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Section II: Analysis of Program Activities by Strategic Outcome
Performance Status Legend
Exceeded: More than 100 per cent of the expected level of performance (as evidenced by the indicator and target or planned activities and outputs) for the expected result identified in the corresponding RPP was achieved during the fiscal year.
Met All: 100 per cent of the expected level of performance (as evidenced by the indicator and target or planned activities and expected outputs) for the expected result identified in the corresponding RPP was achieved during the fiscal year.
Mostly Met: 80 to 99 per cent of the expected level of performance (as evidenced by the indicator and target or planned activities and expected outputs) for the expected result identified in the corresponding RPP was achieved during the fiscal year.
Somewhat Met: 60 to 79 per cent of the expected level of performance (as evidenced by the indicator and target or planned activities and outputs) for the expected result identified in the corresponding RPP was achieved during the fiscal year.
Not Met: Less than 60 per cent of the expected level of performance (as evidenced by the indicator and target or planned activities and outputs) for the expected result identified in the corresponding RPP was achieved during the fiscal year.
Strategic Outcome #1: A world-class health research enterprise that creates, disseminates and applies new knowledge across all areas of health research
CIHR supports health research in order to improve the health of Canadians and to deliver more effective health care services to Canadians by:
- Creating health knowledge which leads to the development of new and better ways to improve health; and, prevent, diagnose and treat disease;
- Ensuring Canada has top quality health researchers who can conduct health research;
- Commercializing research discoveries; or,
- Advancing the delivery of health services to meet the needs of Canadians.
Program Activity 1.1: Health Knowledge
As of June 2009, CIHR's Randomized Control Trials Program has been integrated in the Open Research Grant Program. The Open Research Grant Program provides operating funds to support research proposals in all areas of health research, including randomized clinical trials research. The program aims to support the creation of new knowledge across all areas of health research, and to improve health and the health system. This is achieved by managing CIHR's open competition and related peer review processes based on internationally accepted standards of scientific excellence.
| Planned Spending | Total Authorities | Actual Spending |
|---|---|---|
| 449.5 | 458.0 | 468.5 |
| Planned | Actual | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| 77 | 91 | (14) |
| Expected Results |
Performance Indicators |
Targets | Performance Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7. This target, originally reported as maintain or increase CIHR total number and average dollar value of grants funded, was changed to ensure consistency and ease in interpreting results. | |||
| Health research advances knowledge. | A. Outputs and impacts of CIHR-funded research. | i. Maintain or increase the number of publications from CIHR-supported research | Met All |
| ii. Maintain or increase Knowledge Translation activities of CIHR-funded researchers | Met All | ||
| iii. Maintain or increase CIHR expenditures in funding programs 7 | Met All | ||
Performance Summary and Analysis of Program Activity
Overall, programs under Activity 1.1 Health Knowledge successfully supported the creation of new knowledge in Canada, and contributed towards improving the health of Canadians. CIHR supported research across the mandates of all 13 Institutes.
Total authorities for this Program Activity increased by $8.5M during the fiscal year, $5M of which was allocated from the ongoing $16M budget increase afforded to CIHR in Budget 2010. The remaining increase was the result of internal reallocations.
Actual spending associated with this program activity was higher than total authorities largely as a result of the re-allocation of unspent funds from the Canada Research Chairs program (under Program Activity 1.2: Health Researchers) due to the difficulties encountered by universities in filling the Chair positions.
Performance Indicator A:
- CIHR recently launched an end-of-grant reporting module that will collect information on the results of CIHR-funded research. A full year of data will be made available to report on in the 2011-12 reporting period. However, a bibliometric evaluative study of CIHR's Open Operating Grants Program (OOGP) from 2001-2009 showed that CIHR-funded researchers with an OOGP grant were more productive than their unfunded counterparts. Researchers with an OOGP grant were found to publish, on average, 3.5 papers per year, compared to unfunded researchers who would publish, on average, 2.5 papers per year [Annex I].
