Government of Canada (CIHR) funding: $9.8 million
Government of Newfoundland and Labrador funding: $7.2 million
IBM: $2.8 million
Total Funding: $19.8 million, over five years
The Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR) is a national coalition of federal, provincial and territorial partners (patient advocates, provincial health authorities, academic health centres, charities, philanthropic organizations, pharmaceutical sector, etc.) dedicated to the integration of research into care – the right patient receives the right treatment at the right time. SPOR is managed and funded in by the Government of Canada through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).
Support for People and Patient-Oriented Research and Trials (SUPPORT) Units are locally accessible, multidisciplinary clusters of specialized research resources, policy knowledge, and patient perspective. SUPPORT Units provide the necessary expertise to pursue patient-oriented research and help lead reforms in response to locally-driven health care needs. They also lead and facilitate decision-making within the health services setting, foster the implementation of best practices, and promote collaboration among researchers engaged in patient-oriented research.
The objectives of a SUPPORT Unit are to:
- Identify and address the needs of patients and knowledge users by connecting them with researchers and involving them in research;
- Provide specialized and multidisciplinary expertise in conducting patient-oriented research and applying results to health services;
- Assist decision makers and investigators to identify and design research studies, conduct analyses, manage data, provide and teach project management skills, and ensure studies meet regulatory standards;
- Advance methods and training in research that provides evidence on the comparative benefits of different treatment options;
- Provide timely access to data, and maximize the power of a wide array of data to answer health care questions.
About the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is the Government of Canada's health research investment agency. CIHR's mission is to create new scientific knowledge and to enable its translation into improved health, more effective health services and products, and a strengthened health care system for Canadians. Composed of 13 Institutes, CIHR provides leadership and support to more than 13,200 health researchers and trainees across Canada.
