dr. Jane Green Memorial University of Newfoundland |
| Dr. Michael Hayden University of British Columbia |
Dr. Philip Hieter University of British Columbia |
Dr. Tom Hudson McGill University |
| Ms. Suzanne Lawson Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Society of Canada |
Dr. James McGhee University of Calgary |
Dr. Robert Peterson Health Products and Food Branch |
| Dr. Janet Rossant University of Toronto |
Dr. Michael Snyder Yale University |
Dr. Andrew Storer National Research Council of Canada |
| Dr. Natalie Strynadka University of British Columbia |
Dr. Julien Veilleux Ministère de la santé et des services sociaux |
Dr. Ronald Worton University of Ottawa (01/01 - 10/01) |
Appendix 2
Priority and Planning Committee Membership
A. Committees Supporting the IG Strategic Research Priority Themes
Bioinformatics
Dr. Peter Lewis, University of Toronto (Co-Chair)
Mr. Francis Ouellette, University of British Columbia (Co-Chair)
Dr. Fiona Brinkman, Simon Fraser University
Dr. William Crosby, University of Saskatchewan
Dr. Steven Jones, British Columbia Cancer Agency
Dr. Paul Kearney, University of Waterloo
Dr. François Major, Université de Montréal
Dr. Andrew Roger, Dalhousie University
Dr. Christoph Sensen, University of Calgary
Dr. Chris Upton, University of Victoria
Clinical Genetics Research
Dr. Jan Friedman, University of British Columbia (Chair)
Dr. Jane Evans, University of Manitoba
Dr. David Rosenblatt, McGill University
Dr. Jacques Simard, Université Laval
Dr. Rosanna Weksberg, Hospital for Sick Children
Developmental Genetics and Birth Defects
Dr. James McGhee, University of Calgary (Chair)
Dr. Jacques Drouin, Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal (Vice-Chair)
Dr. Paul Lasko, McGill University
Dr. Howard Lipshitz, Hospital for Sick Children
Dr. Jacques Michaud, Hôpital Ste. Justine
Dr. Janet Rossant, Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute
Genetic and Environmental Interactions in Health and Disease
Dr. Shelley Bull, Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute (Co-Chair)
Dr. Kenneth Morgan, Montreal General Hospital (Co-Chair)
Dr. Robert Brunham, University of British Columbia
Dr. Gail Eyssen, University of Toronto
Dr. France Gagnon, University of Ottawa
Dr. Jinko Graham, Simon Fraser University
Dr. Jane Green, Memorial University of Newfoundland
Dr. Celia Greenwood, Hospital for Sick Children
Dr. Robert Hegele, University of Western Ontario
Dr. Claude Laberge, Université Laval
Dr. John McLaughlin, Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute
Dr. Bruce Rannala, University of Alberta
Health Services for Genetic Disease, with IHSPR
Dr. Judith E. Allanson, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, (Co-Chair)
Dr. Eva Grunfeld, Ottawa Regional Cancer Centre, (Co-Chair)
Dr. Denise Avard, Université de Montréal
Dr. Mario Cappelli, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario
Dr. June Carroll, Mount Sinai Hospital
Dr. Tim Caulfield, University of Alberta
Dr. Raisa Deber, University of Toronto
Dr. Daniel Gaudet, Complexe Hospitalier de la Sagamie
Dr. Vivek Goel, University of Toronto
Dr. Christine Kennedy, University of Calgary
Dr. Anne Pastuszak, Mount Sinai Hospital
Dr. François Rousseau, Université Laval
Dr. Brenda Wilson, University of Ottawa
Genetics and Ethics, Law & Society
Dr. Tim Caulfield, University of Alberta (Co-Chair)
Dr. Margaret Lock, McGill University (Co-Chair)
Dr. Laura Arbour, University of British Columbia
Dr. Françoise Baylis, Dalhousie University (ex officio)
Dr. Abdallah Daar, University of Toronto
Dr. Jane Evans, University of Manitoba
Dr. Béatrice Godard, Université de Montréal
Ms. Patricia Kosseim, CIHR Ethics Office (ex officio)
Dr. Trudo Lemmens, University of Toronto
Dr. Daryl Pulman, Memorial University of Newfoundland
Proteomics in Health and Disease
Dr. Joel Weiner, University of Alberta (Chair)
Dr. Brenda Andrews, University of Toronto
Dr. John Bergeron, McGill University
Dr. Mirek Cygler, National Research Council Canada
Dr. Michel Desjardins, Université de Montréal
Dr. Mike Moran, MDS Proteomics
Dr. Natalie Strynadka, University of British Columbia
Dr. Hans Vogel, University of Calgary
Dr. David Wishart, University of Alberta
