Message from the Minister of Health to Canada's health research community

Statement

July 5, 2016 – Ottawa, Ontario

I have noted with growing concern the views that have been expressed within the health research community about changes being implemented at the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, including the new online peer review process.

I expect CIHR to ensure that the very best health research across all pillars is funded according to the highest international standards of research excellence. As a result, I have asked CIHR to convene a working meeting in the very near future with key representatives of the research community, including those who have raised this issue publicly, to find common ground and move forward with solutions that address the issues raised with regard to the quality and integrity of CIHR's peer review system.

The results of this working meeting will be an important input to the work of Dr. David Naylor and the Advisory Panel for the Review of Federal Support for Fundamental Science, which will provide its report later this year.

I look forward to working with Minister Duncan and to receiving the Panel's advice about how to maintain Canada's world-class standing in the scientific community and about how to ensure that federal support for research is strategic and effective. I have already ensured that the issues surrounding CIHR and its reforms will be considered by the panel, and I look forward to their advice.

Jane Philpott
Minister of Health

Hon. Jane Philpott Canadian Institutes of Health Research Health and Safety