Part III: The Opportunity - Realizing the Benefits of Health Research

Benefits to Health
The development of a strong and effective research strategy will have a direct effect on quality of health and health care by enhancing B.C.'s capacity to:

• Develop, recruit and retain highly trained and knowledgeable people to strengthen the province's health care, health promotion and health research sectors, helping to cut waiting lists for care and to develop better solutions for current and future health issues.
• Work with communities and community practitioners to identify and target pressing problems facing health and health care services and to develop and implement solutions based on the best available evidence.
• Develop new knowledge and translate fresh insights from clinical, basic, health services, community and population health research into more effective, efficient health care delivery, improved health promotion and better health outcomes.
• Attract leading specialists and researchers to network across the full range of health research sectors, collaborating in teams locally, nationally and internationally to identify and address major health issues from a multi-disciplinary and multi-sectoral perspective.

Benefits to the Economy
The development of a strong and effective research strategy will have a direct effect on B.C.'s economy by enhancing our capacity to:

• Return more tax dollars to B.C. by developing, recruiting and retaining a critical mass of health research expertise to compete for a per capita or better share of increased federal funding opportunities (e.g. Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Canadian Foundation for Innovation, 21st Century Chairs, Canadian Health Services Foundation).
• Spur employment growth and wealth creation related to the development, transfer and application of new health technologies in the private sector and the community.
• Compete for industry investment on a global scale.
• Compete internationally for peer reviewed research grants, thereby increasing scientific credibility, presence and marketability in the global community.