In 1998, a voluntary alliance of universities, hospitals, research institutes, non-profit research funding agencies, private sector biotechnology companies and other research stakeholders came together to address an urgent issue affecting BC's health system.
BC's health research community was falling behind other Canadian provinces in the competition to bring home federal health research funds. With 13 per cent of the population, BC was taking home less than 8 per cent of the available funding.
The costs of falling behind were significant and sobering, and included:
- A lowering of health standards as BC's ability to recruit, train and retain health researchers and specialists continued to deteriorate.
- Significant economic losses: Jobs, real and potential, in research organizations and biotechnology industries. Loss of BC tax dollars going to other provinces - estimated at $50 million plus every year due to BC's inability to compete effectively for its per capita share of federal health research funds.
BC's health research community rallied to act. They formed the Coalition for Health Research in British Columbia to facilitate unity in planning and action, so they could speak effectively with one voice and a common vision. Chaired by Dr. Aubrey Tingle, a research leader at the University of British Columbia and Children's & Women's Health Centre of British Columbia, the Coalition consulted widely in the health research community. They reached consensus and documented their recommendations in Building a BC Health Research Strategy - a vision and plan for restoring BC's competitiveness.
- Create a health research organization with the leadership and mandate to build a strong health research environment in British Columbia
- Significantly increase provincial investment in health research through the new organization, with a multi-year funding commitment to support effective, long term planning and development
- Balance funds across needs
- Across and within three priority support programs (human resources, network infrastructure and new opportunities)
- Across and within the clinical, biomedical, health services and population health research sectors
- Balance funds across three strategic objectives
- Improving health
- Securing more federal health research funds
- Supporting the development of BC's knowledge based economy
- Work with partners in all sectors to create a permanent and stable health research funding source through a provincial endowment (e.g. BC Legacy Fund)
In 2001, the Government of British Columbia announced a $110 million grant to establish the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research as the vehicle for implementing the Coalition's vision and plan. The Foundation was named to honour Dr. Michael Smith, a world renowned health scientist who was BC's first Nobel Prize recipient.
In February 2005, the provincial government further endorsed MSFHR's mandate with a commitment to provide $100 million to the Foundation before March 2008, with a first installment of $30 million provided in March 2005.
