IMHA On The Move - March 2011

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Table of Contents

A Message from the Scientific Director

Jane AubinWelcome to the March, 2011 edition of IMHA On The Move. March is Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month, and I would like to acknowledge and thank all researchers and stakeholders who are committed to increasing knowledge and awareness of Juvenile Arthritis (JA). JA affects one in 1,000 Canadians under the age of 16, making it one of the most common chronic diseases among Canadian children. At present, there is no cure for this disease, but IMHA-CIHR and other funders are supporting research to improve understanding of risk factors, and identify new diagnostic tools and potential new interventions and therapies.

Inflammation is a crucial factor in JA, but also in many other diseases and conditions under IMHA's mandate. As previously discussed, IMHA, in partnership with four other CIHR Institutes, is leading a Roadmap Signature Initiative in Inflammation in Chronic Disease. In May 2011, IMHA and its initiative partners will convene a consensus conference of researchers and multi-sectoral stakeholders to identify gaps in knowledge of inflammation in chronic disease, and prioritize research questions and directions. I will continue to update the community as plans progress, as well as after the conference takes place.

The Roadmap Signature Initiative in Inflammation in Chronic Disease was one of a number of topics discussed at IMHA's Institute Advisory Board (IAB) meeting that took place in Quebec City on March 10-11, 2011 (see photos below). Other items on the board meeting agenda included other Roadmap Signature Initiatives, performance evaluation, budget allocations for 2011-2012, and IMHA's Operational Plan. We also met with a group of local researchers who raised the issue of how IMHA can improve its dissemination of funding opportunities and other relevant information to our community. We encourage all readers of IMHA's newsletter to share it with others and encourage people to sign up for their own copies. We also welcome your suggestions for how IMHA can improve its communication with our community, and I invite you to share these ideas, by sending an email to imha.iala.cihr.irsc@utoronto.ca.

A report from the IMHA Partnerships and Knowledge Translation Committee at the IAB meeting reminded us of the importance of the Knowledge Exchange Task Force, and the perspective provided by key stakeholders and consumers. I am pleased to announce and welcome IMHA's newest Research Ambassadors: Anna Pileggi, Nadia Prestley, Natalia da Costa, Rosanne M. Kyle, Shirley Hundvik, and Ted McNicol.

May you all enjoy the remainder of March, and the approaching spring weather!

Jane E. Aubin, PhD, Scientific Director Institute
of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis

Institute Advisory Board (IAB) Meeting

Institute Advisory Board (IAB) Meeting

The Institute Advisory Board (IAB) and IMHA staff during discussions at the IAB meeting in Quebec City on March 10-11, 2011
The Institute Advisory Board (IAB) and IMHA staff during discussions
at the IAB meeting in Quebec City on March 10-11, 2011

Ask the Scientific Director

We invite you to send questions that you have about IMHA, to imha.iala.cihr.irsc@utoronto.ca. Each month, this section of the newsletter will feature the answer to one of these questions. Since CIHR is beginning the 9th cycle of renewal of the Institute Advisory Board (IAB) membership, it is a suitable time to address the question: How are IAB members chosen?

Each of CIHR's 13 Institutes has an IAB, comprising individuals who act in an advisory capacity to the Scientific Directors and Governing Council with respect to Institute activities. During membership renewal, Governing Council will appoint on average 1-2 new members to replace members who have completed their terms, and these members will usually serve an initial 3 year term. Terms are renewable for a maximum of two terms. Beginning in 2010, Governing Council began a process to reduce the number of IAB members by one member a year until IAB size is stabilized at 12 members.

During the selection process, Institutes and Governing Council review IAB candidates who submitted applications and strive to select new IAB members who will reflect the diversity of each Institute's mandate and cover:

  1. Research expertise
  2. Community sectors
  3. Additional experience/expertise in such areas as knowledge translation
  4. Demographics

While Institutes make recommendations based on gaps identified on current IAB membership, new members are appointed by Governing Council.

For information on how to apply to become an IAB member, please visit the Other News section of this Newsletter.

Did You Know?

IMHA is one of the co-leads, with the Institute of Neuroscience, Mental Health and Addiction and the Institute of Genetics, of the Regenerative Medicine and Nanomedicine Initiative (RMNI). The RMNI was launched in 2003, and since then has awarded $83 M to 76 projects, including seven research projects announced on 16 March 2011. For more information, please visit the news release and the Other News section of this Newsletter.

Good News Stories

Dr. John O'Keefe discusses learning experience as a knowledge user on a CIHR Knowledge-to-Action grant

Dr. John O'KeefeDr. John O'Keefe has been a dentist for 30 years, and is now a fulltime employee of the Canadian Dental Association (CDA), as the Director of Knowledge Networks. In this role, he is currently transforming the Association's Journal (JCDA) into a clinical decision support resource. He is also a member of the IMHA Partnerships and Knowledge Translation Committee. After becoming a knowledge user for a CIHR Knowledge-to-Action grant application, Dr. O'Keefe took some time to speak with IMHA about this experience.

