Message from Mary Jung, INMD Scientific Director
September 2026
September is my favourite month of the academic year. There is something energizing about fresh goals, new notebooks and planners, and the renewed sense of possibility that fills our campuses and workplaces. The momentum is tangible, optimism is contagious, and it feels like the perfect time to begin something new.
At INMD, we embraced that spirit by kicking off the month with an intensive two-day meeting in Calgary, Alberta, bringing together our Institute Advisory Board and representatives from 14 partner organizations, including health charities, foundations, and professional organizations. The purpose of this meeting was to share preliminary findings from our environmental scan and engage in thoughtful dialogue around the emerging themes and opportunities that will help shape INMD's 2027-2032 Institute Research Priority Plan. Most importantly, it was an opportunity to listen. These conversations marked the beginning of a broader process of engagement, learning, and partnership that will continue during the months ahead.
Based on what we have heard and learned thus far, you will soon have an opportunity to add your voice to the conversation. Next month, we will launch a community survey seeking your perspectives on future Institute research priorities. Our goal is to hear from as many members of the INMD community as possible, and we are committed to carefully considering the input you share with us. When the survey arrives in your inbox, I encourage you to complete it and circulate it within your professional networks. The broader and more diverse the participation, the better positioned we will be to develop priorities that reflect and serve our entire community.
On September 23, CIHR Corporate shared its "Project Grant: Building a sustainable future for curiosity-driven research" on the future of the Project Grant competition. This represents an important opportunity to continue a national conversation about how we can strengthen Canada's research funding system and support the evolving needs of the research community. I encourage you to review the discussion paper, share your perspectives at "CIHR Project Grant Program Feedback Form", and participate in one of the engagement events that the Project Development Team will be hosting this fall. Ensuring that INMD voices are represented in these discussions is critical as we collectively shape the future of health research funding in Canada.
INMD offices will be closed on September 30 to observe the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. This day invites each of us to reflect on an important question: What truths are we committed to learning, and what actions will we hold ourselves accountable to because of that knowledge?
As we honour Residential School Survivors, their families, communities, and the children who never returned home, we must also recognize that reconciliation is not a single day of reflection but an ongoing commitment to learning, action, and accountability. Reconciliation asks us to listen deeply, confront difficult truths, and translate understanding into meaningful change. I encourage you to revisit the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's 94 Calls to Action this month as a reminder of the collective responsibilities we all share in advancing reconciliation and Indigenous self-determination in research.
Wishing you all the best for the start of the new academic year,
Dr. Mary Jung
Scientific Director
CIHR Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes (INMD)
- Date modified: