CIHR Annual Report 2011–12: The Measure of Success

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Providing Stewardship and Accountability

CIHR Governing Council

CIHR reports to Parliament through the Minister of Health. Its Governing Council comprises 18 Canadians who have been appointed by Order in Council to renewable three-year terms. Council members represent a wide range of backgrounds and disciplines, reflecting CIHR's broad mandate and vision.

CIHR Institutes

CIHR is composed of 13 innovative Institutes. These Institutes bring together all partners in the research process – those who fund research, those who carry it out and those who use its results – to share ideas and focus on what Canadians need: good health and the means to prevent and fight diseases when they happen.

Each Institute is headed by a Scientific Director who is a leader in his or her field. Scientific Directors receive guidance from their Institute Advisory Boards, made up of volunteers from all areas of the health research community.

CIHR Institute of Aboriginal Peoples' Health (CIHR-IAPH)

CIHR-IAPH fosters the advancement of a national health research agenda to improve and promote the health of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples in Canada through research, knowledge translation and capacity building. Our pursuit of research excellence is enhanced by respect for community research priorities and Indigenous knowledge, values and cultures.

CIHR Institute of Aging (CIHR-IA)

As Canada's population ages, there is a growing need to transform longer life expectancy into optimal health and to improve care for elderly people facing health challenges. That is why CIHR-IA supports a wide range of health research, including initiatives on mobility in aging, health systems and services for an aging population, and the International Collaborative Research Strategy on Alzheimer's Disease and related disorders. We aim to facilitate the exchange of new knowledge around the challenges and the opportunities of caring for our aging population.

CIHR Institute of Cancer Research (CIHR-ICR)

CIHR-ICR supports cancer research based on internationally accepted standards of excellence, which bears on preventing and treating cancer and improving the health and quality of life of cancer patients and survivors across Canada. Our strategic research priorities span the continuum of cancer and currently focus on the following: lifestyle, environment and cancer; diagnosis and guided therapy, towards personalized medicine; cancer initiation and progression; and survivorship.

CIHR Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health (CIHR-ICRH)

Heart, lung and blood vessel diseases are the major health burdens facing Canadians – yet if we understood how our genes, the environment and our behaviour interplay to cause these common illnesses, they might be preventable. Furthermore, advances in knowledge and technology have the potential for improving our ability to prevent, diagnose and treat these conditions. CIHR-ICRH is dedicated to supporting career development, research infrastructure and excellence in research programs and projects toward achieving these goals.

CIHR Institute of Gender and Health (CIHR-IGH)

CIHR-IGH fosters research excellence regarding the influence of gender and sex on the health of women and men throughout life, and applies these research findings to identify and address pressing health challenges. Accounting for gender and sex in health research supports the design of interventions and programs to improve the health of everybody.

CIHR Institute of Genetics (CIHR-IG)

CIHR-IG supports research on the human and other genomes and on all aspects of genetics, basic biochemistry and cell biology. New advances in genetics and genomics, and in the understanding of how cells work, pose challenges to our health care system and often raise complex ethical, legal and social issues. CIHR-IG is addressing these challenges to develop solutions that benefit Canadians.

CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research (CIHR-IHSPR)

CIHR-IHSPR is helping the country meet the challenge of making high-quality health care available to all those who need it, when and where they need it, while also ensuring that Canada's health care system is responsive, efficient and sustainable. We do so by fostering research excellence and innovation, supporting the brightest minds and catalyzing the application of research findings to policies, practices and programs that provide real-world benefits.

CIHR Institute of Human Development, Child and Youth Health (CIHR-IHDCYH)

CIHR-IHDCYH promotes and supports research that improves the health and development of mothers, infants, children, youth and families in Canada and throughout the world. Through our support, researchers address a wide range of health concerns, including those associated with reproduction, early development, childhood and adolescence.

CIHR Institute of Infection and Immunity (CIHR-III)

Through our strategic initiatives, CIHR-III supports research and helps to build research capacity in the areas of infectious disease and the immune system. Our programs address a wide range of health concerns including antibiotic resistance, the human microbiome, hepatitis C, HIV/AIDS, pandemic influenza, transplantation, inflammation in chronic disease and vaccine technologies. These initiatives focus on various aspects of disease development and progression mechanisms, disease prevention and treatment and health promotion through public policy.

CIHR Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis (CIHR-IMHA)

Move It or Lose It! Musculoskeletal (MSK) health, including muscle, joint and bone health, is dependent on optimal amounts of physical activity. MSK disorders such as osteoporosis and arthritis can limit mobility and ability to be physically active, creating a vicious circle of inactivity and MSK degeneration. CIHR-IMHA is working to better understand and treat MSK (including skin and oral) diseases and injury and to improve the health of Canadians by focusing on our flagship theme of physical activity.

CIHR Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction (CIHR-INMHA)

From diseases of the central nervous system, to addiction, to mental ill health, to the five senses through which we interpret the world, CIHR-INMHA is concerned with discovering how the brain works and with seeking new ways of using this knowledge to improve the treatment of brain-related illnesses, which are recognized internationally as leading causes of life-long disability.

CIHR Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes (CIHR-INMD)

CIHR-INMD supports research that addresses the causes, prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment and palliation of a wide range of conditions associated with hormone, digestive system, kidney and liver function. CIHR-INMD has identified four strategic priorities that will guide the Institute from 2010 to 2014: food and health; continuum of care; environments, genes and chronic disease; and seeking solutions to obesity.

CIHR Institute of Population and Public Health (CIHR-IPPH)

CIHR-IPPH supports innovative research and knowledge translation to understand the processes, system elements and impacts of multi-level program and policy interventions on health improvements in Canada and globally. This renewed focus requires researchers and other stakeholders to explore pathways to health equity and population health ethics so that all people can reach their full health potential regardless of gender, race or socioeconomic status.

CIHR Executive Management Team

CIHR's Executive Management Team provides leadership and decision making for strategic, corporate policy and management areas that support and contribute to the strategic directions set out by the Governing Council.

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