The Canadian Institutes of Health Research is pleased to announce a cross-cutting strategic initiative in Rural Health Research & Northern Health Research.
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Partners supporting this strategic initiative include:
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council
Rural and Northern Health Research (RNHR) is a CIHR strategic cross-cutting initiative. Led by the Institute of Aboriginal Peoples' Health with co-lead involvement from the Institute of Public and Population Health and the Institute of Health Services and Policy Research, RNHR is supported by all CIHR institutes.
Investigators and trainees are encouraged to submit applications, with a RNHR focus, to all existing CIHR programs for research, training and investigator support.
Introduction
Background
Eligible Research Areas
Funds Available
Research Programs
Peer Review Process
Partners
Contact Information
The CIHR Rural and Northern Health Research (RNHR) initiative was launched to provide an integrated and focused approach to research that contributes to health and health services in Canada's rural and northern communities. This Request for Applications will support multi-disciplinary research that will support research respecting health systems, health services including population health, biomedical research, clinical research, and research on the social and cultural dimensions of health, all of which touch on rural and northern health. In 2001 and in 2002, CIHR launched two RFAs to fund one year projects in rural and northern health. As a result, the research community is ready to move to longer term research projects that will provide in-depth scientific study in the area of rural and northern health.
We encourage the development of new multi-disciplinary teams to conduct research in rural and northern communities, and we also encourage research that involves strong community linkages with the research team. This strategic initiative announcement offers two specific CIHR program tools to support this goal:
In addition to the program tools noted above, we also encourage applications to the CIHR open competition, trainee and investigator support, in the area of research related to rural and northern health.
The health of rural and northern Canadians is a strategic priority of CIHR. In September 2001, CIHR hosted a Forum on Rural and Remote Health Research in St. John's Newfoundland that brought together researchers and community representatives in rural and northern communities to discuss health research issues . The outcome of these dscussions helped inform the research questions that were put forward in the previous RFAs. Also in September 2001, CIHR also hosted Northern Town Hall Meetings [ PDF (701 KB) | Help ] in Whitehorse, Yellowknife and Iqaluit. The outcome of those discussions have been integrated as part of the health research issues that are being addressed as part of the RFA, and they are consistent with the broader research issues that were raised as part of the Final Report to the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) from the Task Force on Northern Research that was released in 2000.
In addition, the February 2003 Federal Budget highlighted a specific focus on Northern Research in Canada. It asked the federal granting agencies to enhance their support for northern reseasrch as part of the increased funding they received (The Budget Plan 2003, page 126). As a result of many social and economic forces including urbanization, many rural and northern communities have experienced enormous change in their socio-economic circumstances, demographics, and their place in the Canadian landscape and psyche. The Canadian Arctic offers a unique and sensitive environment, that is also facing unprecedented social, physical, and environmental challenges. Future climate change is likely to be rapid in comparison to past changes, and its impact is predicted to be greatest in the North. Scientific knowledge is needed to understand and predict the effects of climate change on the physical and biological environment, ecosystems, and human population of the North. Despite the benefits of living in small communities, research comparing urban to rural and northern communities indicates that a gap in health status exists. A need exists to investigate the complex interplay of factors that lead to increased morbidity and mortality and to translate the new knowledge to improve the health of all Rural and Northern Canadians.
Rural and Northern Canadians are culturally diverse, geographically dispersed and undergoing rapid social change. Presently, some one third of the total population Canada (10 million people) live in 5,000 communities in rural, remote, isolated and northern regions of the country which includes. approximately half of the Aboriginal population in Canada, a representative number of women, people from visible minorities and a rapidly aging population. The health of many of these groups, in comparison with the health status of the Canadian population as a whole, is relatively poor. Communities are interested in research that will examine Rural and Northern health disparities how to overcome obstacles to optimal health and well-being , and in projects that seeks to add to our understand of what makes some rural and northern Canadians healthy and others not.
Good health and timely access to appropriate health care are central to sustaining rural and northern communities. A need exists to develop policies and practices that aim to improve health and health service in rural and northern communities. Issues related to the need for greater access to relevant health services in northern communities requires further research that could focus on ways to make health services more accessible to people in remote areas. This may include investigations into the potential of telehealth in rural communities and especially for geographically remote community settings. Issues also include gender differences in access, responsiveness, and utilization of health services that differentially influence men's and women's, boys' and girls' health in these communities. In Canada's Arctic, there is also interest for research into the comparison of traditional Aboriginal medicines and healing practices to those of western medicine. It is also important to examine gender influences on traditional practices at the community level.
