Media Centre - Backgrounders

The Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research (MSFHR) was established in 2001 to provide leadership and funding programs to advance clinical, biomedical, health services and population health research in British Columbia.

MSFHR acts as a provincial, third party catalyst that engages the health research community, government, and other stakeholders to address the needs and opportunities for health research in BC. MSFHR also supports health research in BC through its own extensive funding and awards programs.

The Foundation was named to honour Dr. Michael Smith, a world renowned health scientist who was BC's first Nobel Prize recipient.

Mission, Vision and Role
History
Health Research Environment

Mission, Vision and Role

Mission
The Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research leads, partners and serves as a catalyst to build British Columbia's capacity for excellence in clinical, biomedical, health services and population health research.

Vision
The Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research:

works to create a vibrant and sustainable British Columbian health research environment that is recognized for excellence and:

has the human resources, infrastructure and research space to compete effectively for national and international funding across all sectors;
anticipates and responds to BC health needs; and
builds the BC economy;

networks for critical mass across Western Canada, nationally and internationally.

Role
As British Columbia's provincially-mandated health research organization, the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research builds BC's capacity for excellence in health research by:

leading, partnering and serving as a catalyst to advance provincial, inter-provincial and national initiatives that expand health research support and opportunities;
working with health research stakeholders to identify, prioritize and respond to provincial priorities; and
delivering innovative programs to address the key building blocks of a vibrant, sustainable research effort.

History
In March 2001, the Government of British Columbia announced a $110 million grant to establish the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research. MSFHR's five-year mandate is to carry out the vision and plan of the Coalition for Health Research in British Columbia.

The Coalition – a voluntary alliance of health research stakeholders – had come together in 1998 to address BC's diminishing ability to compete for national health research dollars. Its recommendations for rebuilding BC's competitiveness were developed in consultation with the broad health research community and outlined in Building a BC Health Research Strategy.

Today, members of the original Coalition, as well as many other individuals and organizations with an interest in BC health research, continue to lend their support and guidance to MSFHR. Their contributions were instrumental in the development and presentation of a plan to government that built the case for moving forward beyond 2006. In February 2005, the Government of British Columbia announced a commitment of $100 million, to be provided to MSFHR before March 2008. A first installment of $30 million was provided in March 2005.

Health Research Environment
Canada is currently enjoying unprecedented national support for Canadian health research:

In 2000, the Government of Canada created the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) as its flagship program for health research funding (replacing the Medical Research Council). In the years since its creation, CIHR's budget has doubled, reaching $662 million for 2004-2005.
Since 1997, the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) has invested almost $665 million in infrastructure for health sciences research. Funds are invested in partnership with eligible institutions and their funding partners from the public, private, and voluntary sectors.
There are more than 50 provincial and national agencies currently providing health research funding.

Since the majority of health research funding is granted through competitions based on research excellence and potential, the provinces best positioned to take advantage of these new opportunities are those with well-established health research communities with strong provincial support (e.g. Ontario, Quebec and Alberta). To effectively compete for federal funding, BC must have the capacity to recruit, retain and train a critical mass of excellent health researchers within a strong, supportive environment.