The researchers involved in this grant want to determine barriers to dentists becoming involved in online study clubs and other learning opportunities. The long-term goal is to establish mechanisms to reduce these barriers. As a knowledge user, Dr. O'Keefe will convene dentists from across the country, who will provide information about the barriers to becoming engaged with learning an online infrastructure. In the future, Dr. O'Keefe may also be involved in working with groups of dentists to pilot proposed mechanisms for reducing these barriers. Dr. O'Keefe has found this to be an excellent experience, and is committed to the project since he has an absolute stake in knowing whether dentists can make success of online learning. Dr. O'Keefe discussed how the knowledge-to-action concept is demonstrated by the fact that he, as a knowledge user, is involved right from the conception of the research project; this ensures that the research will be tangible.

His role on this knowledge-to-action grant is just one way that Dr. O'Keefe is involved in knowledge translation in the dental community. Dr. O'Keefe is convinced that "the old way of producing unidirectional knowledge provision publications is providing the wrong information to practitioners, in the wrong vehicle, at the wrong time." The JCDA is in the process of moving in a new direction, focusing on providing essential knowledge to dental practitioners to be used at appropriate times. Dr. O'Keefe compared the role of the JCDA to that of a GPS device for dentists; they want to provide resources to guide dentists along each step of what to do in a clinical situation. By summarizing articles and gathering information, they can help provide a step-by-step workflow for situations that occur in a dental office.

Dr. O'Keefe encourages others, whether researchers or clinicians, to get involved in knowledge translation and see themselves as part of a bigger picture. As Dr. O'Keefe stated, "the world does not end at your office door". Congratulations, Dr. O'Keefe, and we look forward to hearing about your future knowledge translation activities!

Other News

How to apply to become an IAB member
CIHR is renewing membership for its 13 Institute Advisory Boards (IAB). CIHR accepts IAB applications on a year-round basis. If online applications have been submitted before March 31, 2011, they will be considered for the 9th annual cycle of IAB renewal, while those received at a later date will be considered for the next renewal cycle. For more information on how to apply to become an IAB member, please visit the CIHR website.

CIHR Policy on clinical trial registration
Effective December 20, 2010, CIHR updated its policy on the registration and results disclosure of controlled and uncontrolled trials funded by CIHR, originally based upon the World Health Organization international standards for clinical trial registration. To view the new Policy, which applies to all competitions with application deadlines after January 1, 2011.

Application and Funding Policy News - Nominated Principal Investigators to Begin Reporting on Research Results as of March 31, 2011
As of March 31, 2011, CIHR will be asking Nominated Principal Investigators (NPIs) to begin reporting their research results data via its new Research Reporting System (RRS). The reports will be used for a variety of internal and external purposes, including for CIHR's accountability within the Federal Government and to Canadians for the funds it provides for health research. All NPIs on Open Grants and selected priority announcements where the authority to spend funds expires as of March 31, 2011 or later will have to submit reports via RRS. CIHR will inform the affected NPIs via e-mail on their requirement to complete a report, and the average time to complete a report is expected to be one hour. Where possible, data will be pre-populated to minimize input burden. Linkages with the Common CV and PubMed will be in place by Fall 2011.

Seven new research projects funded through Regenerative Medicine and Nanomedicine Initiative (RMNI)
On March 16, 2011, CIHR and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) announced seven new research projects on regenerative medicine and nanomedicine that will be receiving $16 million in funding. The announcement took place at the University of Toronto, and included comments from representatives from Parliament, CIHR, CSA, and University of Toronto, as well as a Principal Investigator on one of the studies (see photo below). The funded studies cover a wide range of topics, but all focus on regenerative medicine, stimulating the renewal or restoring function of bodily tissues and organs, and/or nanomedicine, the application of nanotechnology to health research. These projects are being funded through the Regenerative Medicine and Nanomedicine Initiative (RMNI), a major initiative of CIHR, on which IMHA is a co-lead.

From left to right: Dr. Gilles Leclerc, Director General of Space Exploration at the Canadian Space Agency; Dr. Colin Carrie, Member of Parliament for Oshawa; Dr. Jane Aubin, Scientific Director of IMHA; Dr. Shana Kelley, Principal Investigator on one of the newly funded studies; and Professor Peter Lewis, Associate Vice President (Research) at the University of Toronto
From left to right: Dr. Gilles Leclerc, Director General of Space Exploration at the Canadian Space Agency; Dr. Colin Carrie, Member of Parliament for Oshawa; Dr. Jane Aubin, Scientific Director of IMHA; Dr. Shana Kelley, Principal Investigator on one of the newly funded studies; and Professor Peter Lewis, Associate Vice President (Research) at the University of Toronto.

