2001-2002 Grants and Awards Guide - Archive

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Canadian Institutes of Health Research

CIHR Objective

The objective of CIHR (48-49 Elizabeth II - Chapter 6, paragraph 4) 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, by

1. exercising leadership within the Canadian research community and fostering collaboration with the provinces and with individuals and organizations in or outside Canada that have an interest in health or health research;

2. creating a robust health research environment in Canada, based on internationally accepted standards of scientific excellence and a peer review process, that will attract, develop and keep excellent researchers and provide them with the opportunity to contribute to the improvement of people's health in Canada and the world;

3. forging an integrated health research agenda across disciplines, sectors and regions that reflects the emerging health needs of Canadians and the evolution of the health system, and supports health policy decision-making;

4. encouraging interdisciplinary, integrative health research through the creation of Health Research Institutes that

   1. together pertain to all aspects of health,

   2. include bio-medical research, clinical research, research respecting health systems, health services, the health of populations, societal and cultural dimensions of health and environmental influences on health, and other research as required,

   3. work in collaboration with the provinces and territories to advance health research and to promote the dissemination and application of new research knowledge to improve health and health services, and

   4. engage voluntary organizations, the private sector and others, in or outside Canada, with complementary research interests

5. promoting, assisting and undertaking research that meets the highest international scientific standards of excellence and ethics and that pertains to all aspects of health, including bio-medical research, clinical research and research respecting health systems, health services, the health of populations, societal and cultural dimensions of health and environmental influences on health;

6. addressing emerging health opportunities, threats and challenges and accelerating the discovery of cures and treatments and improvements to health care, prevention and wellness strategies;

7. fostering the discussion of ethical issues and the application of ethical principles to health research;

8. promoting the dissemination of knowledge and the application of health research to improve the health of Canadians;

9. encouraging innovation, facilitating the commercialization of health research in Canada and promoting economic development through health research in Canada;

10. building the capacity of the Canadian health research community through the development of researchers and the provision of sustained support for scientific careers in health research;

11. pursuing opportunities and providing support for the participation of Canadian scientists in international collaboration and partnerships in health research; and

12. ensuring transparency and accountability to Canadians for the Government of Canada's investment in health research.

Minister

Canadian Institutes of Health Research reports to Parliament through the federal Minister of Health.

CIHR's Support of Research and Research Training

Canadian Institutes of Health Research carries out its mandate by funding health research and research training, mainly in universities, health care institutes (mainly teaching hospitals), and research institutes. CIHR does not operate laboratories of its own. For the purposes of this Guide, the term university will also denote affiliated health care and research institutes.

Federal responsibility for the support of scholarly research and research training in health is shared by the CIHR, Health Canada, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). The Councils will collaborate and cooperate to prevent unnecessary duplication of effort. However, mutually exclusive guidelines are difficult to define and some research proposals will necessarily overlap the individual jurisdictions, priorities and interests of these bodies. Applicants should consult the guidelines of each body to select the agency best suited to consider their application. Applicants may not submit the same proposal concurrently to both CIHR and NSERC or SSHRC.

In some instances, applicants seeking support for interdisciplinary research that bridges the areas covered by more than one of the three research funding agencies (CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC) might be uncertain as to which Council they should submit their proposal. An inter-Council agreement ensures that a proposal be assessed for possible funding by the most appropriate council or, in some instances, by more than one Council. Depending on the type of grant, one of the following review mechanisms is used:

1. Research proposals with one applicant, or costing less than $50,000 per annum: the researcher must apply to the Council that deals with the dominant research discipline. Measures are taken to ensure that applications which overlap jurisdictions are assessed fairly, with input from the other Council(s) as required. Applications should be accompanied by a covering letter requesting that experts from more than one Council be involved in the evaluation.

2. Research proposals involving more than one applicant and costing more than $50,000 per annum: these proposals require joint evaluation and funding. Researchers must apply to the Council that deals with the dominant research discipline, and must meet the eligibility requirements of that Council, which normally will become the lead agency and take prime responsibility for peer review. Applicants should contact the lead Council by telephone to discuss their proposal. Applications should be accompanied by a covering letter requesting that experts from more than one Council be involved in the evaluation, and suggesting an appropriate sharing of costs. In the case of large, complex proposals, applicants may be advised to send a letter of intent before submitting a full proposal.

The research funding agency receiving the application will carry out a preliminary screening to determine if it should undergo inter-Council review, or be considered by one agency. The applicant will be notified in either case. If another Council becomes the lead agency, additional information may be required by the new agency; however, efforts will be made to minimize demands for additional material.

Once an application is accepted for inter-Council review, the lead organization will use its normal review mechanism wherever possible, inviting the other Council(s) to participate in the review.

The research funding agencies will review the recommendations and agree on the level of funding and on an appropriate funding split. Funding decisions will be made as per usual.

Researchers who are unsure whether to submit their application to CIHR or to another research funding agency should contact CIHR before submitting an application.

Information may be obtained from:

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council
350 Albert Street
Ottawa ON K1A 1H5

Telephone: (613) 995-6295
Fax: (613) 992-5337

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council
Constitution Square
Tower 2
350 Albert Street, 10th Floor
P.O. Box 1610, Station "B
Ottawa ON K1P 6G4

Tel.: (613) 992-0691
Fax: (613) 992-1787

While the intent is not to limit applications to specific areas of endeavour, CIHR has indicated a special interest in supporting multidisciplinary research or projects with multiple perspectives; networking of researchers across disciplines, approaches, interest and geography, and collaborative involvement of communities and researchers who have not traditionally applied to CIHR. Principles and values guiding CIHR's decisions on applications include excellence, breadth of vision, research at the leading edge, benefit to the health of Canadians, and partnerships at all levels.

CIHR evaluates applications by means of peer review, and supports those that are judged to be of the highest quality, within the limits of the available funds.

CIHR's Governance

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research is governed by a Council of 20 members, chaired by the President. Council members are appointed by the Government and serve without remuneration. The President is also the chief executive officer of CIHR, directing a staff of approximately 125 full-time equivalents. Decisions on applications are made by the Governing Council on the recommendations of approximately 50 review committees. These committees total a membership of over 600 working scientists from research communities across Canada and abroad. Many of the peer review committees are advised by external referees, who prepare written reports on applications in their areas of expertise. Complex applications may be reviewed by site-visit teams.

CIHR's Funding

Budget from the Government

CIHR's funds are provided by the Parliament of Canada. In 2001-2002, CIHR's budget is $402,000,000. Of this approximately 95% has been assigned for direct funding of research with the remaining 5% for administration.

Partnerships

CIHR is actively pursuing partnership proposals with a number of government agencies, industries and other parties with a commitment to health research. Applications for grants or awards funded through these partnerships are managed through CIHR's peer review processes and must meet the same level of excellence as in CIHR's conventional programs. CIHR will contribute to the total project costs of a partnership-supported application. Programs that are national in scope have a higher priority than provincial initiatives.

Our current partnerships are described in detail in the Partnership section of this Grants and Awards Guide.

Donations

The CIHR Act allows CIHR to accept donations, which are considered as gifts to Her Majesty, the Queen. Donors should obtain information from Revenue Canada on potential tax advantages of such donations. Generally these donations will be 100% deductible in the year of the contribution.

Donors may direct a donation to a specific purpose within CIHR's activities. CIHR ensures that any use of donated funds must meet standards of scientific merit determined by the peer review processes. Potential donors are invited to contact the Office of the President to discuss the details of a possible donation.