About the Institutes

CIHR currently integrates research through a unique interdisciplinary structure made up of 13 "virtual" institutes. CIHR's Institutes are not buildings or research centres, but networks of researchers brought together to focus on important health problems. Unconstrained by bricks and mortar, the Institute's virtual structure encourages partnership and collaboration across sectors, disciplines and regions.

The 13 Institutes of CIHR together share responsibility for achieving the fundamental objective of CIHR:

"The objective of CIHR is to excel, according to internationally accepted standards of scientific excellence, in the creation of new knowledge and its translation into improved health for Canadians, more effective health services and products and a strengthened Canadian health care system."

(CIHR Act)

The Institutes promote and build upon Canada's firm foundation of research excellence. They engage the research community and encourage interdisciplinary, integrative health research. Through their Scientific Directors and Institutes Advisory Boards and under the guidance of the Governing Council, they work together to forge a health research agenda across disciplines, sectors, and regions that embraces scientific opportunity and reflects the emerging health needs of Canadians, the evolution of the health care system and the information needs of health policy decision-makers. They facilitate partnerships and accelerate the transfer of new knowledge into benefits for Canadians.

Each Institute is dedicated to a specific area of focus, linking and supporting researchers pursuing common goals. Each Institute embraces a range of research from fundamental bio-medical and clinical research, to research on health systems, health services, the health of populations, societal and cultural dimensions of health and environmental influences on health. This integrated approach brings together researchers, health professionals and policy-makers from voluntary health organizations, provincial government agencies, international research organizations and industry and patient groups from across the country, under each Institute's virtual "roof."

Each Institute is led by a Scientific Director, and is supported through the advice of Institute Advisory Boards.

Institute

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