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Formation of the Canadian Strategy for Cancer Control (CSCC) (new window) [ Help ] in 1999 heralded a new process for coordinating Canadian cancer research. CSCC covers all aspects of cancer, with research being just one component. A working group meeting on cancer research, headed by Dr. Victor Ling, produced a report with multiple recommendations for a Canadian research agenda (please refer to the CSCC Research Working Group Final Report, January 2002) [ External PDF (1.22 MB) | Help ]. In response, representatives from the National Cancer Institute of Canada (NCIC), the Canadian Association of Provincial Cancer Agencies (CAPCA), Health Canada and ICR, formed a Research Alliance which was mandated with the task of identifying cancer research priorities. A Research Action Group, under the chairmanship of the Scientific Director of ICR, Dr. Philip Branton has now been formed that includes all the members of the Alliance, plus representatives from other major organizations that fund cancer research, members of the lay/survivor community and researchers from the 4 CIHR pillars of health research. This structure aims to consolidate links between Canada's major cancer research agencies and organizations, advancing development of a national research agenda.
In 2001, a Research Alliance-sponsored large working group meeting [ HTML | PDF (1,2 MB) | Help ] followed by a web-based Delphi process (new window) [ Help ] identified 12 main research themes and a subset of infrastructure/capacity needs. A list of 24 priority areas was compiled by taking the top 2 priorities from each of the 12 themes. The ICR Advisory Board and representatives from NCIC, CAPCA and Health Canada voted in May 2002 to select the top 6 (Table 1) as ICR research priorities. A multidisciplinary Working Group, including representatives from potential partner organizations, was created for each priority, chaired or co-chaired by IAB members with relevant expertise.
Table 1: ICR Research priorities and funding commitments
| Rank* | Priority | IAB lead(s) | Funding (millions)# |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Palliative and end of life care | Neil MacDonald | $7.5 |
| 2 | Molecular profiling of tumours | Jim Woodgett, Gerry Johnston | $3.9 |
| 3 | Clinical trials | Joe Pater | $4.3 |
| 4 | Early detection of cancer | Heather Bryant, Jacques Brisson | $0.3 |
| 5 | Risk behaviour and prevention | Roy Cameron | $3.3 |
| 6 | Molecular and functional imaging | Ian Smith | $1.2 |
* Rank in order of votes received
# Allocated from fiscal years 2002-03 to 2009-10
Each CIHR Institute has a budget of $1 million per year for operating and development costs and also an additional strategic research budget. As the financial support for CIHR increases, the Institute budgets for strategic research have also increased, from an initial amount of $819,000 in 2001-2002 to $7.2 million for 2004-2005. During 2003-2004, ICR committed a total of $15.9 million over the next 6 years to support the research initiatives proposed by the 6 Working Groups.
