CIHR Strategic Plan 2021–2031
Action Plan for Year 4 (2024–25)

Table of Contents

1. Acting President's Message
2. Priority A: Advance Research Excellence in All Its Diversity
3. Priority B: Strengthen Canadian Health Research Capacity
4. Priority C: Accelerate the Self-Determination of Indigenous Peoples in Health Research
5. Priority D: Pursue Health Equity through Research
6. Priority E: Integrate Evidence in Health Decisions
7. Serving Canadians: Our Commitment to Organizational Excellence
8. Year 3 (2023-24) Progress and Achievements

Acting President's Message

I am pleased to present the Action Plan for Year 4 of the CIHR Strategic Plan 2021-2031. The Action Plan identifies the activities that CIHR will undertake in 2024-25 (and over the next five years) to implement the CIHR Strategic Plan.

At the end of the Action Plan is a report on CIHR's progress and achievements for the past year (Year 3), which highlights many significant accomplishments.

These included the development of significant frameworks and plans, including the Research Excellence Framework; Anti-Ableism Action Plan; Anti-Racism Action Plan; Knowledge Mobilization Framework and Action Plan; International Action Plan; Tri-Agency Indigenous Citizenship and Membership Policy and Implementation Plan; and a Proposed Clinical Trials Strategy for Canada.

CIHR also made great progress in designing and updating our programs and policies, which included removing administrative barriers to Indigenous community-led research; deepening the engagement of people with lived and living experience in the design and implementation of CIHR programs and initiatives; taking a distinctions-based approach to CIHR's Indigenous health research investments; and completing the SPOR Evaluation and Management Action Plan.

The Year 4 (2024-25) Action Plan reflects an adjusted implementation approach that will ensure that the work delivered is aligned to the goals of the Agency and builds on progress made to date, while retaining the flexibility to adapt to a shifting landscape and priorities.

I would like to express my thanks and gratitude to our CIHR staff, to those who serve on advisory bodies and as peer reviewers, to our funding partners, and to Canada's wider community of health researchers for your ongoing support. The actions and achievements outlined in this Action Plan are made possible through your commitment to strengthening health research in Canada.

Tammy Clifford, PhD
Acting President
Canadian Institutes of Health Research

Priority A: Advance Research Excellence in All Its Diversity

Priority B: Strengthen Canadian Health Research Capacity

Priority C: Accelerate the Self-Determination of Indigenous Peoples in Health Research

Priority D: Pursue Health Equity Through Research

Priority E: Integrate Evidence in Health Decisions

Serving Canadians: Our Commitment to Organizational Excellence

Year 3 (2023-24) Progress and Achievements

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is pleased to present this report on the progress toward implementing the Strategic Plan Action Plan for Year 3 (2023-24). We have continued to make considerable progress in delivering on the early stages of our 10-year vision, with the majority of strategic actions on track in Year 3, with some delays noted.

Early results from the strategic actions show inroads made in awareness-building and engaging partners on shared priorities, informing changes to policies, and the development of frameworks and action plans, many with input from and/or co-developed with impacted communities. This foundational work contributes to the broader impact that CIHR is seeking to achieve through its Strategic Plan.

CIHR's focus on engagement and collaboration has resulted in a deeper understanding of the enablers and barriers in existing funding policies and practices, to enhance and inform new approaches to delivering health research funding. Together with the frameworks and plans developed, work is advancing to increase research ecosystem capacity, foster equity, diversity, and inclusion, support a diverse research portfolio, enhance the science of knowledge mobilization, and advance research excellence in all its diversity. As well, the Agency remains committed to promoting organizational excellence through incremental internal improvements.

We invite you to read the following summaries to learn more about this year's progress and achievements.

Priority A: Advance Research Excellence in All Its Diversity

CIHR is on track to deliver on its priority to advance research excellence in all its diversity. Key achievements include:

• Established a new CIHR Advisory Committee on Ethics (ACE), which held its inaugural meeting in December 2023.
• Developed CIHR's Research Excellence Framework.
• Began to assess how CIHR currently defines and supports strong research teams and their position within the broader research landscape, with the intent of incorporating key concepts into funding opportunities.
• Became a core partner in the second phase of the Research on Research Institute (RORI), an international consortium of funders working together to develop a more open, inclusive, and effective research ecosystem.
• Implemented new guidance regarding responsible research assessment, in alignment with the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA).
• Collaborated with tri-agency partners to complete the first phase of external engagements to inform the policy review of the Tri-Agency Open Access Policy.
• Promoted open science by implementing and beginning to monitor CIHR-funded researcher compliance with the Tri-Agency (TC3) Research Data Management (RDM) Policy, which included adding data management plans to select funding opportunities.
• Developed the International Action Plan (IAP) and applied its guiding principles and collaboration criteria to recommend CIHR participation in international meetings and collaborations.

