Fifteen years ago, Dr Henry Friesen reiterated his vision for the freshly created Canadian Institutes of Health Research. The former president of CIHR’s predecessor, the Medical Research Council, boldly stated that “a one-billion CIHR is possible and defensible” — a target determined by allocating 1% of health care costs to medical and health research (R$, April 21/00).
Nine years later, with CIHR’s budget approaching $1 billion, healthcare costs had skyrocketed from $100 billion to $170 billion. That prompted CIHR president Dr Alain Beaudet to use the same 1% guideline to make the case for a budget boost to $1.7 billion (R$, October 26/09).
That never happened. Instead, CIHR’s budget stagnated at the $1-billion level. Factor in six years of inflation and its budget has shrunk significantly. The impact of that deterioration in funding power is evident throughout the health research ecosystem.
Plans for international collaboration and joint programs with relevant players such as Genome Canada and the other granting councils have only been partially realized. Most disturbingly, success rates for foundational operating grants have fallen to record lows, leaving scores of excellent research proposals unfunded.
Fifteen years after its formation, CIHR remains a relevant and potent player in Canada’s health research ecosystem. Its new strategic plan (see page 4) maps out the potential for even greater progress than it has achieved to date. As health care costs continue to escalate and the nation’s population ages, it’s time to give CIHR the fiscal ability to tackle challenges in a forceful and effective manner.
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