Consultation on the RHF and on a joint initiative between the CFI and CIHR

Consultation on the Research Hospital Fund and on a joint initiative
between the CFI and CIHR for Clinical Research

To address today’s and tomorrow’s health challenges, support is needed for research that will lead to groundbreaking discoveries and knowledge that can be translated quickly and effectively into improved health for Canadians, more effective health services and products, and a better health care system.

In response to this need, the Government of Canada allocated $500M in 2003 to the CFI under the Research Hospital Fund (RHF). These funds are to be committed by April 2008. In the fall of 2004, the CFI made its first awards. Last winter, the CFI consulted with various stakeholders on the design of the RHF for the remaining funding. The proposed approach was well received.

The CFI and the CIHR are also joining forces to support clinical research to enhance and ensure the timely translation of research results–a common objective being pursued by both the CIHR and the CFI. The joint CIHR-CFI initiative is a response to the needs identified by the clinical research community during extensive consultations held over the past two years.

Over the last few months, there have been discussions between the Government of Canada and the provincial governments about the RHF, in particular with respect to the terms and conditions of the awards made in the fall of 2004. On October 7, 2005, Industry Canada and the provincial governments’ representatives responsible for Innovation reached an agreement on the approach to be used for the Round 1 awards. As part of this agreement, federal and provincial Deputy Ministers responsible for Innovation will meet in the near future to discuss all matters related to Round 2 of the RHF.

In July, the CFI and CIHR posted on their websites a tentative schedule for proceeding with the next Calls. Given the time required for reaching an agreement on Round 1, we did not circulate in September draft Calls for Proposals as originally planned. Now that an agreement has been reached, we are proceeding with a consultation on draft Calls for Proposals for the 2^nd round in the context of the terms and conditions of the CFI Funding Agreement with Industry Canada. Our intent is to contribute to the ongoing dialogue on the second round in parallel with the discussions to be held between Industry Canada and the provincial representatives.

The draft Calls for Proposals are not definitive, but rather are meant to provide a model to stimulate creative ideas, and an opportunity for further discussion between all stakeholders. We welcome your comments on how to design the best possible approach to seize the opportunities and meet the needs of Research Hospitals, and their partners, for the benefit of all Canadians.

The tentative schedule published in July 2005 therefore no longer applies. New timelines for the submission and review of applications will be established once we have finalized the terms and conditions for a future round, following this consultation and discussions between Industry Canada and provincial representatives. In setting the timeline, we will take into account the time required for the preparation of complex proposals.

We look forward to your comments by December 2.

Please send your comments to CIHR_CFI@innovation.ca.

- Download Consultation Document (113KB, PDF format)