We understand that our current policy of requiring research institutions to wait until the Minister of Health has announced CIHR funding before they can proceed with efforts to promote research projects makes it a challenge to plan and carry out communications activities in a timely manner. As our partners in the health research community, we want you to feel free to promote the enormously valuable work that your researchers are doing in a timeframe that supports your communication objectives.

We raised this issue with our Minister's Office, and while things are always subject to change, we have agreed that from now on research institutions will be allowed to promote CIHR-funded grants and awards once the funding decisions have been posted on the CIHR website. This applies to all funding decisions currently posted on our website. With this new approach, we hope to invigorate all our efforts to communicate the value of health research to Canadians.

As always, in planning promotional activities and preparing communications materials, we ask you to: 

• Provide CIHR with advance notice of communications activities (e.g., news releases, articles, events) related to CIHR-funded research projects. We appreciate notice of five business days, if possible. You can notify CIHR by sending an email message to universityrelations@cihr-irsc.gc.ca.
• Acknowledge CIHR support in all communications materials.
• Provide CIHR with the opportunity to insert a quote from a CIHR spokesperson in news releases and other communications materials.
•  Invite CIHR to speak at events designed to promote CIHR-funded projects or initiatives.

CIHR will be consulting on an ongoing basis with our Minister's Office to identify potential funding announcements and special events. We will contact you if we propose to make an announcement or hold an event involving researchers at your institution.

If you have any questions, please contact Andrew McColgan at 613-946-0927 or andrew.mccolgan@cihr-irsc.gc.ca.

Sincerely,

Karen Spierkel
Director, Marketing and Communications
Canadian Institutes of Health Research