CIHR 2021-22 Departmental Plan: Gender-based analysis plus

GBA+ Governance

CIHR has a GBA+ Framework to coordinate related work and to operationalize commitments to the Health Portfolio and Department for Women and Gender Equality. The Framework seeks to build GBA+ organizational capacity and sustain the practice of GBA+ through three streams:

• GBA+ in CIHR-Funded Research: Aims to ensure that GBA+ is taken into account in research design, methods, analysis and interpretation and/or dissemination of findings.
  • Operationalized through the Sex and Gender-Based Analysis in Research Action Plan and the Institute of Gender and Health Strategic Plan.
• GBA+ in CIHR’s Funding System: Aims to ensure equitable access to CIHR funds across eligible individuals.
  • Operationalized through the Equity Strategy, Gender Equity Framework, Official Languages and Minority Communities Action Plan, Action Plan: Building a healthier future for First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples.
• GBA+ in CIHR’s Workplace: Aims to ensure CIHR conducts its business in an equitable manner.
  • Operationalized through federal legislation (such as the Employment Equity Act, the Canadian Multiculturalism Act and the Official Languages Act), policies (Harassment in the Workplace Policy) and mandatory GBA+-related training commitments for employees, senior leadership and Governing Council members.

The CIHR GBA+ Responsibility Centre leads, enhances, supports, and monitors implementation of CIHR’s GBA+ framework and the actual practice of GBA+. CIHR has a Co-Champion model for GBA+. The Vice President, Research Programs serves as one GBA+ Co-Champion and is responsible for implementation of GBA+ across CIHR with support from the GBA+ Focal Point and staff within the Science Policy branch. The Scientific Director, Institute of Gender and Health, serves as the other GBA+ Co-Champion and provides guidance on the implementation of Sex and Gender-Based Analysis (SGBA) in the context of health research. Strategic guidance on GBA+-related matters is provided by CIHR’s Science Council, while operational guidance and decision-making is provided by senior management. CIHR’s Governing Council, the committee responsible for developing and approving CIHR’s strategic directions, applies an EDI lens to all deliberations.

In 2021-22, CIHR plans to implement a new EDI governance structure comprised of an a) External Advisory Committee, b) Strategic Level Advisory Committee, and c) Working-Level Committee. Terms of Reference and membership composition of these committees are currently under development.

CIHR will continue to work with NSERC and SSHRC to implement the Tri-Agency EDI Action Plan. Work is governed through an Interagency Committee on EDI and implemented by an Interagency EDI Policy Working Group.

GBA+ Capacity Building

All CIHR staff, including senior leadership, and members of CIHR’s Governing Council are required to complete the Department of Women and Gender Equality GBA+ training module as well as training on Indigenous cultural awareness, unconscious bias and the employment equity act offered through the Canadian School of Public Service (CSPS). In 2021-22, CIHR plans to implement training on anti-systemic discrimination for executives and employees.

GBA+ Monitoring

To monitor GBA+ in CIHR-funded research, CIHR tracks integration of sex and gender in all research proposals. CIHR monitors GBA+ in all of its funding programs through the Tri-Agency Self-Identification Questionnaire, which currently collects information on applicant age, gender, and whether someone identifies as Indigenous, a visible minority or a person with a disability. In program evaluations, CIHR administers surveys to applicants and recipients to monitor differential impacts of funding programs on four designated employment equity groups and gender. To monitor GBA+ in CIHR’s workplace, CIHR tracks GBA+ training completed by staff and Governing Council members, and participates in Health Portfolio-wide surveys to assess staff knowledge and application of GBA+.

CIHR’s Investigator Initiated Program has impacts that support the pillars and goals of the Gender Results Framework. Specifically, this program is relevant to the Gender Results Framework Pillars “Education and skills development”, “Economic participation and prosperity”, and “Poverty reduction, health and well-being”.

This program also collects sufficient data to enable it to monitor and/report program impacts by gender and diversity through the following initiatives:

Monitoring Gender and Diversity in CIHR-funded Research

Sex and gender differences influence health risks, health services use, health system interaction and health outcomes. The SGBA in Research Action Plan aims to systematically integrate sex and gender considerations into CIHR-funded research to ensure that research we fund is relevant and impactful for Canada’s diverse population. CIHR requires applicants to integrate sex and gender in all funding applications, across all program areas, where appropriate. In CIHR’s Project Grant Program, reviewers are required to provide an assessment of the integration of sex and/or gender into research proposals. In addition, CIHR and the Institute of Gender and Health are conducting SGBA training for peer reviewers, tailored to the subject-matter areas of committees in the Project Grant competition.

