Part II: The Problem - The Status of Health Research in B.C.

1. B.C. needs to substantially increase its share of the federal research dollars.

   With 13 per cent of the population, B.C. takes in only 8 per cent of the country's available federal research funding. By contrast, Alberta, with less than 10 per cent of the population, takes in over 13 per cent. Quebec, with 24 per cent of the population, takes in 33 per cent. B.C. is leaving money on the table for other provinces.

   
2. B.C. needs to develop, recruit and retain excellent researchers.

   When measured as "federal dollars per researcher" B.C. researchers are as (or more) productive than counterparts in other provinces. However, B.C. does not have enough researchers to compete for a "per capita" share of the available dollars.

   
3. B.C. needs to invest in research to achieve returns.

   Of the provinces that provide infrastructure support to build and maintain research capacity, B.C. ranks second to last. Funding for our provincial research support organization (B. C. Health Research Foundation) dropped to a low of $1 million in 1998/99 from a high of $11 million in 1991. In contrast, Alberta provided over $36 million in 1998/99; Quebec provided over $50 million and both provinces have committed to major increases in 2000/2001. Lack of funding is crippling B.C.'s ability to develop the strong, supportive research environment necessary to attract more researchers or train them from within.

   

   

4. B.C. needs a long-range health research investment strategy

   Without action to address research infrastructure shortfalls, B.C. does not have the resources to compete for a per capita share of the more than $550 million in new research monies that have been allocated to health research by the federal government. * At a conservative estimate, this means B.C. will leave a minimum of $50 million a year on the table for other provinces. This will further damage our ability to retain existing researchers (who are also specialists in our health system) and to attract students and fellows, who are the future of research and health care in our province.

   

   

   *

   The Canadian Institutes of Health Research, which is the federal government's flagship program for health research funding, has set an annual funding target of $1 billion by 2004/05.