Priority B: Strengthen Canadian Health Research Capacity

Key achievements in Year-3 include:

• CIHR continued to refine and conduct initial consultations on mechanisms to strengthen investigator-initiated research. This included consultation, implementation, and communication on a change to improve the management of appendices in the Project Grant Program, as well as the piloting of the new harmonized Tri-Agency CV in select competitions.
• CIHR made progress on the promotion and implementation of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) principles and practices. This includes strategically incorporating EDI considerations in policy advice and in the design and development of programs, to ensure that CIHR activities incorporate equity considerations in a meaningful way. Work also continued on the Accessibility and Systemic Ableism and Anti-Racism Action Plans, including an IIPH-led project on anti-Indigenous racism and an external dialogue on anti-Black racism. These activities demonstrate CIHR's commitment to addressing systemic barriers and ensuring that CIHR actions are meaningful and relevant.
• Continued to develop and refine the CIHR Training and Career Support Framework and Action Plan based on internal engagement and initial planning for external partner engagement that is currently underway. CIHR also launched a second Health Research Training Platform (HRTP2) competition based on learnings from the pilot competition.
• Continued to develop and refine the Centre for Research on Pandemic Preparedness and Health Emergencies (CRPPHE) governance processes and operating procedures, including the rapid research response to be activated in the context of health emergencies. Launched a set of activities that will characterize and review the health research ecosystem in Canada relative to its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings from these activities will support Canada's preparedness posture for future pandemics and health emergencies. Over the 2023-24 fiscal year, the Centre invested $5 million in training and career support to researchers studying pandemic preparedness and health emergencies. This includes $3.3 million to fund (with the Institute of Infection and Immunity) two Health Research Training Platforms in One Health research, as well as $1.69 million in awards funding for Master's students, Doctoral students, and Post-Doctoral Fellows.

Priority C: Accelerate the Self-Determination of Indigenous Peoples in Health Research

CIHR has made progress in Year 3 on advancing the health and well-being of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples and removing barriers to Indigenous-led research. This work has been conducted while continuing to engage with rights-holding communities, including First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples. Key achievements include:

• Developed the Indigenous Engagement Resource Toolkit, which was designed to complement one's reconciliation journey by providing a series of tools to meaningfully incorporate and engage with Indigenous Peoples (First Nations, Métis, and Inuit), while recognizing their self-determination. As a result, CIHR and Institute staff are better equipped to develop meaningful engagement strategies and partnerships with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples.
• Provided CIHR staff with cultural and spiritual facilitation services, teaching sessions, and cultural safety training from Indigenous Elders and/or Knowledge Keepers, which has resulted in a better understanding of activities based on relationships with Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit, and Métis) Peoples and communities, and the implementation of more culturally safe and meaningful engagement strategies, tools, and partnerships.
• Took a distinctions-based approach to ascertaining CIHR's Indigenous Health Research investments, to better design impactful strategic initiatives developed by and with Indigenous Peoples.
• Continued to work with the Tri-Agency Working Group to remove administrative barriers to Indigenous community-led research, including:
  • Approval of guidelines and processes to fund Indirect Costs for Indigenous not-for-profit organizations;
  • Developed a streamlined Institutional Eligibility application process for Indigenous organizations/entities, which involved completing the framework to streamline eligibility.
• Launched a renewal of the Network Environments for Indigenous Health Research (NEIHR) Coordinating Centres through a directed operating grant funding opportunity, and launched a development grant funding opportunity to establish an additional Yukon region NEIHR. These opportunities will contribute to the implementation of distinctions-based, self-determined, and culturally safe structures within the health research funding system.
• Continued implementation of the Action Plan: Building a healthier future for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis People, incorporating language within Strategic Plan Priority C activities to capture specific micro-outcomes to ensure accountability to the 10 commitments in the Action Plan.
• Developed the Tri-Agency Indigenous Citizenship and Membership Policy and Implementation Plan, outlining the establishment of a system of affirmation of citizenship and/or membership for funding and positions (including the extent of its application to advisory roles).
  • Published the "What We Heard" report from the Three Federal Research Funding Agencies' Ad Hoc Working Group on Indigenous Citizenship and Membership.

Priority D: Pursue Health Equity Through Research

CIHR has continued to advance the work required to ensure health equity for all through research. Key achievements include:

