HIV/AIDS Research Initiative Strategic plan 2008-2013 - Appendices
Appendix A: About the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Institute of Infection and Immunity
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is the federal agency responsible for health research leadership and funding in Canada. The CIHR mandate is "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" (Bill C-13, April 13, 2000).
CIHR is organized around 13 Institutes that are mandated to support health research across four domains: biomedical, clinical, health systems and services, and population and public health. Each Institute is led by a Scientific Director, who is an internationally recognized leader in their field. The Scientific Director receives guidance from an Institute Advisory Board (IAB) composed of volunteers from all areas of the health research community, including those who fund research, those who carry it out and those who use its results. Institutes are formally accountable to the President of CIHR, and, through the Minister of Health, to Parliament.
The 13 Institutes share responsibility for achieving the CIHR mandate. The CIHR approach to supporting health research is broad, inclusive and unique worldwide.
The CIHR vision is to position Canada as a world leader in the creation and use of knowledge through health research that benefits Canadians and the global community. In pursuit of its mandate and vision, CIHR seeks five key outcomes: outstanding research; outstanding researchers in innovative environments; transforming health research into action; effective partnerships and public engagement; and organizational excellence.
Since 2000, the Institute of Infection and Immunity has had a mandate to develop and coordinate infection and immunity research on behalf of CIHR and ensure that research results are translated and applied to improving the health and quality of life of Canadians. The Institute's strategic plan (2007-2012) envisions the Institute as a catalyst for the development of infection and immunity research areas that have long-term potential for significant health, social and economic impact.
The mission of the Institute is to provide national leadership, priorities and programs that promote novel infection and immunity research.
The vision of the Institute is to be an internationally-recognized innovator in support of infection and immunity research and a catalyst for the translation of new knowledge for global impact.
The values that guide Institute decisions, strategies and actions are excellence, innovation, collaboration, transparency and accountability.
Consistent with its mission, vision and values, the Institute will focus investments from 2007 to 2012 in five areas, one of which is HIV/AIDS. Areas of strategic research focus over the next five years are:
- Emerging Infections and Microbial Resistance: Solutions from innovation in tools and technologies
- HIV/AIDS: From prevention and therapy to addressing global health challenges
- Immunotherapy: New approaches through systems biology
- Pandemic Influenza Preparedness: Prevention, therapy and public health challenges
- Vaccines of the 21st Century: Integrating innate and adaptive immunity and novel vaccine technologies.
While HIV/AIDS research is relevant to all 13 CIHR Institutes, the Institute of Infection and Immunity acts as the CIHR lead overseeing the allocation of HIV/AIDS research funding provided by the Federal Initiative to Address HIV/AIDS in Canada.
In the context of its investments in the five areas of strategic focus, the Institute will pursue the following strategic goals, 2007-2012:
- Encourage and support high-quality research in infection and immunity that contributes important knowledge and new insights relevant to human health
- Foster and sustain innovative environments to attract, train and retain high quality research personnel across the spectrum of disciplines contributing to the achievement of the Institute's research mandate
- Encourage and facilitate knowledge translation in all fields and sectors related to the Institute mandate
- Develop and maintain effective partnerships that benefit research domains of the Institute
- Maintain and enhance organizational excellence through effective planning, communication and collaboration.
Over the next five years, the Institute aims to provide national leadership in enabling research excellence, leverage relationships and partnerships to promote innovation, and facilitate national and international research impacts through knowledge translation and communication. Across the full spectrum of its funding portfolio, the Institute of Infection and Immunity seeks to invest in health research that will improve and sustain the health of Canadians and contribute to reducing the global burden of disease.
Appendix B: About The Federal Initiative to Address HIV/AIDS in Canada: Strengthening Federal Action in the Canadian Response to HIV/AIDS
Building on recommendations from the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health, lessons learned from past federal HIV/AIDS strategies, and stakeholder and provincial/territorial consultations, in May 2004, the Government of Canada announced a doubling of HIV/AIDS annual funding from $42.2 million to $84.4 million by 2008-09.
The subsequent release of The Federal Initiative to Address HIV/AIDS in Canada: Strengthening Federal Action in the Canadian Response to HIV/AIDS in late 2004 represented the Government of Canada's response to a pan-Canadian call for a more strategic approach to HIV/AIDS in Canada. The Federal Initiative envisions unprecedented engagement, increased collaboration and enhanced planning across a broad cross-section of organizations and individuals sharing a vision of ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic. A broadly based national consensus position on the optimal response to HIV/AIDS in Canada was detailed in the 2005 report Leading Together: An HIV/AIDS Action Plan for All Canada.
The official launch of The Federal Initiative in January 2005 signalled a renewed and strengthened federal role in the Canadian response to HIV/AIDS. The Federal Initiative - a partnership of the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Health Canada and Correctional Service of Canada - works toward a Canada free from HIV/AIDS and the underlying conditions that make Canadians vulnerable to the epidemic.