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CIHR recently launched an end-of-grant reporting module that will collect information on the diversity of knowledge translation activities of CIHR-funded researchers. A full year of data will be made available to report on in the 2011-12 reporting period.
One way to measure knowledge translation is by calculating the Average of Relative Citations (ARC) for publications. When publications are cited, the information presented in those publications is used to support the creation of new health knowledge. Papers that are frequently cited show higher ARC ratings.
According to a bibliometric evaluative study of CIHR's Open Operating Grants Program (OOGP) from 2001-2009, the average ARC rating for CIHR-supported papers was 1.50, which is greater than the average ARC rating of health research papers from comparable OECD countries, which showed ARC values ranging from 1.08 to 1.48 [Annex I].
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CIHR spent $458.0 million in the Open Research Grant Program in 2010-11 as compared to $443.8 million in 2009-10, an increase of 3.2%.
In 2010-11, CIHR funded 4,057 grants through the Open Research Grant Program as compared to the 4,081 reported in 2009-10, a slight decrease of 0.6%. The average annual value of grants awarded increased by 3.8% from $108,753 in 2009-10 to $112,896 in 2010-11. [Annex J].
Lessons Learned
Over the years, CIHR has rapidly adapted its funding programs to meet the changing demands of both the research environment and the research community. However, as result of CIHR's rapid evolution, the application process has become increasingly complex. Researchers are spending more time preparing grant proposals - especially in response to new funding opportunities - which means less time is spent conducting health research. Institutions are burdened with processing large application packages, just as CIHR peer reviewers are burdened to maintain the same standards of rigour and efficiency when reviewing larger, more complex applications. To address these concerns, CIHR has launched a reform to review and enhance the current open suite of programs, including the Open Operating Grants Program.
Program Activity 1.2: Health Researchers
Programs under Program Activity 1.2 include CIHR's Salary Support Programs, which provide salary support to help new health researchers develop their careers and devote more time to initiating and conducting health research; and, its Training Support Programs, which provide support and special recognition to Master's, Doctorate, Postdoctorate or post-health professional degree students in Canada. In addition, CIHR jointly administers Tri-Council programs, including the Canada Research Chairs Program, the Canada Excellence Research Chairs Program, the Canada Graduate Scholarship Program (CGS), the Vanier CGS Program; and, the Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship Program. Together, these programs aim to build health research capacity to improve health and the health system by supporting the training and careers of excellent health researchers through a competitive peer review process based on internationally accepted standards of scientific excellence.
| Planned Spending | Total Authorities | Actual Spending |
|---|---|---|
| 201.6 | 208.3 | 195.7 |
| Planned | Actual | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| 30 | 38 | (8) |
| Expected Results |
Performance Indicators |
Targets | Performance Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8. This performance indicator, originally reported as Number, types and share of graduate trainees in Canada compared to international levels, was changed due to the unavailability of data on the share and types of graduate trainees. | |||
| A strong and talented health research community with the capacity to undertake health research. | A. Number of graduate trainees in Canada compared to international levels 8. | i. Maintain or increase international ranking | Met all |
| B. Number and fields of investigators and trainees funded. | ii. Maintain number and diversity (by theme and Institute domain) of trainees funded | Mostly met | |
Performance Summary and Analysis of Program Activity
Overall, total authorities for Program Activity 1.2 increased by $6.7M as compared to the 2010-11 Main Estimates. This increase is due to the launch of several new programs, including:
- $4.6M to support the new Canada Excellence Research Chairs program, which supports Canadian universities in their efforts to build on Canada's growing reputation as a global leader in research and innovation;
- $1.7M for the new Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships Program - a program which will recruit top-tier postdoctoral researchers to Canada at an internationally competitive level of funding and enable Canada to build on its world-class research capacity.
Actual spending was $12.6M less than total authorities due primarily to the in-year re-allocation of unspent authorities from the Canada Research Chairs program to the Open Operating Grants program (under Program Activity 1.1: Health Knowledge).
