Health committee  Certainly, the work that CIHR itself does in terms of policy and processes is subject to a GBA+ analysis. What we are doing now with those who are funded by CIHR funds is building in, in the conditions of funding, a stipulation moving towards gender-based analysis plus. We do have sex- and gender-based analysis as part of our research culture, but certainly we need to continue to do sex- and gender-based analysis and move beyond that, so that we're able to look at things through an intersectional lens.

Health committee  It would be in terms of the research that we fund across the board. Again, one of the challenges, though, with CIHR in providing grants to researchers is that a grant, compared to a contract, doesn't necessarily have the same controls, if you will, in terms of what is delivered.

Health committee  Many thanks. Perhaps I can start off with the research that CIHR is funding. Budget 2021 committed $30 million for CIHR to fund targeted research into pediatric cancer. That funding is still active. We do not yet have specific projects or their results. However, that being said, one of the very prominent opportunities that have arisen with this additional funding is the creation of a pediatric cancer consortium.

Health committee  What I can commit to doing is to look back at the number of research projects we have funded over the past little while. I will note that some of this funding has been in conjunction with that from our colleagues at the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. Between those pots of funding, we can look to see which studies have been funded, whether they have data available and, if not yet, when those data will be available.

Health committee  Sure. If there's one thing I can say about the Canadian academic health research community, it's how quickly they mobilized in order to pivot—I know that's a word that perhaps has been overused in the past couple of years—to be able to do research that would support the needs of decision-makers.

Health committee  It's wonderful to be able to talk about the partnership that CIHR has with JDRF. It is a very strong, long and deep partnership that certainly predates my time with CIHR. If you're keeping an eye on CIHR's Twitter feed, you'll note some recent funding opportunities whereby we're providing joint funding for the academic community to build on the successes of the past and also look towards the future.

Health committee  Thank you very much, Mr. Chair, and thanks to the committee for convening this important study. On behalf of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, it’s a privilege to be here today. As Canada’s investment agency for health research, CIHR understands the power of research to improve the health and well-being of Canadians.