Results at a Glance - Evaluation of the Canada Brain Research Fund Program 2016-17 to 2020-21

Program Context

The objective of the Canada Brain Research Fund Program (CBRFP) is to accelerate discoveries by supporting research that advances knowledge of the brain and promises development in the diagnosis of, and therapies associated with, brain conditions.

CBRFP funding to the Canadian Brain Foundation supports the full spectrum of brain and mental health research, with a focus on higher risk projects through innovative collaborations that are conducted with the intention of producing higher rewards.

The initial federal commitment was supplemented with an additional $20M and $40M through Budgets 2016 and 2019, respectively. Brain Canada is required to match the federal investment (totaling $160M) bringing the total investment to $320M.

Evaluation Approach

This evaluation examined the performance and efficiency of the CBRFP's activities for the period 2016-17 to 2020-21.

The following elements made up the evaluation approach:

What the Evaluation found

The Brain Canada Foundation's (BCF) matching funding model and focus on supporting high risk/high reward basic research has produced research that is recognized for its excellence in the brain-related research ecosystem. Further, this research addresses the research priorities of its funding partners and donors, as well as the funding priorities of the Government of Canada. This is especially important as the financial burden of disease associated with brain and neurological health conditions reaches into the tens of billions of dollars annually, and is only increasing over time.

In addition to more than doubling the federal investment, the BCF has helped to connect researchers with funders, as well as create partnerships and collaborations among researchers with diverse scientific and operational backgrounds. Furthermore, funding partners and donors have indicated that the collaboration with the BCF helped them support quality research they may not have otherwise pursued, especially funding partners unfamiliar with brain-related research and who lacked scientific and operational expertise. On top of this notable accomplishment, the BCF has met or exceeded most of performance targets related to capacity building, demonstrating that the Program is contributing to the development of researchers in the ecosystem. Finally, some research that is being funded through the BCF funded partnerships is starting to be translated into intellectual property, demonstrating that intermediate outcomes are starting to be achieved.

As noted in key informant interviews, the Program has developed a positive and constructive relationship with the BCF, ensuring that the contribution agreement is well managed. Given the maturity of the BCF, proposed changes are focused on addressing minor issues to further support success, to measure and communicate impact more effectively in support of decision-making. Success might be further promoted through a review of Health Canada's Program terms and conditions and the contribution agreement between the BCF and the Program, specifically to determine how to address any barriers to success. Of note, expanding BCF's partnership reach internationally could support the achievement of knowledge translation and capacity building outcomes by creating more opportunities to fund research that engages researchers with new platforms and technologies. As well, expanding the reach of funded researchers to pursue international studies provides an opportunity to broaden the translation of knowledge generated by the BCF funding partnerships.

Recommendations

1. Where possible, consider any modifications to the program parameters or their interpretation to enable greater opportunities for collaboration and potential international research partnerships.

Response: Health Canada will build on previous engagement with Health Portfolio experts; the program will consult with Treasury Board Secretariat and assess how current Program parameters support the recipient's participation in international research partnerships and collaboration. The Program will engage relevant functional and subject matter areas within the Health Portfolio to validate potential provisions to be included in the current funding agreement, which is set to be extended until 2024-25.

2. To more effectively measure and communicate the Program's impact for Canadians and support decision makers, consider consulting with partners, researchers and institutions in the brain-related research ecosystem to address optimal approaches to performance measurement and knowledge translation that recognizes:

Response: The Program will engage relevant federal stakeholders to determine the best approach for increasing the program and BCF's focus on and support for knowledge translation (KT). Using information gathered through stakeholder engagement, the Program will assess and introduce appropriate Program measures to modify/expand KT efforts. In collaboration with BCF, engage relevant subject matter experts (i.e., Performance Measurement (PM) and KT research sector, broader neuroscience sector, health portfolio) to inform strategies for PM and KT suitable for adoption over the final three years of the program (from 2022-23 until 2024-25). For improved measurement and communication of impact, the Program will collaborate with BCF in updating the program's PM Strategy to include approaches identified through stakeholder engagement.

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