The four federal partners in the Federal Initiative collaborate with other federal departments and agencies, other levels of government, non-governmental organizations, researchers and other stakeholders to achieve the following goals:
- Prevent the acquisition and transmission of new infections;
- Slow the progression of the disease and improve quality of life;
- Reduce the social and economic impact of HIV/AIDS; and
- Contribute to the global effort to reduce the spread of HIV and mitigate the impact of the disease.
Figure 1, below, provides a summary of the distribution of Federal Initiative resources across the four federal partner departments and agencies for 2008-09.
The Federal Initiative to Address HIV/AIDS in Canada identifies five areas for increased federal action and investment:
Program and Policy Interventions ($35.4 million)
Enhanced national and front-line HIV/AIDS programs will be evidence-based and aligned with the regional characteristics of the epidemic and the specific needs of vulnerable populations. Programs will be established to improve front-line capacity to deliver population-specific education and prevention initiatives and to increase access to care, treatment and support.
Knowledge Development ($31.9 million)
Knowledge development will be enhanced to improve understanding of the HIV epidemic and inform the development of policies, programs and interventions, such as new prevention technologies and therapies. The focus will be on improving population-specific surveillance; epidemiological, socio-behavioural, ethnographic and community-based research; and biomedical and clinical research, including clinical trials. New knowledge transfer opportunities will be established.
Communications and Social Marketing ($4.7 million)
National and front-line communications and social marketing activities will be expanded to improve Canadians' knowledge of HIV, address community and societal attitudes and reduce the stigma and discrimination that fuel the epidemic. National public awareness campaigns will be developed to raise awareness in the general population and encourage people to access HIV/AIDS programs.
Coordination, Planning, Evaluation and Reporting ($10.2 million)
Coordination, planning, evaluation and reporting will be enhanced to optimize both the federal and pan-Canadian responses to the epidemic and the use of resources. The focus will be on supporting the implementation of Leading Together and the development of issue-specific plans (for example, vaccines and population-specific approaches) and an evaluation strategy for the Federal Initiative. Integral to this will be mechanisms that enhance the engagement of people living with and vulnerable to HIV/AIDS.
Global Engagement ($2.2 million)
Global engagement activities will be strengthened to demonstrate the Government of Canada's commitment to a global response to HIV/AIDS. The focus will be on partnerships that increase Canada's contribution of technical and policy support and health sector experience and knowledge, promoting learning between the domestic and international responses, and that ensure policy coherence and alignment of federal activities. Opportunities will be developed to encourage Canadian researchers to collaborate in international initiatives.
Figure 2 illustrates the allocation of Federal Initiative funding by area of action and investment 2008-09.
As the Government of Canada's agency for health research, CIHR provides leadership and direction for the Federal Initiative's investments in extramural research. The CIHR Institute of Infection and Immunity leads the CIHR HIV/AIDS Research Initiative and the identification of research priorities and development of collaborative research initiatives to reduce the burden of HIV/AIDS domestically and internationally.
These efforts are guided by the CIHR HIV/AIDS Research Advisory Committee (CHARAC), whose membership ensures that the HIV/AIDS Research Initiative is led by a group of individuals that collectively possesses in-depth knowledge of all aspects of HIV/AIDS and which encourages communication between CIHR Institutes and stakeholders interested in HIV/AIDS research.
Recognizing the breadth of research required to combat the HIV epidemic, the Federal Initiative supports biomedical, clinical, health services, population health and community-based research streams. Federal Initiative funds also support Canadian HIV clinical research infrastructure.
Figure 3 illustrates the allocation of CIHR's share of Federal Initiative funding by research stream for 2008 and beyond.
Finally, Figure 4 provides an overall organizational perspective on the relationship among the key federal partners and related CIHR lead and advisory bodies.
