General Recommendations

Building Research Capacity

• With major increases in federal health research funding opportunities, there is an immediate need for increased provincial government investment - to augment what has been started with the B.C. Knowledge Development Fund and help B.C. researchers compete successfully for federal funds. Note: the Knowledge Development Fund is a one-time matching program ($217 million) through the Ministry of Advance Education, Training and Technology to help provide the 60 per cent match required for successful applications to the Canadian Foundation for Innovation Program.
• To address critical short-term issues (e.g. losing out in the competition for increased federal dollars, addressing B.C.'s recruitment/ retention crisis), invest first in human resource and infrastructure capacity-building programs.
• To support the long-term development of health research in British Columbia, provide funding for new opportunities/regional development initiatives that promote health innovation and change specific to B.C. needs.
• To support the expanded levels or recruitment, training and research activity necessary to restore and maintain B.C.'s competitiveness, the research community must work with government to address major research space shortfalls at our teaching hospitals, research institutes and universities.
• Make provision to balance health research funds across a matrix of needs and health/economic objectives:
  • Needs across strategic plan approaches/objectives
    • securing more federal dollars
    • improving health
    • supporting the knowledge-based economy
    • developing new partnerships/broader approach to funding health research
  • Needs across and within plan elements (scholar/trainee, infrastructure, opportunities/innovation)
  • Needs across research sectors (biomedical, clinical, health services, population and community health)
• Build partnerships at all levels (government, industry, community, including sectors outside health) and enhance B.C.'s capacity for attracting partnerships nationally and internationally to leverage additional funding. This is an important strategy that cuts across all aspects of building research capacity and supporting innovation.