Canadian SARS Research Consortium
Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) hit several countries, including Canada, in late 2002 and early 2003. By late March 2003, the disease was spreading in Toronto and time was of the essence in developing a research strategy to complement other public health actions taken to address the disease outbreak. The medical community and general public needed to know: What causes SARS? How can the infectious agent be detected? How can transmission be prevented? What are the most effective treatments for SARS patients? When will a SARS vaccine be available? Canadian scientists quickly responded - a team of researchers from Vancouver, Winnipeg and Toronto was the first to sequence the genome of human SARS coronavirus - the virus now known to cause SARS. But this information alone was not enough to prevent the spread of SARS or to treat SARS patients.The Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR) Institute of Infection and Immunity responded by launching a request for proposals for research to detect the SARS virus, develop treatments, and develop a human SARS vaccine. This initiative was to complement work being carried out in federal and provincial government institutions. In contrast to the usual grant cycle of more than one year, it was within only a few weeks of full peer review that four proposals were funded, creating early momentum for SARS research in Canada. Providing funds rapidly posed a significant challenge, because granting agencies do not usually have money available to fund emergency programs. The Institute of Infection and Immunity initially launched the request for proposals with $250,000 from its own development grant and rapidly established partnerships with various stakeholders, so that the funds available to the successful applicants grew to a total of $1.7 million. Further requests for applications in social, behavioural and public health issues concerning SARS were launched by other CIHR institutes and partners and funded in early 2004.
To develop a cohesive research program, the CIHR and its Institute of Infection and Immunity played a leadership role in establishing the Canadian SARS Research Consortium (CSRC) in June 2003. Composed of individuals from the scientific, medical and business communities and from funding bodies and public health agencies, the CSRC identified gaps and coordinated the SARS research effort.