Canadian Institutes of Health Research

History

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is the major federal agency responsible for funding health research in Canada. It was established by an Act of Parliament in April 2000 to create new knowledge according to internationally accepted scientific standards and translate this into improved health for Canadians, more effective health services and products, and a stronger Canadian health care system. It replaced the Medical Research Council of Canada, which had overseen Canadian medical research since 1969. CIHR reports to Parliament through the Minister of Health.

The Strategic Plan for the period 2021–2031 "establishes the context that will allow Canadian health research to be internationally recognized as inclusive, collaborative, transparent, culturally safe, and focused on real world impact." Five priority areas were identified:

1. Advance research excellence in all its diversity
2. Strengthen Canadian health research capacity
3. Accelerate the self-determination of Indigenous peoples in health research
4. Pursue health equity through research
5. Integrate evidence in health decisions

Presidents

• Alan Bernstein, Founding President (2000-2007)
  • Pierre Chartrand, Acting President (2008)
• Alain Beaudet (2008-2016)
  • Roderick McInnes, Acting President (2017-2018)
• Michael Strong (2018-2025)
• Paul C. Hébert, appointed in January 2025 for a five-year term

Governance

The CIHR Act outlines a framework for the organizational establishment of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), its governance infrastructure, responsibilities of the President and Governing Council and establishment of the Institutes.

CIHR consists of 13 institutes, each headed by a Scientific Director and assisted by an Institute Advisory Board.

CIHR is led by its President. Overall strategic directions are set by its Governing Council, which has a mandate to oversee the direction and management of the property, business and affairs of CIHR. Day-to-day management of CIHR is led by the Executive Team.

The Science Council (SC) is a management committee that develops, implements and reports on CIHR's research and knowledge translation strategy, in accordance with the CIHR Act and the overarching strategic directions set out by Governing Council. This includes approving funding for some research and knowledge translation initiatives.

Institutes

The 13 CIHR institutes work together to shape a national health research agenda for Canada. They bring together researchers, health professionals, and policy-makers from voluntary health organizations, provincial government agencies, international research organizations, and industry and patient groups from across the country with a shared interest in improving the health of Canadians. A major goal of the institutes is to forge relationships across disciplines to stimulate integrative, multifaceted research agendas that respond to society's health priorities while adhering to the highest ethical standards. They fund health research within these four pillars:

1. Biomedical research
2. Clinical research
3. Health services research
4. Social, cultural, environmental and population health research Institutes are "virtual" and fund research across Canada. Each focuses on a specific area of research:

• Institute of Aging
• 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 Indigenous Peoples' Health
• Institute of Infection and Immunity
• Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis
• Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction
• Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes
• Institute of Population and Public Health

COVID-19 and vaccines

In June 2020, CIHR provided $109 million in funding to 139 research teams across Canada for COVID-19 research. Over the coming months and years, CIHR provided additional funding for COVID-19 research, totaling $430 million by June 2022. CIHR also worked with domestic and global partners to fund research and ensure the alignment and coordination of Canada's research with the international response.

On February 16, 2021, CIHR launched the CIHR-CEPI Leadership Award for Excellence in Vaccine Research for Infectious Diseases of Epidemic Potential, co-administered with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI). The results were announced in April 2023 along with a $100 million investment from Global Affairs Canada to support CEPI's new five-year strategic plan to accelerate the development of vaccines.

Controversies

A 2014 reform to the peer review process and the introduction of the Foundation Grant program lead to the demand from approximately 1000 researchers to reverse what was called a "radical" change. The Minister of Health Jane Philpott, then asked that the issue be addressed and the process was reversed in 2019.

References

References

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