Review of the Institute of Aging – Management Response Action Plan (MRAP)

Evaluation: Institute of Aging
Evaluation completed: 2019-2020
Evaluation lead: CIHR

Recommendation Response (Agree/Disagree) Management Action Plan Responsibility Timeline
Recommendation 1: The Panel recommends framing IA’s mandate with an approach of aging that reflects the potential and opportunity of aging, as well as the unique and positive contributions of older people. Agree In principle, CIHR agrees with the recommendation as worded. As identified in CIHR's new strategic plan, CIHR will undertake a review of the Institute model as part of its commitment to organizational excellence (associated action plan strategy 2). Any results from that review will inform the overall Institute model. The Executive Vice President in collaboration with Governing Council 2024/25
Recommendation 2: The Panel recommends that IA continue developing and implementing an inclusive approach to aging research that incorporates intersectional, interdisciplinary, and intersectorial aspects at both individual and societal levels, recognizing the importance of emerging areas, such as sensory and cognitive issues, big data, and geroscience. Agree IA will organize actions within this frame of reference, for example, the IA Summer Program on Aging. Additionally, these elements are all contained in the transitional strategic plan of IA 2019-21 and will be considered in future IA strategic planning. The Vice-President, Research Programs, in collaboration with the Scientific Director, IA. 2023/24
Recommendation 3: The Panel recommends IA continue to consider the impact and highlight the importance of health equity, health access, the social determinants of health, co-morbidities, and the increasing diversity of the aging population in the funding of research in aging to improve the health of aging Canadians (e.g. health promotion/prevention, mobility in aging, social and community engagement, loneliness, active aging, aging in place) and increase the effectiveness of health services and products, and the Canadian health care system. Agree These elements are all contained in the transitional strategic plan of IA 2019-21 and will be considered in future IA strategic planning. IA is also incorporating a Lifecycle Approach into their programs to ensure consideration of the impact of life course on health in aging. The Vice-President, Research Programs, in collaboration with the Scientific Director, IA. 2023/24
Recommendation 4: The Panel recommends that IA continue to develop innovative initiatives to build capacity at the various career stages with a focus on early and midcareer researchers to support the next generation of aging researchers. Agree Since the review, IA has implemented this recommendation for ECRs through targeted funding; strategies for mid-career researchers have also been implemented including awards for mid- career researchers. Enhanced support to mid-career researchers will be considered for future IA strategic planning. The Vice-President, Research Programs, in collaboration with the Scientific Director, IA. 2023/24
Recommendation 5: The Panel recommends that IA continue to build capacity to translate and mobilize knowledge and technologies to clinicians, policy makers, businesses, and the public to develop more effective products, practices, policies and services, and improve the health care system and health of Canadians Agree Building on initial progress since the review, IA will continue to consider knowledge mobilization in future IA strategic planning and ensure alignment with CIHR’s commitments in these areas in the strategic plan (2021-2031). The Vice-President, Research Programs, in collaboration with the Scientific Director, IA. 2023/24
Recommendation 6: The Panel recommends that CIHR continue to fund aging research across all four CIHR research pillars, ensure there are review panels with a focus and expertise in aging, and maintain the current proportion of funding to approximately 70% investigator-initiated research and 30% research in priority areas to address the crosscutting nature of aging research and to capitalize on emerging research opportunities. Agree Through its strategic plan (2021-2031) CIHR is committing to maintain a blend of priority-driven and investigator-initiated funding, and ensure that this mix occurs across career stages, where appropriate. In the Investigator-Initiated program, review of peer review panel mandates are assessed regularly; and priority-driven panels are customized to ensure the appropriate expertise is available to assess applications, including those related to aging research. Vice-President, Research Programs 2023/24
Recommendation 7: The Panel recommends that IA maintain its scientific leadership role for the CLSA and the DRS, while remaining inclusive of and attentive to the broader aging research community not connected to these initiatives. Agree The Scientific Director will continue to provide scientific leadership for CIHR major initiatives (such as CLSA and the CIHR Dementia Research Strategy), and provide leadership on other institute-specific or multi-institute initiatives in alignment with current and future IA and CIHR priorities. The Vice-President, Research Programs, in collaboration with the Scientific Director, IA. 2023/24
Recommendation 8: The Panel recommends that the next SD continue to engage with and support the broad aging research community to both maintain and expand partnerships between researchers, funding agencies, knowledge users, the health portfolio organizations, health charities and the private sector at the national and international levels to position Canadian aging researchers as leaders and innovators. Agree The Scientific Director will continue to engage with a variety of stakeholders, as appropriate and feasible within the mandate of the Institute. The Vice-President, Research Programs, in collaboration with the Scientific Director, IA. 2023/24
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