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ARCHIVED - RPP 2006-2007
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
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Section IV - Other Items of Interest
1. Organizational Excellence
CIHR achieves program delivery excellence and impressive research results by continually strengthening its internal organization and fostering a dedicated, well-informed workforce. The organization's leadership, responsible management, continuous-improvement practices, and high-quality work environment demonstrate an ongoing commitment to organizational excellence. CIHR maintains an operational budget of approximately $46 million for 2006-2007, while ensuring that at least 94% of its total parliamentary appropriations go directly to support health research and researchers in Canada.
Description of Key Activities
CIHR's operating budget is allocated to four portfolios to ensure smooth program design and delivery, and effective functioning of the organization. This involves a number of activities related to the funding of research such as: peer review; developing request for applications (RFAs); fostering partnerships; and communicating and interacting with Canada's health research community. Performance evaluation, CIHR's information technology systems, and activities related to coordinating and managing ethical, legal and other policy issues in health research are also included.
Building a Better and Simpler CIHR
With increased funding and a broader mandate, combined with more collaborative partnerships, CIHR's portfolio of funding programs has become increasingly complex. This can make it difficult for the research community to keep abreast of the numerous and complex funding opportunities. Therefore, CIHR is examining how best to offer funding opportunities that are easier to understand, and are both regular and predictable for the research community, and more manageable for CIHR staff. Over the past year, CIHR took its first steps toward simplifying its portfolio of funding programs by combining several programs with similar objectives. Over the next four years, CIHR will continue this systematic review of our programming and will continue to consolidate programs where appropriate. All program re-design required to streamline CIHR's funding opportunities is guided by consultation with the research community. The intended result continues to be a simple, well-designed portfolio of funding programs that is flexible enough to accommodate all approaches to health research.
Utilizing Technology to Enhance Service Delivery
CIHR is committed to easing the administrative burden on researchers, to enable them to spend more time on research. To help address this, ResearchNet, a CIHR-led partnership, is being developed. This tool will make it easier for researchers to access Canadian research opportunities, to apply with electronic applications, and to access the latest research funding information. This is done through one central point of entry to all research funding opportunities, regardless of their source. Last year, CIHR developed two e-business applications on ResearchNet for the electronic submission of applications and electronic peer review. In 2006-2007, CIHR will develop a funding opportunities database and a tool for researchers to submit a final report of their research outcomes from CIHR funding. In addition, CIHR continues to participate in the Common CV, which is used to apply to multiple funding agencies through a single electronic resume. Currently, there are more than 35,000 researchers using the Common CV, which is supported by ten provincial, federal and not-for-profit agencies, including the federal granting councils (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada).
Enhancing Effectiveness of Peer Review
CIHR has faced a significant continual increase in the volume and breadth of grant applications, thus straining the peer review process - the method used to determine the most promising researchers and research proposals to fund. In 2006-2007, CIHR will continue its multi-year project to address this issue by implementing carefully selected changes to improve effectiveness and efficiency in this area. CIHR has begun and will continue implementation of electronic submission and processing of applications. Access to electronic versions of applications will continue to open up new possibilities for improvement to our peer review process.
Evaluating our Performance
At the completion of its fifth year of operation in 2005, CIHR appointed an international panel to conduct a five-year external review to evaluate CIHR and each Institute's progress towards meeting its mandate. The results of the external review and a CIHR response will be presented to CIHR's Governing Council in June 2006 and be made public as soon as possible thereafter. In 2006-2007, CIHR will continue to evaluate performance through production of the Departmental Performance Report and several program evaluations.
Improving Reporting of Research Results
CIHR will continue development of a strategy to improve the reporting of CIHR-funded research results. Components of the strategy, which will be implemented over the coming years, include: an initiative to identify the most appropriate means to measure the value of investments in health research; development of an end-of-grant reporting tool; use of bibliometric analysis of peer reviewed publications; and a policy to share the results and products of CIHR-funded research.
Advancing Modern Management Practices
After conducting a 2005-2006 progress report on the status of its Modern Comptrollership/Management Initiative, CIHR is undertaking a self-assessment of the Management Accountability Framework (MAF) in 2006-07, which will provide additional information for CIHR to improve its management practices. It is important to note that the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) will be conducting its own MAF assessment of CIHR in the Fall of 2006, so this project will be an important preparatory step to ensure that CIHR can demonstrate it is in adherence with the MAF requirements, and to take any necessary remedial actions prior to the TBS assessment.
Youth Engagement in Health Science and Technology
CIHR will launch a new youth engagement program in April 2006. The goal of this program is to provide youth with opportunities to advance their interests and abilities in health science, research and technology so that they can make informed post-secondary academic and career choices. To operationalize this strategy in 2006-2007, CIHR will create database of CIHR-funded scientists who wish to participate in various youth engagement activities, launch a mentorship program with STIHR researchers/trainees and high-school students, as well as fund awards and workshops.
A Committed Workforce
Fostering a committed, motivated and productive workforce is a priority for CIHR. In 2006-07, CIHR will complete a new Human Resources Strategy, which identifies recruitment, learning and development, representative workforce, workplace well-being, performance management and compensation as priorities. Through the implementation of action plans for each of these priorities CIHR will improve its workplace and provide world class programs and services to its staff. The effective management of people will remain a key responsibility for all leaders and CIHR will support them by providing a modern human resources framework and the core learning and development opportunities they need to fulfill their mandates.
Institute Transitions
CIHR has established a schedule for periodic rotation of Institute Scientific Directors. This generally involves the winding down of an Institute at its host university or hospital and moving to the location of the new Scientific Director. Specifically in 2006-2007, CIHR will ensure a smooth transition of corporate memory and activities during three scheduled Institute transitions/relocations (Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health, Institute of Health Services and Policy Research, and Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis).
2. Key Reference Documents and Internet Addresses
Key Reference Documents
- Investing in Canada's Future: CIHR's Blueprint for Health Research and Innovation 2003-2004 to 2007-2008, CIHR's Strategic Plan.
- Various CIHR Annual Reports.
- CIHR Institutes - More information, including Institute Strategic Plans and Annual Reports, is available through CIHR's web site.
Internet Addresses
| Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Home Page | http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/193.html |
| Aboriginal Peoples' Health | http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/8668.html |
| Aging | http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/8671.html |
| Cancer Research | http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/12506.html |
| Circulatory and Respiratory Health | http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/8663.html |
| Gender and Health | http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/8673.html |
| Genetics | http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/13147.html |
| Health Services and Policy Research | http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/13733.html |
| Human Development, Child and Youth Health | http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/8688.html |
| Infection & Immunity | http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/13533.html |
| Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis | http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/13217.html |
| Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction | http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/8602.html |
| Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes | http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/13521.html |
| Population and Public Health | http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/13777.html |