Building a strong and talented health research community means supporting both promising and well-performing health researchers, as well as providing learning and development opportunities for trainees. For example, a pilot study on diabetic neuropathy conducted by Drs. Lawrence Korngut and Cory Toth, clinical fellows under the supervision of CIHR-funded researcher Dr. Doug Zochodne, found that intranasal delivery of insulin could stabilize blood sugar levels by delivering insulin directly to neurons in the central and peripheral nervous system. Following their fellowships, both trainees became contributing members in the health research community, with Dr. Korngut becoming a clinical assistant professor at the Hotchkiss Brain Institute in Calgary, and Dr. Toth becoming an Assistant Professor in the Department of Clinical Neurosciences at the University of Calgary.
Performance Indicator A:
i. According to a recent OECD study, although Canada produced the fewest number of PhD graduates when compared to its peers (Australia, Germany, the U.K and U.S), its performance is improving: Canada's number of PhD graduates has steadily increased by 10% over an eight year period, from 192 PhD graduates in 2000 to 212 PhD graduates in 2008 per 100,000 population aged 25-29 [Annex K].
CIHR's support for graduate trainees is best showcased in its support for prestigious Tri-Council training programs, such as to the Canada Graduate Scholarships (CGS) Program and the Vanier Doctoral CGS Awards. In 2010-11, CIHR awarded 171 CGS Master's Awards, 178 CGS Doctoral Awards; and, 56 Vanier Doctoral CGS Awards.
In 2010-11, CIHR awarded 170 postdoctoral fellowships from its base budget, up from the previous level of 140. CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC also launched the Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships Program in 2010-11. These prestigious two-year fellowships, worth $70,000/year, are open to both Canadian and international researchers who have recently completed a PhD, PhD-equivalent, or health professional degree. A total of seventy fellowships will be awarded each year to help build and maintain Canada's research community.
Performance Indicator B:
ii. In 2010-11, CIHR continued to support researchers and trainees in all areas of health research by theme and Institute-specific research area [Annex L]. Compared to last year, the total number of nominated principal investigators, principal investigators or co-investigators supported by CIHR decreased by 4% from 3,534 in 2009-10 to 3,381 in 2010-11.
Lessons Learned
Training, retaining and sustaining outstanding health researchers continues to be a key strategic priority for CIHR. CIHR supports students, trainees and new investigators through innovative funding programs and by working with key partners, including institutions and research funding organizations to understand and address issues relevant to building a strong foundation of research and innovation in Canada. Over the last year, CIHR strengthened its support for postdoctoral trainees. Going forward, through the implementation of its strategic plan, CIHR will continue to work with partners to enhance support for students, trainees and early career researchers.
Program Activity 1.3: Health Research Commercialization
Programs under Program Activity 1.3 include the suite of Research Commercialization Programs, which aim to support the creation of new knowledge, practices, products and services and to facilitate the application of this knowledge; and, the Tri-Council Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE) Program, which partner centres of research excellence with industry capacity and resources, and strategic investment to turn Canadian research and entrepreneurial talent into economic and social benefits for Canada. Overall, these programs aim to support and facilitate the commercialization of health research to improve health and the health system. This is achieved by managing funding competitions to provide grants, in partnership with the private sector where relevant, and using peer review processes based on internationally accepted standards of scientific excellence, and by building and strengthening the capacity of Canadian health researchers to engage in the commercialization process.
