Search

PubMed Central Canada (PMC Canada) represents a partnership between the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the National Research Council's Canada Institute for Scientific and Technical Information (NRC-CISTI), and the National Library of Medicine of the US. The present study was done to gauge faculty awareness about the CIHR Policy on Access to Research and about their familiarity with PubMed Central Canada, the federal open access repository. Researchers were asked to rank search and browse features that would be helpful while using PMC Canada. The study recommends academic librarians to play an active role in promoting open access repositories and informing faculty members about policies on access to research as stipulated by grant funding agencies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In 2009, Canadian social science research funding underwent a transition. Social science health-research was shifted from the Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) to the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR), an agency previously dominated by natural and medical science. This paper examines the role of health-research funding structures in legitimizing and/or delimiting what counts as 'good' social science health research. Engaging Gieryn's (1983) notion of 'boundary-work' and interviews with qualitative social science graduate students, it investigates how applicants developed proposals for CIHR. Findings show that despite claiming to be interdisciplinary, the practical mechanisms through which CIHR funding is distributed reinforce rigid boundaries of what counts as legitimate health research. These boundaries are reinforced by applicants who felt pressure to prioritize what they perceived was what funders wanted (accommodating natural-science research culture), resulting in erased, elided, and disguised social science theories and methods common for 'good social science.' [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The public purse is responsible for funding almost all autism spectrum disorders (ASD) research in Canada (as per Canadian Institutes of Health Research [CIHR]) and for providing some of the existing services and supports for this population. In this article, we consider various reasons why Canada should be concerned to ensure a more equitable distribution of relevant public funding for ASD research than is currently the case to meet the express needs and interests of the diversity of autism stakeholders. As such, we report data to show that CIHR-supported ASD research from the period of 2000–2010 demonstrates a bias focussed on the aetiology of the condition revealing a disproportionate emphasis on only two (Biomedical and Clinical) out of the four research pillars avowed by CIHR, with a comparative lack of fiscal resources committed to Health Systems and Services and Population and Public Health research. We advance certain normative and prudential reasons for funding more Health Systems and Services and Population and Public Health ASD research in Canada. In our view, this would seem to follow from CIHR’s official mandate ‘as a flexible mechanism that will continually align health research funding with changes in the manner in which health problems and opportunities are identified, understood and addressed’. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author talks about the idea of bridging the gap between research and policy in aging. She acknowledges the effort of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) to improve research-policy partnerships with provinces through an initiative called Evidence on Tap. She cites the provinces that joined as partners in the Evidence on Tap pilot project, namely Ontario, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick. Also noted by the author is the anticipated release of the "Report of the Special Senate Committee on Aging."

We suggest that PhD and post-doctoral researchers are a strong, untapped resource with the potential to make a real contribution to global health research (GHR). However, we raise some ethical, institutional, and funding issues that either discourage new researchers from entering the field or diminish their capacity to contribute. We offer a number of recommendations to Canadian academic and non-academic institutions and funders, aiming to generate discussion among them about how to overcome these constraints. We need changes in the way graduate research is organised and funded, to create opportunities to work collaboratively within established low- and middle-income countries (LMIC)/Canadian research partnerships. We urge changes in the way that institutions fund, recognise, value, and support GHR, so that established researchers are encouraged to develop long-term LMIC relationships and mentor new Canadian/LMIC researchers. We ask funders to reconsider additional GHR activities for support, including strategic training initiatives and dissemination of research results. We also encourage the development of alternative institutions that can provide training and mentoring opportunities. GHR faces many challenges. If we address those that reduce our potential to contribute, we can become real partners in GHR, working towards equitable global health and solutions to priority health issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the strategic planning of the Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis (IMHA) of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) for oral health research. It emphasizes the need for more clinicians and scientists who will generate new diagnostic and treatment directions for dental practice. It says that IMHA-related investigators must be informed and prepared for funding opportunities announced by other institutes of the CIHR.