The primary objective of the Rural and Northern Health Research initiative is to fund excellent research and encourage network formation in any area of research that studies the health of Canadians who live in rural areas as well as those who live in Northern Canada who would benefit from the results of such research.
Since the scope of rural and northern health is broad, we recognize that research projects will be structured to that look at one of the following:
Examples of eligible areas include, but are not limited to:
Examination of populations in rural and northern communities:
Access to health care and health services:
Impacts of geography and environment on health:
CIHR's mandate includes knowledge translation. Applicants should also explain how their research will generate and translate new knowledge about rural and northern health, leading to improvements in the health of Canadians and strengthening of the health care system of Canada.
The total funds available for all the programs offered under this initiative over a five year period is expected to be in the range of $7 million, subject to future budget considerations.
The two research programs available under the rural and northern health initiative are:
Please access each program directly using the links below.
New Emerging Teams Grants (NET)
This program tool will address the long-term issue of capacity building within the field of rural and northern health research by providing the opportunity for training of new investigators and/or students within a multidisciplinary team environment. The NET program is specifically designed to build research capacity in new and developing areas by creating new interdisciplinary research teams or expanding small existing teams. Teams must consist initially of 3-6 independent investigators but new investigators are encouraged to join the team during the first three years. At least two of the initial investigators must have an established research record in the field of the proposed research, but there is provision in the grant for the training of new investigators and students.
Funds: Each successful NET team may receive up to $300,000 per year
Period of Funding: Five years, subject to a successful review in the third year
Community Based Research in Rural and Northern Health
The purpose of this strategic initiative is to support innovative, community-based, multi-pillar, multi-disciplinary research projects in an area of Rural and Northern health. The research areas are not limited but should focus on areas that have potential to improve on the profound burden of ill health experienced by rural and northern Canadians. Another goal of this initiative is to develop and enhance the capacity of the scientific, research and rural and northern communities to undertake community-based reseasrch. CIHR will support reseasrch programs that are undertaken in partnership with rural and northern communities and meet international standards of scientific excellence.
Funds: Maximum awarded for a single grant is $100,000 per annum
Period of Funding: Grants will be funded for up to 3 years.
Applicants should refer to the specific RFAs for details on the criteria for peer review.
Applications will be evaluated by a special ad hoc, multidisciplinary, peer-review committee with expertise in the areas relevant to rural and northern health. Names of the peer review committee will be posted on the CIHR web site.
On completion of review, CIHR and partners will consider the ranking lists and merit scores (ratings) of the applications submitted. The top ranked applications under each RFA will be funded according to the availability of funds. Only applications receiving a score greater than 3.5 will be considered for funding.
The support of the many partners involved in this strategic initiative will provide the coordinated approach necessary to fulfill the objectives of this initiative. The partners listed below will likely contribute funds to the successful applications that align with their specific mandates in this initiative. In addition, projects that span more than one research area are encouraged and if successful might be jointly funded by several partners.
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council
NSERC invests in people, discovery, and innovation to build a strong Canadian economy and to improve the quality of life of all Canadians. It supports research in universities and colleges, research training of scientists and engineers, and research-based innovation.
The Council promotes excellence in intellectual creativity in both the generation and use of new knowledge, and it works to provide the largest possible number of Canadians with leading-edge knowledge and skills to help Canada flourish in the 21st century.
NSERC fulfils its mission by awarding scholarships and research grants through peer-reviewed competition, and by building partnerships among universities, colleges, governments and the private sector.
NSERC itself is committed to institutional innovation in achieving its mission.
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Rural and Northern Health Research (RNHR) is a CIHR strategic cross-cutting initiative that has as its objective to improve the health status, health services and health human resource utilization in rural and northern communities through research and training that emphasize linkages with, and participation of, rural and northern communities.
Led by the Institute of Aboriginal Peoples' Health with co-lead involvement from the Institute of Public and Population Health and the Institute of Health Services and Policy Research; RNHR is supported by all CIHR institutes. Investigators and trainees are encouraged to submit applications, with a RNHR focus, to all existing CIHR programs for research, training and investigator support.
Institutes with particular interest in the RNHR initiative are highlighted as follows:
Institute of Aboriginal Peoples' Health
The 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. CIHR-IAPH will support health research that respects aboriginal cultures, while generating new knowledge to improve the health and well-being of aboriginal people.
The mandate of the Institute of Aging (IA) is to support research that promotes healthy aging and addresses causes, prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, support systems, and palliation for a wide range of conditions associated with aging. Five strategic orientations and five research priorities were identified for the Institute in its strategic plan. This RFA addresses one of IA's strategic orientations, "the development and support of capacity-building research initiatives and programs in the field of aging" and two of IA's priority areas for research on the factors influencing aging - "healthy and successful aging" and "health services and policy relating to older people".