B. Committees Supporting the IG Enabling Strategies
International Collaborations in Human Genetics, with CGDN
Dr. Stephen Scherer, Hospital for Sick Children (Chair)
Dr. Diane Cox, University of Alberta
Dr. Louise Desjardins, Canadian Genetic Diseases Network (CGDN)
Dr. Robert Korneluk, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario
Dr. Philip Hieter, University of British Columbia
Dr. François Rousseau, Université Laval
New Principal Investigators
Dr. Geoff Hicks, University of Manitoba (Chair)
Dr. Susan E. Andrew, University of Alberta
Dr. Benoit Bruneau, Hospital for Sick Children
Dr. Nancy Hawkins, Simon Fraser University
Dr. Josée Lavoie, Université Laval
Public Engagement and Knowledge Exchange
Dr. François Rousseau, Université Laval (Chair)
Dr. Judith Bray, CIHR
Dr. Béatrice Godard, Université de Montréal
Dr. Jane Green, Memorial University of Newfoundland
Dr. Michael Hayden, University of British Columbia
Ms. Suzanne Lawson, ALS Society of Canada
Dr. Michael Robb, University of Alberta
Dr. Julien Veilleux, Ministère de la santé et des services sociaux
Voluntary Health Organizations Working Group
Ms. Suzanne Lawson, ALS Society of Canada (Co-Chair)
Mr. Yves Savoie, Muscular Dystrophy Association of Canada (Co-Chair)
Mr. Cliff Carr, Batten Disease Support and Research Association
Ms. Sharon Colle, Foundation Fighting Blindness - Canada
Ms. Judi Farrell, Lupus Canada
Dr. Alison M. Stephen, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada
Appendix 3
Request for Applications (RFAs) launched by the Institute of Genetics
| Strategic Initiative |
Partners | Summary | Competition Deadline (full application) |
Applications Received (#) |
Applications Approved (#) |
Success Rate (%) |
| 2001 Launch | ||||||
| Career Transition Awards |
Career Transition Awards are designed to support the career transition of faculty members who are planning to undertake rigorous training in identified areas of need outside of their primary research training and expertise. |
November 2001 |
6 | 4 | 67 | |
| Short-Term Research Visits (formerly Short-Term Exchange Grants) |
The Short-Term Research Visit program is designed to facilitate cross- disciplinary training opportunities by providing financial support primarily to biomedical and health- associated researchers, for short-term (three months maximum) exchange visits to appropriate research centres for specialized training. |
October 2001 |
3 | 2 | 67 | |
| Strategies for Knowledge Translation in Health |
CIHR, INMHA |
The Institute of Genetics recognizes that the health of Canadians could greatly benefit from the effective application of increasing genetic knowledge. To achieve this benefit, public awareness and understanding of genetic research needs to increase, particularly as it impacts availability of genetic services and other emerging health care issues related to genetics. |
September 2001 |
19 (3 IG related) |
4 (1 IG related) |
21 |
| Strategic Training Program Grants |
CIHR, All Institutes, Partners (see Appendix 4) |
The objectives of the CIHR Strategic Training Program initiative are to: build a culture of creativity, innovation and transdisciplinary research within the next generation of health researchers; increase the capacity of the Canadian health research community through the training and support of research talent; etc. |
December 2001 |
127 (30 IG related) |
51 (15 IG related) |
40 |
Appendix 4
Summary of Institute of Genetics Strategic Funding
| Strategic Training Program | Partners: | ||
| Alberta Heritage Foundation for Health Research Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada Institute of Aboriginal Peoples' Health Institute of Cancer Research Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health Institute of Gender and Health Institute of Genetics Institute of Health Services and Policy Research Institute of Human Development, Child and Youth Health Institute of Infection and Immunity Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes CIHR Knowledge Translation Branch Fonds de recherché en santé du Québec (FRSQ) Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research | |||
| IG Lead (or Co-Lead): | |||
