2023–24 Departmental Results Report: Raison d'être, mandate and role: who we are and what we do
Raison d’être
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is the Government of Canada's health research investment agency. It was created in June 2000 by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Act with a mandate "to excel, according to internationally accepted standards of scientific excellence, in the creation of new knowledge and its translation into improved health for Canadians, more effective health services and products and a strengthened Canadian health care system."
CIHRʼs mandate seeks to transform health research in Canada in an ethically sound manner by:
- Funding both investigator-initiated and priority driven research;
- Building research capacity in under-developed areas and training the next generation of health researchers; and,
- Focusing on knowledge translation that facilitates the application of the results of research and their transformation into new policies, practices, procedures, products, and services.
Mandate and role
CIHR integrates research through a unique interdisciplinary structure made up of 13 “virtual” Institutes. These Institutes are not “bricks and mortar” buildings but, rather, communities of experts in specific areas. Collectively, the Institutes support a broad spectrum of research: biomedical, clinical, health systems and services, and the social, cultural, and environmental factors that affect the health of populations. Institutes form national research networks linking researchers, funders, and knowledge users across Canada in order to work collaboratively on priority areas.
As Canada’s federal health research funding agency, CIHR makes an essential contribution to the Minister of Health’s overall responsibilities by funding the research and knowledge translation needed to inform the evolution of Canadian health policy and regulation, and by taking an advisory role on research and innovation issues. This is achieved through an extensive and growing set of linkages with Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada, providing decision makers with access to high-quality and timely health research outcomes and results.
CIHR also works closely with the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), the two granting councils of the Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) portfolio, to share information and coordinate efforts, harmonize practices, avoid duplication and foster multidisciplinary research. The three organizations (referred to as “Tri-Agency”) provide a channel for the implementation of common policies, practices, and approaches, whenever possible.
CIHR’s Governing Council (GC) sets the strategic directions of the Agency and is responsible for evaluating its performance. Leadership on research and knowledge translation is provided by Science Council (SC), while leadership on corporate policy and management is provided by the Senior leadership Committee (SLC).
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