Institute of Gender and Health
The mandate of the Institute of Gender and Health (IGH) support research that addresses how sex (biological-genetic dimensions), and gender (social-cultural dimensions of gender identity), interact with other socio-cultural, bio-physical, and political-economic factors to influence health, and create conditions that differ with respect to risk factors or effective interventions for males and females throughout the lifespan. The objectives of the Institute for Gender and Health are to (1) generate evidence regarding the impact of sex and gender on health status, health behaviour, and health services use throughout the life span; (2) to enhance understanding of how gender and sex interact with other health determinants; (3) to provide evidence to inform the design of programs, policies and practices; (4) to build the capacity of gender and health researchers in Canada; and (5) to advance the gender and health perspective nationally and internationally. Five research priorities were identified following extensive national consultations. This RFA focuses on the first research priority of "access and equity for vulnerable populations".
Institute of Health Services and Policy Research
The Institute of Health Services and Policy Research (IHSPR) is dedicated to funding initiatives designed to improve the way health care services are organized, regulated, managed, financed, paid for and delivered, in the interest of preventing illness and improving the health and quality of life of all Canadians. IHSPR is encouraging applications that evaluate interventions designed to improve access to appropriate health services by vulnerable populations, such as those who live in rural and remote areas or those with mental health problems or addictions, aboriginal peoples, ethnic groups and the poor.
Institute of Human Development, Child and Youth Health
The mission of the Institute of Human Development, Child and Youth Health (IHDCYH) is to promote and facilitate research at the highest international standards in reproductive and developmental biology, pregnancy and birth, and the health and development of newborns, children, youth and their families. The future of young people's health depends on our understanding of the wide range of determinants that support or compromise their health. Research, which assesses and reduces health disparities and promotes the health of vulnerable populations relate to the six strategic priority themes of this Institute. In building the foundations of life, this Institute is committed to research on improving the health status of vulnerable populations. This includes the origins of health disparities, particularly socioeconomic, ethnic and geographic factors and studies of strategies to reduce or eliminate disparities, beginning with differences in fetal and infant mortality rates and extending to developmental outcomes as children mature.
The CIHR Institute of Genetics 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. The Institute of Genetics encourages applications in any area within the mandate of the Institute of Genetics and invites proposals from any or all of the four CIHR research pillars (biomedical, clinical science, health systems and services, and the social, cultural and other aspects that affect the health of populations).
Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis
The CIHR Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis (IMHA) will support research to enhance active living, mobility and movement, and oral health; and to address causes, prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, support systems, and palliation for a wide range of conditions related to bones, joints, muscles, connective tissue, skin and teeth. The mission of IMHA is to eradicate pain, suffering and disability, in order to enhance quality of life for people affected by arthritis, and musculoskeletal, oral and skin conditions. Applications will be considered in IMHA's six focus areas: arthritis, bone, oral health, muscle, MSK rehabilitation, and skin and must be linked to one of its three research priorities : (1) Physical Activity, (2) Mobility and Health (3) Tissue Injury, Repair and Replacement
Institute of Population and Public Health
The mission of the Institute of Population and Public Health (IPPH) is to support research into the complex interactions (biological, social, cultural, environmental), which determine the health of individuals, communities, and global populations; and, the application of that knowledge to improve the health of both populations and individuals, through strategic partnerships with population and public health stakeholders, and innovative research funding programs. IPPH has identified five priorities in its strategic plan for 2002-07. This RFA addresses two of IPPH's five priorities, "building the capacity of the PPH research community" and the substantive theme of "analyzing and reducing disparities".
For questions regarding application forms and submission requirements, contact:
Kalpana Phansalker B.Sc., B.A.Sc. (Eng.)
Program Officer
Health & Clinical Research Unit
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
410 Laurier Ave. W., 9th Floor, Address Locator 4209A
Ottawa, ON Canada
Tel: (613) 954-5998
Fax: (613) 952-2277
e-mail: kphansalker@cihr.gc.ca
For general questions about the strategic initiative Rural and Northern Health Research, please do not hesitate to contact:
Ginette Thomas B.A., M.A.
Project Director
Rural and Northern Health Research
Research Portfolio
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
410 Laurier Ave. W., 9th Floor, Address Locator 4209A
Ottawa, ON Canada
Tel.: (613) 954-0616
Fax: (613) 941-0568
E-mail: gthomas@cihr-irsc.gc.ca