| Planned Spending | Total Authorities | Actual Spending |
|---|---|---|
| 46.2 | 55.9 | 53.1 |
| Planned | Actual | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | 8 | (2) |
| Expected Results |
Performance Indicators |
Targets | Performance Status |
|---|---|---|---|
|
9. This target, originally reported as maintain or increase CIHR total number and average dollar value of grants funded, was changed to ensure consistency and ease in interpreting results. 10. This target, originally reported as maintain or increase number of patents, licenses, copyrights, centres; new products or processes; policies influenced or created; influence on health delivery, was changed due to the unavailability of consistent reporting data.The original target will be reconsidered upon the full implementation of CIHR's end-of-grant reporting system. |
|||
| Commercial activity - products (patents and intellectual property), companies and employment generated. | A. Health research is commercialized more effectively. | i. Maintain or increase CIHR expenditures in funding programs 9 | Met All |
| ii. Evidence of commercialization outcomes, such as: patents, licenses, copyrights, centres; new products or processes; policies influenced or created; and/or influence on health delivery 10 | Mostly Met | ||
| B. Strong linkages and partnerships created between universities, governments, industry and other users. | i. Maintain or increase dollar amount of CIHR partner investments | Met All | |
| ii. Evidence of successful linkages and partnerships created as a result of the NCE Program | Mostly Met | ||
Performance Summary and Analysis of Program Activity
Overall, CIHR supported the commercialization of health research in Canada, and contributed towards increased access to innovative and effective health products, programs and technologies. CIHR increased its investments in interdisciplinary collaborative health research projects from $6.9M to $10.2M through the Tri-Council Collaborative Health Research Projects Program; and, strengthened its partnership with Canada's Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies.
Total authorities for this program activity increased by $9.7M compared to the 2010-11 Main Estimates. This increase is due to $9.7M received to fund the third round of grants for the Centres of Excellence for Commercialization and Research (CECR) program.
Performance Indicator A:
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CIHR spent $13.9M in CIHR's suite of Research Commercialization Program in 2010-11 as compared to $13.3M in 2009-10, an increase of 5%. For the NCE Programs, CIHR administered $38.6M in 2010-11 as compared to $33.7M in 2009-10, an increase of 14.5%.
In 2010-11, CIHR funded 182 grants through the Research Commercialization Programs, a slight decrease of 18 grants from 2009-10. CIHR's investments in research commercialization programs increased from $13 million in 2009-10 to almost $14 million in 2010-11. At the same time average dollar value of grants funded increased by 15% from $66,435 to $76,695. For the NCE Program, CIHR funded 16 grants and awards in both 2009-10 and 2010-11, with the average annual value increasing by 14.5% from $2.1 million in 2009-10 to $2.4 million in 2010-11 [Annex M].
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CIHR recently launched an end-of-grant reporting module that will collect information on the commercialization outcomes of CIHR-funded research. Data collection for this performance indicator is still in its early stages. A full year of data will be made available to report on once the module has been fully implemented.
CIHR's Proof-of-Principle Program aims to facilitate and improve the commercial transfer of knowledge and technology resulting from academic health research for the benefit of Canadians. Final reports from the Proof-of-Principle Program are submitted 18 months after the term of the grant. An analysis of these reports found that 152 (70%) funded grants resulted in new patents; 59 (27%) resulted in the licensing of intellectual property; and 29 (13%) resulted in the creation of new companies.
Other reports from the program managers and other sources show that CIHR-funded research has had a positive impact on the commercialization of new health products. For example:
- CIHR-funded researchers Drs. Siyaram Pandey and Jerome Cohen, in collaboration with Dr. Marianna Sikorska from the National Research Council, have discovered that a new water-soluble formulation of a naturally occurring compound - coenzyme Q10 - can stop degeneration of brain cells in lab rats. The discovery offers promise for halting the progression of Parkinson's disease, and has since been patented and licensed to Zymes LLC for commercial development.
- Two CIHR-funded cancer researchers at Memorial University, Drs. Ken Kao and Cathy Popadiuk, have successfully patented a cancer detection procedure, and secured the patent for an invention involving the Pygopus gene. The researchers have isolated the mechanism showing how cancer cells hijack the regulation of the Pygopus gene, and have used this knowledge to develop a diagnostic kit for cancer detection.
Performance Indicator B:
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CIHR engaged in successful partnerships to facilitate the commercialization of health research. In 2010-11, CIHR received partner contributions totalling $52 million for programs under Program Activity 1.3 Health Research Commercialization. Of this total, CIHR administered $4.1 million through the Tri-Council Centres of Excellence for Commercialization and Research Program to support commercialization activities.
Overall, CIHR maintained strong linkages and partnerships with external partners from the voluntary, private and provincial health research funding sectors. Total external partner contributions increased from $118.1 million to $118.7 million in 2010-11. The total amount of CIHR-administered Other Government Departments (OGD) Partner contributions also increased from $9.9 million in 2009-10 to $11.1 million [Annex N].