Figure 4: Key Partnerships and Roles Within The Federal Initiative to Address HIV/AIDS in Canada
Appendix C: A Chronology of the Development of Canada's CIHR HIV/AIDS Research Strategy
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Chronology of the Development of Canada’s CIHR HIV/AIDS Research Strategy | ||
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When |
What |
Significance to HIV/AIDS Research |
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March 1982 |
First cases of AIDS reported in Canada |
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1980s |
A number of national AIDS non-governmental organizations are established |
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1983 |
HIV virus isolated at the Pasteur Institute |
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1983 |
Canada forms a National Task Force on AIDS |
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1986 |
Federal Centre for AIDS established within the Health Protection Branch of Health Canada |
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1989 |
Canadian researchers discover the anti-HIV activity of the drug 3TC |
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1990 |
National AIDS Strategy launched with $37.3 million per year |
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1990 |
Canadian Association for HIV Research (CAHR) established |
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1990 |
Establishment of Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange (CATIE) |
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1993 |
National AIDS Strategy renewed for five years |
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1996 |
Potent combination of anti-viral drugs developed that significantly prolongs the lives of people with HIV/AIDS and diminishes complications |
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May 1998 |
Canadian Strategy on HIV/AIDS (CSHA) launched |
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1998 |
National Health Research and Development Program (NHRDP) administers three extramural research funding streams |
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1998 |
Medical Research Council (MRC) administers one extramural research funding stream |
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2000 |
NHRDP CBR program introduces Aboriginal and General CBR Capacity-Building streams |
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June 2000 |
Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) established |
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2000 |
Canadian Strategy on HIV/AIDS Direction-Setting Meeting (Gray Rocks) |
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2001 |
United Nations General Assembly Special Session Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS published |
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2001 |
Health Canada closes NHRDP program |
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2001 |
An Aboriginal Strategy on HIV/AIDS in Canada for First Nations, Inuit and Métis People released by the Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network |
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April 2002 |
Direction Setting Follow-up Meeting, (Gray Rocks II), Montreal, Quebec |
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2003 |
Health Canada’s multi-sectoral Five-Year Review Advisory Committee issues report Getting Ahead of the Epidemic: The Federal Government Role in the Canadian Strategy on HIV/AIDS, 1998-2008 and House of Commons Standing Committee on Health issues report recommending a strengthened federal role, including research, that would contribute to more effective interventions and improved HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment initiatives for at-risk populations under federal jurisdiction |
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2003 |
CIHR HIV/AIDS Research Advisory Committee (CHARAC) established |
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2004 |
Administration of HIV/AIDS CBR program transferred from Health Canada to CIHR |
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September 2004 |
Creation of the Public Health Agency of Canada |
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Late 2004 |
Federal Initiative to Address HIV/AIDS in Canada released |
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October 2005 |
Leading Together: Canada Takes Action on HIV/AIDS (2005-2010), a multi-sectoral blueprint for Canada’s optimal response to HIV/AIDS, released |
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2005-2006 |
CHARACdevelops research priorities to guide CIHR HIV/AIDS Research Initiative funding decisions |
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February 2007 |
Canadian HIV Vaccine Initiative (CHVI) announced in partnership with the Gates Foundation and the Government of Canada |
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2007 |
CIHR Institute of Infection and Immunity updates strategic plan |
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2008 |
Federal Initiative fully implemented |
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2008 |
A strategic plan 2008-2013 is developed for the HIV/AIDS Research Initiative in consultation with the broader HIV/AIDS community |
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Appendix D: CIHR HIV/AIDS Research Advisory Committee (CHARAC) Membership
Chair
Michael Grant, Professor, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University
CIHR Institute of Aboriginal Peoples' Health
Charlotte Loppie,Assistant Professor, Faculty of Health Professions, Dalhousie University
CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research
Martin Schechter, Professor and Head, Department of Health Care and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia
CIHR Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction
appointment pending
CIHR Institute of Population and Public Health
Catherine Hankins, Chief Scientific Advisor, UNAIDS, Social Mobilisation and Strategic Information
HIV/AIDS Community Representatives
Walter Hiebert, MN, PHA, Vancouver Coastal Health
Sean Hosein, Science and Medicine Editor, Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange
HIV/AIDS Researchers
Aslam Anis, Director, Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences (CHEOS)
Marina Klein, Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, McGill University
Michel Tremblay, Professor, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval
Catherine Worthington, Associate Professor, Social Work, University of Calgary
Ministerial Council on HIV/AIDS
Anita Rachlis, Professor, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto
Public Health Agency of Canada
Nina Arron,Director, HIV/AIDS Policy, Coordination and Programs Division
ex officio
Bhagirath Singh, Scientific Director, CIHR Institute of Infection and Immunity
Bruce Moor, Assistant Director, CIHR Institute of Infection and Immunity
Jennifer Gunning-Team Lead (to January 2008 - on leave)
Andrew Matejcic - Team Lead (from January 2008)
Paula Kirton - Special Advisor
Jennifer Ralph - Program Officer
Suzette Dos Santos- Program Officer
Susan Lalumière - Project Officer
Former CHARAC Members
Jonathan Angel, Professor, Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, 2003-2006
Michel Bergeron, Director, Division of Microbiology and le Centre de recherche en infectiologie de l'université Laval, Chair 2003-2004
Paula Braitstein, Assistant Research Professor in Medicine (Kenya), Indiana University, 2003-2004
iviana Calzavara, Associate Professor, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Toronto, 2003-2006
Rene Lavoie, Coordinator, Coalition des organismes communautaires québécois de lutte contre le sida, 2003-2004
Earl Nowgesic, Associate Director, Institute of Aboriginal Peoples' Health, 2003-2006
Christopher Power, Professor, Department of Medicine (Neurology), University of Alberta, Member and Chair 2003-2007
Rémi Quirion, Scientific Director, Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addictions, 2003-2005
Robb Travers, Scientist and Director of Community-Based Research, Ontario HIV Treatment Network, 2003-2006
Paul Sandstrom, Director, National HIV and Retrovirology Laboratories, Public Health Agency of Canada, 2003-2005
Mark Wainberg, Director, McGill AIDS Centre, 2003-2007
Donald Weaver, Professor, Departments of Chemistry and Medicine, Dalhousie University, 2005-2007
Doug Zochodne,Professor, Clinical Neurosciences, University of Calgary, 2007-2008
Appendix E: CHARAC Terms of Reference
Canadian Institutes of Health Research CIHR HIV/AIDS Research Advisory Committee (CHARAC) Terms of Reference (as at December 2007)
Mandate: The Committee is mandated to make recommendations to the Institute of Infection and Immunity and to the Research Priorities and Planning Committee of CIHR regarding research priorities for HIV/AIDS. It advises the CIHR Institute of Infection and Immunity Advisory Board regarding strategic initiatives in HIV/AIDS research with a view to develop future targeted Requests for Applications (RFA), including those that will be funded through the Federal Initiative to Address HIV/AIDS in Canada.
