Appendix C. Summary of new Federal Funding Opportunities

By implementing a number of new health research support programs and bolstering funds for others, the Federal Government has significantly increased health research funding in Canada. Provinces will not benefit from these funds on a per capita basis and there are no ceilings on how much a province may receive. Funds will be allocated through competitive grant programs, with funding decisions based solely on the quality of research proposals and demonstrated capacity (i.e. presence of high quality, productive research teams and facilities) to achieve the research goals. (In the case of the 21 Century Chairs program, allocations are based on the applicant's history of success in winning national peer-reviewed grant funding.)

Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
With the passage of Bill C-13 in April 2000, CIHR replaced the Medical Research Council of Canada as the Government of Canada's main funding agency for health research. With a budget of nearly $500 million annually by 2001/2002 (and a goal of $1 billion by 2004/05), CIHR will provide additional resources and opportunities for research projects and trainee/scholar awards. It also has made collaboration and networking a priority for operating grants, with the aim of encouraging a multi-sectoral (biomedical, clinical, health services and community/population health) approach to solving health issues.

Canadian Foundation for Innovation
This research infrastructure renewal program was established in 1997 with $800 million in federal funding. An additional $900 million was added in the 2000 budget to sustain the program to 2005. A matching program for capital projects (e.g. renovations or new research facilities, equipment, information databases, and communications links) it requires applicants to obtain up to 60 per cent of project costs from other sources.

21st Century Chairs
This $900 million, three-year program to create salary support for 2000 university chairs was announced in the February 2000 budget. Two categories of awards will be granted: senior awards at $150,000 annually for five years and junior awards at $100,000 annually for five years. The first round of chairs will be announced in May/June 2000.

National Centres of Excellence Program (NCE)
The 1999 Federal Budget provided a $30 million annual increase to this program to support the development of several new networks. A deadline of May 1, 2000 was set for Letters of Intent to establish new NCEs in four targeted areas, including two in health (early childhood development and genomics technologies). Funding in the order of $3-4 million annually over five years is available for winning proposals in these categories.

Alternative Sources of Research Funding
Canadians are active supporters of health research. Each year, Canadians donate millions of dollars to organizations such as the Heart and Stroke Foundation, the Canadian Cancer Society, the Lung Association, the Diabetes Foundation and other disease specific agencies. Much of this funding is designated for support of research through competitive grants programs at the federal level.

Canadian and international companies also fund health research, usually associated with clinical trials to assess the effectiveness and safety of new drugs, treatments and medical devices.