Proposed Clinical Trials Strategy for Canada

In the winter of 2023, CIHR published the summary of a public consultation outlining the state of clinical trials in Canada. Over 140 individuals representing researchers, patient and citizen groups, research and health networks, government departments, and several clinical trial organizations identified the key challenges in conducting clinical trials in Canada. To address these challenges, the community also suggested innovative and sustainable solutions and shared lessons learned from international clinical trial models.

As part of the first step towards shaping a long-term clinical trials strategy for Canada, we are now proposing elements that will comprise CIHR’s clinical trials strategy.

Our vision for Canada’s Clinical Trials Strategy

Patients and researchers benefit from a well-funded clinical trials ecosystem that is innovative, efficient, and provides the evidence needed to increase knowledge and enhance the health of people in Canada.

How to achieve our vision

• Building Research Capacity

  • Ongoing, predictable cycles of funding for training and mentorship, including
    • Support for trainees of all kinds, including health researchers, clinicians, and healthcare professionals.
    • Support for development of Indigenous health research capacity.
• Promoting Innovation

  • Continued governmental strategies developed to support health and biomanufacturing priorities in Canada.
  • Support for pre-clinical research to advance product development into clinical trials.
  • Support for innovation in clinical trials, including through decentralized and virtual trials, to make them more accessible.
  • Development or catalyst grants to support early project development.
• Funding Projects and Research Infrastructure

  • Sustained, predictable cycles of funding for investigator-initiated research, research networks and infrastructure, and strategic funding programs to address the needs of the health system and the people using this knowledge.
• Involving Communities and Developing Partnerships

  • Engaging patients, diverse communities, and people with living and lived experience through inclusive and equitable principles.
  • Continue working with Indigenous partners and communities while respecting their distinct rights, knowledges, culture and history.
  • Provide guidance and mechanisms to support CIHR’s partnerships with national and local funders, international funders and research organizations, other government departments and organizations with health priorities, health charities and patient groups, and industry.

An effective clinical trials strategy would require ongoing investment in CIHR’s research support capabilities to better enable the research community to develop and conduct new clinical trials. To build a truly national strategy, we also need to involve a variety of organizations and stakeholders to work together to create a sustainable infrastructure. Once a well-supported strategy is in place, Canada will be positioned to support trial coordination, streamline administration processes, and quickly disseminate new knowledge to improve health outcomes.

We encourage researchers and stakeholders to continue building on our recent successes. If you would like to share your thoughts and suggestions, send your feedback to clinicaltrials-essaiscliniques@cihr-irsc.gc.ca.

Date modified:

2023-07-05