• Furthered the engagement of people with lived and living experience (PWLLE) in the design and implementation of CIHR programs and initiatives:
  • Developed policies and practices for incorporating patients as members of CIHR's College of Reviewers;
  • Assessed peer review process to ensure representation of PWLLE;
  • Developed a toolkit and self-assessment framework to assess readiness to engage with PWLLE, including best practices and an active inventory of CIHR Practices for Engaging PWLLE.
• Completed an "Equity in Action Scan" to understand which initiatives or programs CIHR and other domestic and international funding organizations have supported in the area of health equity and social determinants of health.
• Progress on global health this year included:
  • Under the Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases (GACD), CIHR announced the results of a $10M funding opportunity to research common risks factors for non-communicable diseases (NCD) from youth to adulthood.
  • CIHR and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) signed a $4M partnership to fund NCD research in urban context through the eighth GACD Funding Call, which funded two teams.
  • In 2023, although CIHR announced funding for five global health grants under the Project Grant: Fall 2023 Priority Announcement, CIHR funded 12 global health priority announcements grants.
  • Participated in the Scientific Advisory Committee on Global Health and in international fora (World Health Organization, G7, G20) addressing pandemic prevention and preparedness and antimicrobial resistance.
    • CIHR, IDRC, and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) contributed $4.85M to the WHO clinical trial research on vaccines against Ebola.
• Launched several initiatives and funding opportunities with a focus on addressing health inequities through research, including:
  • The first funding opportunities of the National Women's Health Research Initiative will address under-researched and high-priority areas of women's health. The Pan-Canadian Women's Health Coalition – Hubs funds 10 virtual hubs across Canada that will link and form the coalition with a coordinating centre, focusing on key priority areas (e.g., health of Indigenous Peoples, gender-diverse people, women living with HIV, women who are incarcerated, reproductive health, prevention of violence against women and girls, and achieving greater equity in health services).
  • Investments in the CIHR HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted and Blood-Borne Infections Research Initiative and the Health System Impact Fellowships.
  • An investment of $20M to establish a Pediatric Rare Disease Clinical Trials and Treatment Network. This Network will foster collaboration among researchers, patients, caregivers, health care providers, and policy makers, streamline clinical research, and support national and international clinical trials to advance discoveries, and enable better prevention, diagnosis, and treatments to improve health outcomes for children and adolescents affected by rare diseases.

Priority E: Integrate Evidence in Health Decisions

CIHR continued to advance its goal of bridging the gap between discovery and implementation, positioning researchers in Canada at the forefront of knowledge mobilization, maximizing results and research outputs, and fostering health system innovations through commercialization in areas such as technology, virtual care, and artificial intelligence. Key achievements in Year-3 include:

• Completed external engagements to inform the development of the Knowledge Mobilization Framework and Action plan.
• Clinical Trial Fund (CTF) achievements included:
  • Publishing a Proposed Clinical Trials Strategy for Canada following public consultation with researchers, patient and citizen groups, research and health networks, government departments, and several clinical trial organizations.
  • Continuing to develop policies to address key challenges identified in conducting clinical trials in Canada, to support a clinical trials ecosystem that is innovative, efficient, and able to provide the evidence needed to increase knowledge and enhance the health of people in Canada.
• Advanced the SPOR Refresh, including the completion of the SPOR Evaluation and Management Action Plan and the implementation of a multi-pronged approach that includes a public engagement platform, a community engagement toolkit, and virtual engagement Roundtables.
• Through collaborative effort and committees such as the Federal Health Data ADM Council (FHDAC), and the Public Health Data Steering Committee, CIHR continued to engage federal, provincial, and territorial partners on the Pan-Canadian Health Data Strategy.
• With leadership from IHSPR, collaborated with federal and pan-Canadian health organizations (Canadian Institute for Health Information, Statistics Canada, Health Data Research Network, and Workforce Canada) to deliver a webinar on Health Workforce Data.
• CIHR participated as a member of the Interoperability and Policy Working Group that provided recommendations to support the Pan-Canadian Health Data Strategy and continues to participate as a member of the Federal Health Data Coordinating Committees.

Serving Canadians: Our Commitment to Organizational Excellence

CIHR continued to make progress regarding the modernization of its operations, technologies, and management practices, including Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) actions. Key achievements in Year-3 include:

• Developed and implemented EDI-related activities, including the development of an EDI Strategy and Action Plan, to support the modernization of HR policies, evidence-based recruitment strategies, and to address systemic barriers within the organization.
• Supported employee wellness by delivering mandatory employee training related to harassment and violence in the workplace.
• Implemented a new Conflict of Interest (COI) Governance Support Structure, along with processes and tools to monitor, report, and effectively manage conflict of interest. This includes the Advisory Committee to the COI Officer and the Offices of Primary Interests (OPI Network).
• Continued to implement and monitor the CIHR Future Workplace model, to inform the ongoing evaluation and evolution of the model based on the changing workplace landscape.
• Contributed to enhancing the cooperation of CIHR Portfolios and the Institutes by establishing an internal governance table dedicated to fostering greater organizational integration and cohesion through cross-agency discussions and learning opportunities.
• Continued implementing CIHR's integrated planning approach, focusing on improvements to enable evidence-informed decision-making, effective prioritization of annual activities, and alignment of available resources to support key Agency priorities.
• Continued efforts to implement and report on the Strategic Plan Performance Measurement Framework, leveraging expected outcomes and indicators defined for each strategy.
• Renewed CIHR's Business Continuity Plan.
• Improved efficiencies and end user experience through continued enhancement of our business systems, including:
  • Continued migration of business applications to the Cloud and fortified response to increasing cyber-security threats.
  • Migration of CIHR's financial system to the new Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat's standard to ensure financial system sustainability and stabilize CIHR's infrastructure platform, allowing the Agency to better support the research community.
• Continued efforts to implement the Official Languages Action Plan over the coming years, including securing funding through dedicated CIHR funding opportunities:
  • $3M funding over six years for the Team Grant: Official Language Minority Communities in Health Research.
  • Total spending of $1.3M on an OLMC specific Catalyst Grant and two Project Grant Priority Announcements.

Date modified:

2024-08-14