The article offers information regarding the Pathways Annual Gathering, an event involving the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), First Nations, Indigenous organizations and other partners held at Alberta. Topics discussed include meeting is part of the Pathways to Health Equity for Aboriginal Peoples initiative, aimed at improving health in four areas: mental wellness, diabetes/obesity, oral health and tuberculosis, and views of Carrie Bourassa, scientific director.

The article reports on the decision of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) to cancel its Doctor of Medicine/Doctor of Philosophy (MD/PhD) training program at medical schools across Canada due to budget pressures. An overview of the strategic action plan being developed by CIHR for health research trainees is provided. The need for CIHR to collaboration with universities to enhance career paths of clinician-scientists and its failure to evaluate its training programs are discussed.

The article discusses concerns by Canadian researchers on how the changes modifying how grants are awarded will marginalize some fields and hurt early-career researchers. Topics discussed include plans of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) to restructure advisory boards and eliminate most of the scientific advisory boards, changes to CIHR's system of awarding grants to proposals from researchers and concerns CIHR may eliminate some institutes altogether.

The article offers information on partnership of the Canadian Dental Association (CDA) with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) to promote health equity on suicide, tuberculosis, obesity and poor oral health for Aboriginal Canadians.

The article reports on the call of the blue-ribbon International Review Panel (RIP) to review the lineup of institutes ate the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). The chairman of the panel Doctor Eliza Zerhouni mentions that the Governning Council (GC) must examines if the CIHR Institutes's slate are appropriate. Moreover, the recommendations made by the panel for the CIHR is offered.

The article reports that the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) plans to develop a Phase I/II interventional trial on the therapeutic validity of balloon venoplasty for multiple sclerosis (MS). It states that the trial seeks to ensure accurate and standardized identification of MS patients. It says that the trial would also assess the measures sensitive to venoplasty outcomes reported by patients.

The article presents a reprint of the article "Research allocations: The long-standing basic/strategic debate," by Roger Collier, published on April 23, 2010 at www.cmaj.ca. It states that research is divided into basic research and strategic research on national health priorities. It adds that funding bodies in Canada varies on how each stream is allocated in which Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) grants 70% to basic research and 30% to strategic research.

The article reports that the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) bolsters support for research tackling Canada's primary health care performance. It states that 36% of Canadians are using hospital emergency departments for their primary health care more than any other industrialized country. Colleen Flood, scientific director of CIHR's Institute of Health Services and Policy Research warns that a dose of strong medicine is needed to tackle gaping deficiencies in the primary care.

The article reports that the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) has started campaigning for health research grant applications from social scientists and humanists. It is reported that the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council is redirecting all grant applications. CIHR is planning important reforms to its peer review system to ensure.

The article reports that the appointment of Pfizer Canada Inc.'s vice-President to the governing council of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research will soon be reviewed by the parliamentary health committee. It is stated that the appointment was announced on October 5, 2009 by the Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq. Patricia Baird, professor in the department of medical genetics at the University of British Columbia remarked the appointment as surprising and inappropriate.

The article reports on calls by several Canadian researchers to the government to reverse the reforms made to the Canadian Institutes of Health Research's (CIHR) online system for grant proposal evaluation. According to the critics, the new online system is filled with flaws and erroneous assumptions. Particular focus is given to the annual expenditure of CIHR on health research, as well as its reformed grantsmaking process.

The article informs that the appointment of Bernard Prigent, vice president and medical director of Pfizer Canada Inc., to the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) council has raised concern among physicians. According to Sidney Wolfe, director, Washington, DC-based Public Citizen, it is a conflict of interest to appoint him to the council, as the council might get influenced by the industry. Prigent is the first from drug industry to be appointed to the CIHR.

The article informs that according to an analysis of the health-related legal challenges based on the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, even failed bids can prove beneficial. According to Colleen Flood, scientific director, Canadian Institutes of Health Research's Institute of Health Services and Policy Research, some of the successful cases are ultimately underenforced, whereas some unsuccessful cases lead to policy changes favoring the litigants.