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CIHR recently launched an end-of-grant reporting module that will collect information on the number and diversity of successful partnerships resulting from the NCE Program. Data collection for this performance indicator is still in its early stages. A full year of data will be made available to report on once the module has been fully implemented.
However reports from the program managers and other sources show that partnerships fostered by NCE Program, continued to deliver results that led to commercialization activities. For example, PrioNet Canada, a NCE for research on Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy ("Mad Cow Disease"), and the Pan-Provincial Vaccine Enterprise have combined their research and commercialization efforts to develop innovative vaccines. Together, the two organizations have licensed and begun testing vaccines against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a serious virus that causes Lou Gehrig's disease in humans and chronic wasting disease in some animal populations.
Lessons Learned
The success of CIHR's health research commercialization programs is dependent on CIHR's ability to foster strong linkages between health researchers and industry. As the demand for health care increases and creates challenges for Canada's health care resources, there is a need for Canada to increase investments in facilitating the commercialization of new tools, technologies and products to help relieve the burden and increase access to quality care. Facilitating commercialization remains a key priority for CIHR. Going forward, CIHR will continue to expand and deliver commercialization programs to bridge the gap between health researchers and industry; and, foster innovation.
Program Activity 1.4: Health and Health Services Advances
Programs under Program Activity 1.4 include CIHR's suite of Knowledge Translation Programs, which aim to support the synthesis, dissemination, exchange and ethically sound application of knowledge in areas of health research; as well as its Institute Strategic Initiatives Program, which supports researchers and trainees in strategic priority areas to address health opportunities, threats and challenges for Canadians. Through the competitive peer review process based on internationally accepted standards of scientific excellence, these programs aim to support the creation of new knowledge in strategic priority areas and its translation into improved health and a strengthened health system.
| Planned Spending | Total Authorities | Actual Spending |
|---|---|---|
| 257.8 | 279.3 | 275.4 |
| Planned | Actual | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| 116 | 113 | 3 |
| Expected Results |
Performance Indicators |
Targets | Performance Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11. This target, originally reported as maintain or increase CIHR total number and average dollar value of grants funded, was changed to ensure consistency and ease in interpreting results. | |||
| Translation and use of health research takes place as a result of effective funding programs. | A. Outputs and impacts of CIHR-funded research | i. Maintain or increase CIHR expenditures in funding programs 11 | Met All |
| ii. Maintain or increase KT activities of CIHR-funded researchers | Mostly Met | ||
| B. Institute leadership within the research community | i. Evidence of Institutes identifying and responding to national and international health threats and opportunities | Mostly Met | |
Note: The target Maintain or increase number of publications from CIHR-funded research for Performance Indicator A was removed due to the unavailability of consistent reporting data for this Program Activity. The target will be reconsidered upon the full implementation of CIHR's end-of-grant reporting system.
Performance Summary and Analysis of Program Activity
Overall, programs under Activity 1.4, Health and Health Services Advances, successfully contributed towards the creation of new knowledge in strategic priority areas and its translation into improved health. Total authorities increased by $21.5M over planned spending for the 2010-11 fiscal year. CIHR invested a significant portion of the $16M ongoing budget increase that was announced in Budget 2010 towards key strategic initiatives. Six million dollars of the overall CIHR budget increase was allocated to fund CIHR's Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research program to improve patient outcomes, and $5M was allocated to fund Alzheimer's Disease research. CIHR also received an additional $4.9M of authorities for the new Medical Isotopes Initiative to fund a clinical trials network to help move research on isotopes and imaging technologies into practice. Furthermore, total authorities were increased by an additional $5.6M resulting from transfers from other federal government departments to expand key strategic research initiatives including breast cancer research, population health intervention, HIV/AIDS research and various chronic disease initiatives. No material differences were noted in actual spending versus total authorities for this program activity.