| Graham Cote | Queen's University | Queen's University proteomics and protein function discovery training program |
$1,478,710 over 5 years |
| Walid Houry | University of Toronto | Training program in protein folding: Principles and diseases |
$1,800,000 over 6 years |
| Steven Jones | B.C. Cancer Research Centre |
Bioinformatics training for health research | $1,800,000 over 6 years |
| Sabine Mai | University of Manitoba | Innovative technologies in multidisciplinary health research training |
$1,800,000 over 6 years |
| Stephen Meyn | University of Toronto | Collaborative graduate program in molecular medicine |
$1,800,000 over 6 years |
| Reinhart Reithmeier | University of Toronto | Training program in structural biology of membrane proteins linked to disease |
$1,800,000 over 6 years |
| David Thomas | McGill University | CIHR strategic training program in chemical biology |
$1,770,000 over 6 years |
| IG Sponsored | |||
| James Cross | University of Calgary | Training program in genetics, child development and health |
$1,469,160 over 6 years |
| Jocelyn Downie | Dalhousie University | Training program in health law & policy | $1,575,000 over 6 years |
| Aaron Fenster | John P. Robarts Research Institute |
Vascular and cerebrovascular transdisciplinary training program (vcTTP): Integrated training in genetics, biology, mathematics, physics and engineering towards an understanding and prevention of vascular and cerebrovascular disease |
$1,075,000 over 5 years |
| Fernand Labrie | Centre hospitalier de l'Université Laval |
Génomique fonctionnelle et maladies endocriniennes |
$1,680,000 over 6 years |
| Peter Liu | University of Toronto | A training program in cardiovascular research: Molecules to populations, heart failure to prevention |
$1,410,000 over 6 years |
| Stephen Lye | Mount Sinai Hospital | The Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute training program: Applying genomics to human health |
$1,800,000 over 6 years |
| Michael McDonald | University of British Columbia |
Training program in ethics of health research | $1,599,782 over 6 years |
| Norman Rosenblum | Hospital for Sick Children |
Canadian child and youth health research clinician-scientist development program CCYHR-CSDP) |
$1,800,000 over 6 years |
| Institute of Genetics Career Transition Awards | |||
| Stephane Flibotte | Simon Fraser University |
Bioinformatics and comparable genomics | $80,000 over one year |
| Joseph Pegna | École polytechnique de Montréal |
Exploratory training toward a capacity in biomedical nanotechnologies |
$70,000 over one year |
| David Hogg | University of Toronto | Bioinformatics and software engineering | $80,000 over one year |
| Ann Robertson | University of Toronto | The meaning and use of genetic risk as evidence: Policy and practice issues at the intersection of human genomics, public health and bioethics |
$68,333 over ten months |
| Institute of Genetics Short-Term Exchange Grants | |||
| Nicholas Birkett | University of Ottawa | Microsatellite instability, DNA repair and adeocarcinoma of the esophagus |
$9,900 over three months |
| Renée Martin | Alberta Children's Hospital |
Technique of detecting recombination sites on human sperm pachytene chromosomes using immunofluorescence |
$5,200 over six months |
| Strategies for Knowledge Translation in Health |
Partners: | ||
| Knowledge Translation Branch Institute of Health Services and Policy Research Institute of Genetics | |||
| Ian Graham | Université d'Ottawa | Comment les chercheurs canadiens de la santé font la promotion de l'application de leurs recherches | 77 201 $ sur un an |
Appendix 5
Roderick R. McInnes: Scientific Director (SD), Institute of Genetics,
CIHR National Consultations (2001): Universities and Research Institutions
| Date | Event | Location |
| January 29 | Hosted CIHR Scientific Directors Open Forum Plenary Session with Phil Branton (SD), Institute of Cancer Research, plus small group meetings with biochemists and geneticists, at Queen's University |
Kingston |
| March 1 | Hosted CIHR Scientific Directors Open Forum Plenary Session, plus two small group meetings with biochemists and geneticists, at the University of Toronto |
Toronto |
