(Support for People and Patient-Oriented Research and Trials)
Government of Canada funding: $8.6 million
Governments of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation, and New Brunswick Health Research Foundation funding: $8.6 million
Total funding: $17.2 million, over five years
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.
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 13,700 health researchers and trainees across Canada.