Roles and Responsibilities: The roles and responsibilities of the CIHR HIV/AIDS Research Advisory Committee are as follows:
- To make recommendations on HIV/AIDS research policies and programs
- To make recommendations to the Institute of Infection and Immunity and to the CIHR Research and Knowledge Translation Committee (RKTC) regarding research priorities for HIV/AIDS
- To act as a champion for HIV/AIDS researchers.
Membership: The CIHR HIV/AIDS Research Advisory Committee is composed of researchers from across the full spectrum of health research, as well as representatives from multiple CIHR Institutes, community organizations, and Federal Initiative partners.
The membership comprises representatives from the following:
1 – Institute of Infection and Immunity
1 – Institute of Aboriginal Peoples’ Health
1 – Institute of Health Services and Policy Research
1 – Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction
1 – Institute of Population and Public Health
4 – Researchers from across the pillars
2 – Community representatives
1 – Ministerial Council on HIV/AIDS
1 – Public Health Agency of Canada
The Scientific Director, CIHR Institute of Infection and Immunity, will sit on the Committee in an ex officio capacity.
Chairmanship: The CIHR HIV/AIDS Research Advisory Committee will be chaired by a representative of the CIHR Institute of Infection and Immunity Advisory Board.
Terms of Appointment: The members will serve on the Committee for two year terms. Rotation will be staggered and a call for nominations will be sent out on the web site.
Meetings: Face-to-face meetings will be conducted three times a year in predetermined locations. Teleconferences will be held on an “as needed” basis.
Quorum: A majority of its members (50% plus 1)
Authority: The CIHR HIV/AIDS Research Advisory Committee is intended to operate in the way it deems will most effectively achieve its objectives. To this end, it has the authority to:
- Create subcommittees and working groups to address HIV/AIDS related issues.
Reporting: The CIHR HIV/AIDS Research Advisory Committee will report, via the Chair to the CIHR Institute of Infection and Immunity Advisory Board and via the Institute Advisory Board and Scientific Director to the CIHR RKTC, which is composed of 13 Institute Scientific Directors, 3 CIHR Vice-Presidents, Director of Ethics, Chief Financial Officer and is chaired by the President. This reporting will ensure that the work of the CIHR HIV/AIDS Research Advisory Committee receives input from all 13 CIHR Institutes.
Evaluation: The terms of reference of the CIHR HIV/AIDS Research Advisory Committee will be reviewed every two years by the Committee.
Appendix F: Strategic Planning Methodology
This strategic plan aims to communicate the strategic goals and objectives that will guide the development of the CIHR Institute of Infection and Immunity HIV/AIDS Research Initiative for the next five years in clear and concise language that allows all stakeholders, including the public, to clearly understand:
- What role the CIHR HIV/AIDS Research Initiative plays within the context of CIHR (mission);
- What it seeks to become (vision);
- The core values and principles that guide its decisions and actions;
- What it has set out to achieve within CIHR key outcome areas (strategic research priorities, and organizational goals and objectives);
- Actions the CIHR HIV/AIDS Research Initiative will take to realize its strategic goals and objectives (tactics); and
- How performance will be assessed.
Research and consultation underpinning the development of this strategic plan include:
Documentation and literature review - Summer 2007
Key informant interviews - Fall 2007
Strategic planning meeting of the CHARAC - October 2007
Stakeholder consultation on the plan - Winter 2007-08
Revisions to the plan - March/April 2008
Final IAB approval of the plan - May 2008
