Dr. Alan Bernstein

CIHR president comments on panel report

Dr. Alan Bernstein

Earlier this year, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), as required by its legislation and its commitment to accountability, underwent an open international review of our first five years of operation. The review was carried out by a distinguished international 27-member panel of the world's leading health scientists, chaired by professor John Bell of Oxford University.

Last month, CIHR released the Report of the International Review Panel, to share with researchers, stakeholder and policy makers the panel in depth examination of all aspects of CIHR. The review, and the report, are a clear demonstration of CIHR's commitment to transparency and accountability, by measuring performance and reporting publicly on the value of health research. They provide a model of how a review of a research agency can and should be conducted.

The review panel gathered in Ottawa for three days, earlier this year. Armed beforehand with considerable statistical and other information, a narrative on CIHR's progress, and documentation on the 13 institutes, panel members met met with more than 100 young and established investigators, senior university officials, partners from the provinces, health sector administrators, health charities, and industry; the scientific directors; members of the institute advisory boards; CIHR staff; and government officials. The result is a thoughtful and thorough report that applauds CIHR for its achievements, makes incisive observations about the challenges and opportunities we face, and makes several suggestions of future directions for us to consider as we move toward our next stage of evolution.

Indeed, the panel notes that Canada is setting an example to the world, pointing out that the March 2006 decision ,, to merge the United Kingdom's Medical Research Council and Department of Health Research and Development Unit is testimony to the compelling vision of CIHR. The panel states: "Few places in the world have the quality of health researchers, the universal health care system, the university structure and the mandate to put together a program such as that being developed by the CIHR."

Making changes based on the panel observations will have implications for CIHR and for health research. Given the complexity of the issues raised by the panel observations, we intend to take the time necessary to deliberate and reflect on each of the observations before taking action. This process will be iterative and will involve discussion, analysis and consultation before we arrive at actions for implementation.

The report covers a wide range of topics, including governance and management, research programs, knowledge translation (including commercialization), ethics, evaluation and communications. The report also comments on the complex funding landscape for health research in Canada.

STRONG CONFIRMATION

I view the report as strong confirmation of the broad directions that CIHR set six years ago: to be an inclusive, outcomes-driven organization based on scientific excellence and focused on important health challenges and scientific opportunities. The review panel recognizes CIHR's focus on outcomes, multi-disciplinarity and teamwork as ground-breaking. At the same time, the panel notes the challenges CIHR faces, given the diversity, differing needs and perspectives of the many research communities across Canada.

The panel also outlines that governance and accountability will be crucial to the next phase of CIHR's evolution. CIHR's rapid growth, the maturing of its 13 institutes, and the increased diversity of the funding programs now available for research, training and knowledge translation, require a consideration of the evolving role of CIHR's governing council and management.

The creation of CIHR's 13 institutes has unleashed a tidal wave of energy and creativity. The review panel commends the performance of the institutes in galvanizing the research community, developing strategic initiatives and building a new and innovative foundation for the conduct of research. The panel feels that the energy and innovation of the institutes should permeate all of CIHR's programs, particularly the open grants competition. Our challenge will be to consider this important observation in a way that allows us to seize the opportunities noted in the report, while ensuring that CIHR's organizational and unifying strengths are enhanced by the content and outreach capacity of the 13 institutes.

KNOWLEDGE TRANSLATION

The panel report also notes the opportunities for knowledge translation in Canada. There is significant potential in the research that CIHR funds to affect the health of Canadians, strengthen our health care system and contribute to the economic growth of the country. Knowledge translation will play an increasingly important role in the next phase of CIHR's evolution. Comments are also made in the report with respect to CIHR's ethics mandate. CIHR is committed to supporting research in ethics and will continue to augment its leadership role in this area.

So what are the next steps? Discussions begin in earnest at CIHR's governing council retreat in August. We are anxious to receive input from the research community, our partners and other stakeholders. This input will start immediately, with meetings of institute advisory boards over the next few months. We will solicit initially the views of our grants panels on the suggestions in the report, particularly as they pertain to the role of the institutes in the open grants competition. Together, they represent more than 2,000 members of Canada's health research community.

This review is a landmark for CIHR and for Canada - in the manner in which it was carried out, in the promise it brings to all those who have helped build this unique organization over the past five years and in its constructive advice and recommendations regarding our future.

The Government of Canada is currently developing a policy framework for science and technology. I believe that the integrity of the review process and the panel report position CIHR and health research well in these discussions.

We are committed to building a CIHR that will be a model for the world, designed to address the needs and aspirations of the health research community and of all Canadians. The international review panel report is part of that commitment.

Dr. Alan Bernstein is president of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.