The article presents a reprint of the article "Correcting the CIHR course," by Wayne Kondro, which appeared on September 29, 2009 at www.cmaj.ca last. It notes that Dr. Alain Beaudet, president of Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), is not enthusiastic on CIHR's strategic plan. Beaudet argues that the plan has an indefinite content and says that it will affect health care. He suggests focusing on strategic and thematic research needed by the country.

The article offers information on the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). CIHR is the Government of Canada's agency responsible for funding health research in the country. CIHR's mission is to transform health research in Canada by funding more research on targeted priority areas like population health and health services research and training the next generation of health researchers. CIHR consists of 13 virtual institutes, a structure that is unique in the world.

The article presents an essay, in which the author offers information on his research work on the use of male circumcision for preventing the transmission of HIV infection. The author informs that the research was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the U.S. National Institutes of Health and mentions that randomized clinical trials were conducted on uncircumcised men in Kenya. The research showed a fall of 56% in the transmission of HIV due to male circumcision.

The article focuses on various health-related research works in Canada, that have been selected winners of the competition conducted by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ). A research focused on use of bovine lipid extract to treat acute respiratory distress syndrome and another revealed the benefits of arthroscopy for osteoarthritis. Another research was based on the early treatment of myocardial infarction.

The article offers information on the competition conducted by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) to acknowledge research on medical care in Canada. Researchers were asked to submit research works in various categories including biomedicine, and health services. Winners of the competition include an essay on male circumcision in preventing HIV transmission, and another on the care of patients with myocardial infarction.

Discusses the development of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research which will provide government support for health research. Differences from the Medical Research Council of Canada which it is replacing, such as the level of government support; Plans of the Canadian government to increase funding to the Institute; Provision of virtual institutes which will link researchers with common interests together.

This article reports that the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) will reorganize grant programs under its open-funding envelope to encourage more research and to simplify the process of writing and reviewing grant applications. The grant programs will be reorganized into short-term project grants for research with a specific goal and long-term foundation grants for researchers with records of excellence. CIHR will also cancel its committee-based peer-review structure.

The article offers information on the Phase II and III clinical trials in Canada by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). It mentions that CIRH hopes to slash the startup times of the clinical trials through the introduction of a standard plate for agreements between the sponsors and researchers. It also notes that the federal granting council has urged the use of a clinical trial template agreement to boil own the relationship and obligations of all parties.

The article focuses on the Drug Safety and Effectiveness Network, a post-market drug surveillance project created by Health Canada and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. It informs that the project consists of three main components which include a virtual network of centres of excellence in post-market drug research, a coordinating office to manage network operations and a steering committee to provide strategic direction. It also discusses the main objectives of the project.

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the article "CIHR Appointment Stirs Controversy," by A. Silversides in a previous issue.

A letter to the editor is presented in response to article "Federal Committee to Review Pfizer V-P Appointment to CIHR council," by A. Silversides in the November 9, 2009 issue.

The author deals with concerns regarding dental education in Canada. He notes the need to lobby the government for enhanced educational facilities and more funding for research on dentistry. He cites that the Canadian Dental Association (CDA) is requesting to add oral health as part of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). Furthermore, he mentions the concern about the scarcity of dental educators in the country.

The author focuses on the collaboration between the Canadian Dental Association (CDA), the Canadian Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (CAOMS) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) in producing a 2001 issue of the "Journal of the Canadian Dental Association" (JCDA). He cites the involvement of the CIHR in the distribution of a questionnaire about the priorities for dental research. He says that the collaboration stresses the role of CDA in bringing to various sections of the profession together for the benefit of the public.

Reports on a celebration of the achievement of Health Canada's National Health Research and Development Program (NHRDP) which closed in December, 2000. How the program helped develop comprehensive research and training programs; Plans for the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) to take over several functions of the NHRDP; Intention of the CIHR to bring together researchers from different disciplines.

The article reports on the launch of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) in June 2000.