Frequently Asked Questions

  • 1. Who is eligible to host a BBE?

    A Canadian policy maker working within the Federal, Provincial or Territorial governments. The proposed topic must be driven by a pressing need for information/advice on a policy/research issue.

    Applications for multi-jurisdictional or international events can propose a co-lead model. Co-applicants could include P/T Ministries of Health, Members of the Health Portfolio (PHAC, HC, CFIA), other Federal Departments (with a health related policy issue), an organization mandated to support F/P/T health policy decision making and international policy makers or other non-policy maker partners including P/T health funders, international organizations, agencies, universities, and non-governmental organizations.

    Visit the Apply to Host a BBE page for more information on eligibility.

  • 2. What types of topics are relevant for a BBE?

    The topic proposed for the BBE must be health-related to be considered eligible.

    Visit the Best Brains Exchanges page for a list of past exchanges.

  • 3. When can I apply?

    Policy makers interested in organizing a BBE are invited to submit an application at any point in the year, within six months of the anticipated event date. It typically takes 3-4 months to plan a BBE following the review and approval process.

  • 4. How are BBE applications evaluated?

    All applications are reviewed internally to ensure that they meet the eligibility criteria and are feasible by the BBE team.

  • 5. How soon will I hear if my application is successful?

    Successful applicants will be informed of the outcome of their application within 2-3 weeks of submitting an application to CIHR.

  • 6. What is the format of a BBE?

    BBEs are private, by-invitation only events delivered over a period of one to two days. The format includes a balance of brief, high-level presentations followed by protected time for facilitated discussion. The objectives, discussion questions and anticipated outcomes of the BBE are driven by policy partners. The BBEs are limited to a small number of participants and observers, as well as a facilitator, presenters, and the organizing team (CIHR and partner staff). Since 2020, BBEs are being delivered virtually.

  • 7. How many people can attend a BBE and how are participants chosen?

    BBEs typically include 40 participants, including the facilitator, presenters and organizing team. The events are small to encourage engagement between participants. Policy maker partners are responsible for selecting and inviting the participants. The list is developed in collaboration with CIHR.

  • 8. Who presents at a BBE and how are presenters chosen?

    The presenters at a BBE include researchers and implementation experts. The BBEs are limited to a small number of participants, a facilitator, up to eight speakers, and the organizing team (CIHR and partner staff). CIHR will identify potential presenters and facilitators through its network of researchers and implementation experts, environmental scans and other sources.

    CIHR is committed to equitable representation of speakers and participants at the BBEs as CIHR continues to build meaningful relationships founded on equity, diversity and inclusion and respectful of Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit and Métis) Peoples as rights-holders. This commitment will further expand CIHR’s relationship with communities inclusive of perspectives from those affected disproportionately by inequitable health. Such efforts further strengthen the Canadian health research ecosystem, as CIHR aims to fund research shaped by, conducted by, and mobilized in collaboration with, health equity deserving communities.

  • 9. Is there a financial cost associated with co-hosting a BBE with CIHR?

    Yes, while CIHR covers the cost of most core operations such as presenter/facilitator fees, our policy partners are responsible for some costs related to optional services such as report writing or simultaneous interpretation.

For more information about the program, or to request an application form, please contact the CIHR Best Brains Exchange team at BBE-EMC@cihr-irsc.gc.ca.

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