The performance indicator for this program is “% of research that addresses sex or gender considerations”. For the 2021-22 fiscal year, CIHR’s target is 58% of CIHR-funded Investigator-Initiated research addresses sex or gender considerations. Targets are also reported in the Departmental Results Framework and will be available in the GC InfoBase.

Monitoring Gender and Diversity in CIHR’s Funding System

Beginning in May 2018, applicants to all CIHR programs must complete the Self-Identification Questionnaire. Using data collected from the questionnaire, CIHR will monitor and report on the performance indicator “# and diversity of researchers and trainees supported” across all of CIHR’s programs. Aggregate results will be reported internally, in the Program Information Profiles and externally as part of the Canadian Research Coordinating Committee (CRCC) annual report. In addition, CIHR posted the results from the 2018 and 2019 Spring and Fall Project Grant competitions on its website and will be posting results from future Project Grant competitions.

Measures to enhance monitoring and reporting in 2021-22:

A revised self-identification questionnaire will be implemented in the 2021-22 fiscal year. The revised questionnaire will capture disaggregation of population groups; offer more inclusive options across the spectrums of gender identity and sexual orientation; align with the definition of disability with the Accessible Canada Act; and include a question on language. Also in the 2021-22 fiscal year, the questionnaire will be extended to peer reviewers in order to enable monitoring and setting of equity and diversity targets in CIHR’s peer review committees. Subsequently, the questionnaire will be expanded to CIHR’s governance committees. CIHR is exploring development of an external-facing dashboard to enhance external reporting, and is putting processes in place to enhance internal monitoring of EDI in its funding competitions.

Tri-Agency Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Action Plan

In fall of 2018, CIHR, along with NSERC and SSHRC, developed a Tri-agency EDI Action Plan that comprises initiatives relevant to enhancing EDI across all CIHR program areas. The objectives, and corresponding initiatives within the action plan, aim to increase EDI amongst recipients of CIHR funding, as well as teachers, researchers and students at post-secondary institutions. Performance indicators have been developed to measure progress against the plan’s overall objectives, as well as impacts of the agencies’ influence over the longer term, and will be reported externally as part of the Canadian Research Coordinating Committee (CRCC) annual report.

CIHR’s Research in Priority Areas Program has impacts that supports the pillars and goals of the Gender Results Framework. Specifically, this program is relevant to the Gender Results Framework Pillars “Education and skills development”, “Economic participation and prosperity”, and “Poverty reduction, health and well-being”.

This program also collects sufficient data to enable it to monitor and/report program impacts by gender and diversity through the following initiatives:

Monitoring Gender and Diversity in CIHR-funded Research

Please see description above in Investigator-Initiated Research. CIHR requires applicants to integrate sex and gender in all funding applications, across all program areas, where appropriate.  The performance indicator for this program is “% of research that addresses sex or gender considerations”. For the 2021-22 fiscal year, CIHR’s target is 54% of CIHR-funded Research in Priority Areas addressed sex or gender considerations. Targets are also reported in the Departmental Results Framework and will be available in the GC InfoBase.

Monitoring Gender and Diversity in CIHR’s Funding System

Please see description above in Investigator-Initiated Research. CIHR will monitor and report on the performance indicator “# and diversity of researchers and trainees supported” across all of CIHR’s programs. Aggregate results will be reported internally, in the Program Information Profiles and externally as part of the Canadian Research Coordinating Committee (CRCC) annual report.

Measures to enhance monitoring and reporting are described above in investigator-Initiated Research.

Tri-Agency Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Action Plan

Please see description above in Investigator-Initiated Research.

CIHR’s Training and Career Support Program has impacts that supports the pillars and goals of the Gender Results Framework. Specifically, this program is relevant to the Gender Results Framework Pillars “Education and skills development” and “Economic participation and prosperity”.

This program also collects sufficient data to enable it to monitor and/report program impacts by gender and diversity through the following initiatives:

Monitoring Gender and Diversity in CIHR-funded Research

Please see description above in Investigator-Initiated Research. CIHR requires applicants to integrate sex and gender in all funding applications, across all program areas, where appropriate. The performance indicator for this program is “% of research that addresses sex or gender considerations”. For the 2021-22 fiscal year, CIHR’s target is 63% of CIHR-funded research in Training and Career Support addressed sex or gender considerations. Targets are also reported in the Departmental Results Framework and will be available in the GC InfoBase.

Monitoring Gender and Diversity in CIHR’s Funding System

Please see description above in Investigator-Initiated Research. CIHR will monitor and report on the performance indicator “# and diversity of researchers and trainees supported” across all of CIHR’s programs. Aggregate results are reported internally, in the Program Information Profiles and externally as part of the Canadian Research Coordinating Committee (CRCC) annual report.

Measures to enhance monitoring and reporting are described above in investigator-Initiated Research.

Tri-Agency Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Action Plan

Please see description above in Investigator-Initiated Research.