| March 2 | Hosted CIHR Scientific Directors Open Forum Plenary Session with Morris Barer (SD), Institute of Health Services and Policy Research, and Bhagi Singh (SD), Institute of Infection and Immunity, plus two small group meetings with biochemists and geneticists, at the University of Western Ontario |
London |
| April 9 | Hosted CIHR Scientific Directors Open Forum Plenary Session with John Challis (SD), Institute of Human Development, Child and Youth Health, at the Hospital for Sick Children |
Toronto |
| April 20 | Hosted CIHR Scientific Directors Open Forum Plenary Session with Morris Barer (SD), Institute of Health Services and Policy Research, Miriam Stewart (SD), Institute of Gender and Health, and Bhagi Singh (SD), Institute of Infection and Immunity, plus small group meetings with biochemists and geneticists, at the University of Ottawa and Carlton University |
Ottawa |
| April 24-25 | Hosted CIHR Scientific Directors Open Forum Plenary Session with Bhagi Singh (SD), Institute of Infection and Immunity, plus small group meetings with biochemists and geneticists, at the University of Manitoba |
Winnipeg |
| April 30- May 1 |
Hosted CIHR Scientific Directors Open Forum Plenary Session with Bhagi Singh (SD), Institute of Infection and Immunity, plus small group meetings with biochemists and geneticists, at Simon Fraser University Hosted CIHR Scientific Directors Open Forum Plenary Session with Bhagi Singh (SD), Institute of Infection and Immunity, and Jeff Reading, Institute of Aboriginal Peoples' Health, plus small group meetings with biochemists and geneticists, at the University of British Columbia |
Vancouver |
| May 7 | Hosted CIHR Scientific Directors Open Forum Plenary Session with Phil Branton (SD), Institute of Cancer Research, and Bruce McManus (SD), Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health, plus small group meetings with biochemists and geneticists, at Dalhousie University |
Halifax |
| May 8 | Meeting with NRC at Institute of Marine Biological Sciences Hosted additional small group meetings at Dalhousie University |
Halifax |
| May 9 | Hosted CIHR Scientific Directors Open Forum Plenary Session with Phil Branton (SD), Institute of Cancer Research, plus small group meetings with biochemists and geneticists, at Memorial University |
St. John's |
| June 5 | Hosted CIHR Scientific Directors Open Forum Plenary Session with Miriam Stewart (SD), Institute of Gender and Health, and Cy Frank (SD), Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis, plus small group meetings with biochemists and geneticists, at York University |
Toronto |
| June 10-12 | Hosted CIHR Scientific Director Open Forum Plenary Session University of Alberta, small group meetings Hosted CIHR Scientific Director Open Forum Plenary Session University of Calgary, small group meetings |
Edmonton Calgary |
Appendix 6
Summary of IG Workshop and Symposium Hosting and Sponsorship
| Date | Année | Nom de l'événement | Emplacement |
| May 31-June 3 | 2001 | Canadian Society of Biochemistry, Molecular & Cellular Biology (CSBMCB) Symposium 6 "Membrane Proteins: Implications for Therapeutics" |
Banff, Alberta |
| August 19-20 | 2001 | Clinical Genetics Research Workshop | Montreal, Quebec |
| August 26-28 | 2001 | Proteomics Workshop | Kingston, Ontario |
| August 29-31 | 2001 | 8th International Workshop of Developmental Nephrology |
Victoria, British Columbia |
| September 10-11 | 2001 | Human Population Genetics and Genomics Workshop |
Ottawa, Ontario |
| September 18-19 | 2001 | Bioinformatics Workshop | Aylmer, Quebec |
| September 23-25 | 2001 | Health Services for Genetic Disease Workshop |
Toronto, Ontario |
| October 13 | 2001 | ALS Research Roundtable | Montreal, Quebec |
| November 4-5 | 2001 | Healthy Aging: From Cell to Society | Ottawa, Ontario |
| November 9 | 2001 | Gene & Cell Therapies Core Facilities in Pulmonary Proteomics |
Toronto, Ontario |
| December 7-9 | 2001 | National Dialogue on Healthy Body Weights (see Obesity Canada Joint Conference) |
Toronto, Ontario |
| March 12-14 | 2002 | Canadian Society of Biochemistry, Molecular & Cellular Biology (CSBMSB) From the Genome To Structure and Function/44th Annual Meeting |
Alliston, Ontario |
