2020-21 Departmental Results Report: Operating Context

Health research plays an important role in improving health outcomes for Canadians and people around the world, as well as in contributing to the overall societal and economic prosperity of Canada. As the principal federal funder of health research in Canada, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) supports innovative research that advances knowledge and provides solutions to Canada’s most complex health challenges.

COVID-19 continues to challenge Canadians and health systems across the country, adding pressure on health care resources. Through CIHR, the Government of Canada is supporting research that is having a great impact on our ability to respond to COVID-19 and other pressing health issues. CIHR led the health research response by coordinating and focusing its efforts to support the rapid research response in Canada in collaboration with the Health Portfolio and partners. This support, which included research projects ranging in topics from medical and social countermeasures to Indigenous health research and policy, has helped Canada to make a difference in the lives of people across the country and around the world. This work will prepare the agency and its partners to address the emergence of new infectious diseases and health threats in the future.

In February 2021, CIHR launched its new Strategic Plan 2021–2031 to guide CIHR operations and investments. Through this well consulted Strategic Plan, CIHR is laying the foundation for a shared vision for what Canada’s health research ecosystem could look like in the next 30 years.

CIHR is part of the Health Portfolio, which supports the Minister of Health in maintaining and improving the health of Canadians. CIHR also works closely with the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), the two granting councils of the Innovation, Science and Economic Development portfolio, to share information and coordinate efforts, harmonize practices, avoid duplication and foster multidisciplinary research.

CIHR continues to collaborate with its Tri-Agency partners to support shared programs to enhance Canada’s research capacity. Together, the Agencies invested in talented people, research excellence, infrastructure, and facilitating knowledge translation and mobilization to help foster a culture of social and commercial innovation.

In addition, CIHR continued to work in close collaboration with SSHRC and NSERC on the development of the Tri-Agency Grants Management Solution (TGMS), a user-centric grants management platform. This platform will modernize the Tri-Agency grants management system to better support applicants, administrators and reviewers during the grants management lifecycle.

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