Performance Indicator A:
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In 2010-11, CIHR spent $238.9 million on its Institute Strategic Initiatives as compared to $222.3 million in 2009-10, showing an increase in expenditures of 7.5%. CIHR also spent $24.8 million in 2010-11 on its Knowledge Translation Programs as compared to $24.1 million in 2009-10, showing an increase in expenditures of 2.9%.
For the Institute Strategic Initiatives, CIHR funded 2,585 grants and awards with an average value of $92,410 in 2010-11. In addition, a total of 662 grants and awards were funded in 2010-11 for the Knowledge Translation Programs with an average value of $37,524 [Annex O]. For both of these programs, there was an increase in the average dollar value of grants and awards, from $90,330 in 2009-10 to $92,410 in 2010-11 for the Institute Strategic Initiatives, and from $35,126 in 2009-10 to $37,524 in 2010-11 for the Knowledge Translation Programs. The total number of grants increased by about 5% for the Institute Strategic Initiatives program compared to the previous year, while the total number of grants and awards for the Knowledge Translation Program decreased by about 4%.
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CIHR recently launched an end-of-grant reporting module that will collect information on the diversity of Knowledge Translation activities CIHR supports. Data collection for this performance indicator is still in its early stages. A full year of data will be made available to report on once the module has been fully implemented.
Overall, CIHR maintained its diversity of Knowledge Translation programs by the 13 virtual Institutes and by the primary theme of research [Annex P]. Although the number of grants awarded decreased by 3.6% from 2009-10 to 2010-11, CIHR increased its investment in KT programs by 2.9%. Additionally, reports from the Institutes and other sources show that CIHR-funded research has had a positive impact on the translation health knowledge into effective programs, policies and services. For example, under the direction of CIHR-funded researcher, Dr. Patrick Parfrey, Memorial University is establishing a provincial network of outreach offices to conduct research on human genetic disorders and population health. The offices will help to translate key research findings into information that community and health care providers can use, and to inform health policy with the aim of improving delivery of care in rural and remote areas of the province. The Memorial team has developed key partnerships with the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, Department of Health and Community Services, Central Health Corporation and rural physicians who will directly benefit from the evidence-based research that emerges from the work.
Performance Indicator B:
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CIHR is currently in the process of developing a reporting process to capture major Institute-led activities and initiatives. Data for this performance indicator will be made available for the 2011-12 reporting period.
Reports from program managers and other sources show that CIHR's Institutes increased their efforts to engage the public and take the lead in responding to existing and emerging health issues. For example:
- CIHR's Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes, in partnership with NSERC, launched the Initiative for Sodium Reduction in the Canadian Food Supply. Informed by Health Canada's Strategy on Sodium Reduction, this initiative will focus on the challenge of implementing gradual reductions of sodium in the food supply by investigating alternative processes or technologies that meet the microbial food safety and food technology needs; investigating the effectiveness, potential risks and benefits of alternatives to salt and sodium-based food ingredients from a technology and/or food safety perspective; and determining the physiological mechanisms of taste perception affected by sodium.
- CIHR's Institutes joined with the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation, Canadian Patient Safety Institute and The Change Foundation, to fund research that will help protect the safety of the over 900,000 Canadians who receive health care services in their homes every year. The successful research team, led by Dr. Diane Doran and Dr. Régis Blais, will spend the next two years looking at the prevalence, magnitude and risk of patient/client safety incidents in home care settings across Canada. Research results will be released over the next two years, with the aim of informing change in policy, practice and behaviour in the home care service setting.
Lessons Learned
CIHR recognizes the important role it plays in bringing the right people and ideas together to make evidence-informed decisions that will benefit the health of Canadians. With the implementation of its strategic plan, greater efforts are being made to move knowledge into action and fulfill the knowledge translation (KT) component of its mandate. In 2010-11, CIHR developed the Knowledge to Action Map; a framework and implementation strategy that will allow CIHR to gather, store, package, summarize; and, effectively disseminate and exchange the results of research that it funds. Moving forward, this strategy will guide CIHR's efforts to translate knowledge into effective health products, systems and services; facilitate its role as a knowledge broker; and, provide a framework by which CIHR can measure its KT successes.
