Nearly all of CIHR's Major Strategic Initiatives involve collaboration between two or more of CIHR's Institutes as well as partnerships with organizations that include other federal and provincial government departments and agencies, national and provincial funding organizations and relevant territorial departments, health charities, non-governmental organizations, and industry. Their purpose is to offer strategic funding opportunities focusing on a specific research agenda. In the case of four key strategic priorities, CIHR's Governing Council has specifically endorsed a joint, cross-cutting effort involving all thirteen Institutes.

CIHR's Major Strategic Initiatives

• Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA)
  The CLSA is one of CIHR's Large Strategic Initiatives. The fundamental goal of this initiative is to mobilize experts in the community to generate a longitudinal research platform based on a protocol developed through expert advice and three international peer reviews.
• CIHR and Global Health Research (GHR)
  Global health research is a term used to refer to health issues related to the low income countries of the world and, more broadly, the health, health-system and health policy challenges of disadvantaged populations around the world. In the areas of health and health research, this group of countries faces significant challenges, many of which are different than those faced by high income and even middle income nations. In 2002, CIHR recognized this by identifying global health research as a major cross-Institute initiative. In keeping with Canada's commitment to contribute to health-related Millennium Development Goals established by the United Nations, CIHR is engaged in a broad range of global health research activities such as the Global Health Research Initiative (GHR) and more.
• Clinical Research Initiative (CRI)
  The Clinical Research Initiative is CIHR's response to a clear need and opportunity to strengthen clinical research in Canada. Since 2001, CIHR has led a process of national consultation, needs identification, and partnership building. There is a widespread consensus that clinical research has not kept pace with the advances in biomedical research and that there is an increasing gap between basic discoveries and their application to the understanding, treatment and prevention of human disease.
• Drug Safety and Effectiveness Network (DSEN)
  The Drug Safety and Effectiveness Network (DSEN) is being established to increase the evidence on the post-market safety and effectiveness of drugs available to decision makers across the Canadian health care system and to increase capacity within Canada to undertake high-quality research in this area. CIHR, in partnership with Health Canada, is establishing the Network as part of the Government of Canada's Food and Consumer Safety Action Plan (FCSAP).
• Regenerative Medicine and Nanomedicine Initiative (RMNI)
  The Regenerative Medicine and Nanomedicine Initiative (RMNI) is a major long-term CIHR initiative, co-led by the Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction and the Institute of Genetics. RMNI and its partners provide support for research in nanomedicine, gene therapy, stem cells, tissue engineering, and rehabilitation sciences. The fundamental goal of this initiative is the development of meaningful multi-disciplinary research approaches to regenerative medicine and nanomedicine. This necessitates the integration of the physical, engineering, computational and chemical sciences, among others, with the health sciences. These approaches need to balance consideration of the social, cultural and ethical impacts of these novel technologies with key rehabilitation and accessibility issues, as well as the potential economic costs of such treatments. Research into the maintenance of health or prevention of disease and degeneration is also encompassed by this initiative.
• Strategic Training Initiative in Health Research (STIHR)
  The Strategic Training Initiative in Health Research (STIHR) was implemented by CIHR as a way for Canada to increase its competitiveness internationally in attracting new, bright, creative research talent and to ensure innovation and excellence in the next generation of Canadian health research training programs. Through the STIHR, individual training programs receive funding primarily targeted towards supporting research trainees through stipends. Funding for these training programs is provided by CIHR and its partners in the government, voluntary and private sectors.

Other Joint Initiatives of CIHR's Institutes

(This is not a complete lisiting of CIHR's initiatives. For complete details relating to Institute activity, please refer to CIHR Institutes.)

• Canadian Tobacco Control Research Initiative
• Early Life Events and First Episodes of Brain Disorders
• Excellence Innovation and Advancement in the Study of Obesity and Healthy Body Weight
• Genetic and Environmental Interactions in Determining Health and Disease in Canada
• HIV/AIDS Research Program
• Intentional and Unintentional Injury, Repair and Rehabilitation Initiative
• National Research Priorities for the Environmental Influences on Health
• Official Language Minority Communities (OLMC)
• Reducing Health Disparities and Promoting the Health of Vulnerable Populations
• Reducing Health Disparities Initiative
• Regional Partnerships Program
• Research in Addictions: Innovative Approaches in Health Research
• Rural and Remote Health (RRH) Initiative