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Established in 2000, the goal for the Canadian Institutes of Health Research - Institute of Aboriginal People's Health (CIHR-IAPH) is to lead a national advanced research agenda in the area of aboriginal health, and to promote innovative research in this field. The longer-term outcome of this research will lead to improvements in the health of aboriginal people in Canada.
As one of 13 institutes under the federally funded Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the CIHR-IAPH is the first and the only kind of aboriginal health research institute in the world. CIHR-IAPH supports the CIHR mandate 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.
Values:
CIHR-IAPH is guided at all times by a core set of values based on the principles of accessibility, high ethical standards, inclusion, respect, and transparency.
CIHR-IAPH will 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. Active community participation at the outset is an integral key to the research process.
Why is the CIHR-IAPH a crucial link in the future health of aboriginal people in Canada?
The overall health of aboriginal people is significantly worse than the health of other Canadians. Some reasons for this are already known, some remain to be discovered through new research. CIHR-IAPH programs are helping to close knowledge gaps and identify appropriate responses to reduce aboriginal health disparities. While illness is a major challenge, CIHR-IAPH also considers factors that currently exist in healthy aboriginal communities, as an important element to explore and build upon.
How does the Institute work?
CIHR-IAPH combines rigorous scientific excellence with cultural relevance, bringing together aboriginal communities and health researchers.
An institute advisory board composed of aboriginal people, and senior aboriginal health researchers guide the Canadian Institutes of Health Research - Institute of Aboriginal People's Health. Together we identify health research questions and issues, and support stakeholders who seek answers and solutions to these unique challenges. Such answers help to support new aboriginal health policies and practices. Focused research in the area of aboriginal people's health creates more efficient and effective health programs, services and activities leading to better health outcomes.
What about the future?
A major part of our work supports young researchers interested in the field of aboriginal health, nurturing their interest and giving the opportunities to pursue vital research. We encourage aboriginal students to take up this cause, so that they can bring their unique perspective to health research that make communities well. The CIHR-IAPH supports graduate students working in aboriginal health research and have developed a graduate student network.
In order to develop excellence in aboriginal health research across Canada, CIHR-IAPH has also developed a network of supportive research environments known as Aboriginal Capacity and Developmental Research Environments (ACADRE) centres. These university-based centres foster aboriginal health research that respects the pursuit of scientific excellence in combination with cultural relevance. A board, most of whose members are aboriginal people, supports each ACADRE centre.
We encourage communities, organizations and individuals with an interest in aboriginal health research to investigate the initiatives that the CIHR-IAPH have to offer.