Open Operating Grant Program competition results: Frequently Asked Questions
CIHR has developed a Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) document in order to respond to questions about Open Operating Grant Program competition results statistics, and how these results are reported. The first of a series of sets of FAQs is now available online: ARCHIVED - Follow-up to CIHR’s Message to the Health Research Community from the Scientific Council of CIHR Regarding the Open Operating Grant (OOG) Competitions.

National Oral Health Month

April is National Oral Health Month! More information can be found on the Canadian Dental Association website, and our upcoming April newsletter will highlight related work and events.

Upcoming CIHR Events

June 1, 2011
CIHR Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis will host a Café Scientifique on skin health.
Location: TBD, St. John's, NL.

For more information on upcoming Cafés, please visit the CIHR Café Scientifique website.

Meetings of Interest

SLE Update – Toronto Lupus Clinic at 40 (April 2, 2011). Toronto, ON. For more details about this meeting, please visit the meeting website.

Canadian Pain Society Annual Conference (April 13-16, 2011). Niagra Falls, ON. For more details about this conference, please visit the Canadian Pain Society website.

3rd Joint Meeting of the European Calcified Tissue Society & the International Bone and Mineral Society (May 7-11, 2011). Athens, Greece. For more details about this meeting, please visit the conference website.

17th Annual Canadian Connective Tissue Conference (May 27-29, 2011). Montreal, QC. For more details about this conference, please visit the CCTC website

Partner Corner

Diagnose Knee Osteoarthritis with Leslie Nielsen!
The Arthritis Research Centre of Canada has a new YouTube video, called Diagnose Knee Osteoarthritis in 4 Minutes with Leslie Nielsen. This video is the first of the RheumTube series, and is a guide for family physicians and primary health care practitioners. The video demonstrates techniques that can be used for identifying early knee osteoarthritis, and features the late Leslie Nielson, renowned Canadian comedian.

Canadian Cochrane Centre knowledge translation webinar series
The Canadian Cochrane Centre (CCC), in collaboration with three of its partners, the Canadian Physiotherapy Association, the Canadian Dental Hygienists Association, and the Ontario Chiropractic Association with the support of the Canadian Chiropractic Research Foundation, is launching three knowledge translation webinar series. The webinars will provide information regarding The Cochrane Collaboration's role in evidence-based health care decision-making. For more information, please visit the partner websites (hyperlinked above), or contact Eileen Vilis, the Canadian Cochrane Centre's Knowledge Broker, at evilis@uottawa.ca.

The Arthritis Society Walk to Fight Arthritis
The 2011 Walk to Fight Arthritis will be held on May 15. In its inaugural year, The Walk drew thousands of enthusiastic participants to 17 locations across Canada and raised nearly $1 million for arthritis research and care. The next edition of The Walk promises to be even more successful, as it expands to 25 communities. "Everyone who takes part has a connection to arthritis. They're walking for a friend, a family member or themselves," says Tanya Henry, The Arthritis Society's Senior Manager of National Events. "It's especially gratifying to see the elation of people with arthritis when they cross that finish line." For more information and to register, please visit The Arthritis Society's website.

Call for Success Stories
Do you have a story that has helped sustain health and enhance quality of life by eradicating the pain, suffering and disability caused by arthritis, musculoskeletal, oral and skin conditions? IMHA would like to celebrate our partners' success stories in our monthly newsletter. To nominate a success story, please submit a short essay (maximum 2,000 words) that describes the achievement and the rationale for its significance to IMHA at IMHA@cihr-irsc.gc.ca.

IMHA Funding Opportunities

For information on current funding opportunities, please visit IMHA's Funding Opportunities.

CIHR and NSERC announce enhancements to the Collaborative Health Research Projects (CHRP) Program
The Collaborative Health Research Projects (CHRP) Program supports focused interdisciplinary collaborative research projects involving any field of the natural sciences or engineering and any field of the health sciences. Changes include: additional program funding; ongoing projects are eligible for funding; applicant teams are required to demonstrate how they will engage and collaborate with a knowledge/technology user organization that could benefit from the research results; and Priority Announcements or Special Calls for Proposals for research conducted in identified target priority areas for Canada may offer additional funding opportunities. For more information, please visit the CIHR website.

Contact IMHA

CIHR - Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis
Department of Molecular Genetics
Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
The Banting Institute
100 College St., Room 207B
Toronto, ON, M5G 1L5
Tel: 416-978-4220
Email: IMHA@cihr-irsc.gc.ca
Contact IMHA

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