Report on Annual Expenditures for Travel, Hospitality and Conferences
As required by the Treasury Board Directive for the Management of Expenditures on Travel, Hospitality and Conferences, this report provides information on the total annual expenditures for each of travel, hospitality and conferences for the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2011.This information is updated annually and does not contain information withheld under the Access to Information Act or the Privacy Act.
Expenditures on travel, hospitality and conferences incurred by federal departments and agencies are for the most part directly related to supporting departmental mandate(s) and the government's priorities.
In particular, for CIHR, this includes:
- A mandate 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.
- CIHR is the Government of Canada's health research funding agency. Peer and merit review committees are used to determine which candidates are eligible to receive funding in the form of grants and awards. It is an established practice at CIHR to extend hospitality to peer and merit review committee members.
- CIHR recognizes the valuable voluntary contribution that peer and merit review committee members and others provide in the evaluation of the numerous grants and awards applications received from applicants during the course of a given fiscal year and the important role they play as advisors in support of our various initiatives. The value of these contributions far outweighs the cost of the hospitality events offered to these volunteers.
- Further details on CIHR's authority, mandate and program activities can be found in the Departmental Performance Report and the Report on Plans and Priorities.