Program Activity 1.5: Internal Services
Internal Services are groups of related activities and resources that are administered to support the needs of programs and other corporate obligations of an organization. These groups are: Management and Oversight Services; Communications Services; Legal Services; Human Resources Management Services; Financial Management Services; Information Management Services; Information Technology Services; Real Property Services; Material Services; Acquisition Services; and Travel and Other Administrative Services. Internal Services include only those activities and resources that apply across an organization and not to those dedicated to specific requirements of a program.
| Planned Spending | Total Authorities | Actual Spending |
|---|---|---|
| 25.7 | 28.4 | 34.2 |
| Planned | Actual | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| 201 | 182 | 19 |
Performance Summary and Analysis of Program Activity
Overall, CIHR strived to continually strengthen its operations and programming while fostering a dedicated, well-informed workforce. Actual spending was higher than total authorities due primarily to a decision to charge all CIHR Employee Benefits Plan expenditures to Internal Services. Actual FTEs decreased by approximately 9.5% as compared to planned due to streamlining of operations and gains in efficiency.
CIHR's Internal Services met and exceeded expectations in its commitments to report on the implementation of its strategic plan; demonstrate CIHR's return on investments; strengthen communications and public outreach; and, assess organizational excellence through the completion of an international review.
In 2010-11, CIHR published its first three-year rolling implementation plan for Roadmap called, CIHR Three-Year Implementation Plan and Progress Report 2010-13. Drawing on the strategies and priorities outlined in Roadmap, the report highlighted key activities CIHR would undertake over the next three years to implement the Strategic Plan, and outlined some of the results achieved over the course of the 2009-10 fiscal year. Like the Report on Plans and Priorities and the Departmental Performance Report, the strategic implementation plan and progress report is a key accountability mechanism to the public. The annual publication of CIHR's rolling implementation plan and progress report will keep senior management accountable for the implementation of CIHR's strategic plan and will ensure CIHR remains on track with the timely implementation of its reforms.
As part of the plan to enhance its current suite of programs, CIHR developed and implemented a new strategic investment planning process. The process required Institute and Initiative leads to report on planned activities, resource requirements and issues on an annual basis; and, to review progress against these plans on a regular basis. The strategic investment planning process provides senior management with enhanced decision support by increasing the transparency of CIHR's strategic investments, and clearer accountability for the implementation of CIHR's strategic plan.
In 2009-10, CIHR reported the launch of a pilot Research Reporting System to provide high-quality reporting on the results of funded research, and provide evidence on the effectiveness of CIHR's funding programs. The success of the pilot was such that of the 596 researchers who completed their grants between 2000 and 2008, CIHR was able to report an average of seven papers published for every CIHR grant awarded. Based on the test pilot's success this past year, CIHR launched Phase I of the Research Reporting System. The Research Reporting System has been operational since March 2011, and is in the process of collecting data. A full year of data for programs under Phase I will be made available to report on in 2011-12.
As a federal agency, CIHR is responsible for demonstrating to Canadians the exceptional value and importance of health research. Over the past year, CIHR's concerted efforts to increase its visibility with numerous stakeholder groups through a variety of innovative communications initiatives were successful. CIHR expanded its web presence through the use of social media platforms to build relationships with the general public, youth, decision makers, stakeholders and the media. Of note is CIHR's main presence on Facebook, "Health Research in Canada/La recherche en santé au Canada", which reported over 125,000 followers in 2010-11.
In 2010-11, CIHR completed its second International Review to obtain rigorous, authoritative and objective advice on how effectively CIHR and its 13 Institutes are fulfilling CIHR's mandate and corporate priorities. Through coordinated efforts across the organization, CIHR completed a corporate report and thirteen Institute reports that summarized CIHR's key achievements and impacts over the past five years, in addition to coordinating interviews with key stakeholders, and open and targeted surveys. Recommendations from the 2011 International Review will be used to advise future strategic and corporate directions. CIHR plans to table the results of its second International Review and make them public.