Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research

The Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research (MSFHR), a not-for-profit organization, was established by the Government of British Columbia in 2001 as the provincial support agency for health research in British Columbia.
The Foundation funds health research in the province and aims to attract funding and emerging research talent to British Columbia.
History
In the late 1990s, it was apparent to members of the health research community in British Columbia that the province was not keeping pace with the rest of Canada in terms of funding received. The Coalition for Health Research in British Columbia was formed under the leadership of Dr. Aubrey Tingle, a research leader at the University of British Columbia and the . Following exhaustive consultation with all stakeholders, the Coalition produced a document titled Building a BC Health Research Strategy; This became the roadmap guiding the provincial government to the establishment of the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research. The new foundation was named in honour of Michael Smith, a University of British Columbia biochemist and the winner (with Kary B. Mullis) of the 1993 Nobel Prize for Chemistry. By 2012, BC's share of federal health research grants had grown to 14 percent, due largely to the increased competitiveness of BC researchers.
Funding
The BC government funds the activities of MSFHR, which in turn awards funding for a wide range of research projects benefiting the BC population. Since its inception, MSFHR has received $360M, most recently (October 2012) a commitment of $48M. Announcing the 2012 allocation, Health Minister Margaret MacDiarmid said "Our... investment in the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research is a commitment to advancing the health of BC families. From work to improve ovarian cancer outcomes, to looking for a cure for childhood diabetes and to helping patients in remote communities better manage chronic diseases at home, the Foundation supports health research that benefits thousands of families."
Activities
The Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research operates with the vision to provide World-class health research and to improve the well-being of British Columbians, their health system and their economy.
The foundation's mission statement is to strengthen the BC health research enterprise through innovative, integrated services and programs that:
* Create and maintain a vibrant health research environment.
* Mobilize stakeholders to identify priorities and address health and health system priorities.
* Build capacity for world-class health research.
Their programs fall into two main categories:
* Solutions for BC’s health system
* Investments in people and resources

The foundation prioritises programs that will help meet the challenges facing BC's health system. These programs include:
* Research on nursing policy and practice.
* An initiative to fast-track the ethics review process for multi-centre research projects.
* Development of a procedure for evaluation of health system changes.
* Rapid response research when urgent issues such as new infectious diseases arise.
MSFHR achieves its goals largely by facilitating involvement of stakeholder groups such as universities, health authorities, charities and government, thus building British Columbia's capacity for health research.
Investments in people and resources
Individual
Individual awards are designed to recruit and retain exceptional scholars across the spectrum of their careers. Individual awards have resulted in, among other discoveries:
* Invention of the "Biomechanical Energy Harvester," a wearable device that could eventually power prosthetic limbs, drug pumps, and other portable medical equipment.
Team
Team awards aim to contribute to building a health research climate that will create an energetic health research community to meet the changing needs of BC's population. Research teams supported by MSFHR include:
* The BC Cancer Agency Genome Sciences Centre (GSC), a leading international centre for genomics and bioinformatics research whose mandate is to advance knowledge about cancer and other diseases, to improve human health through disease prevention, diagnosis and therapeutic approaches.
* OvCaRe, BC’s ovarian cancer research program. The OvCaRe team includes clinicians and research scientists working together to enhance ovarian cancer research aimed at improving outcomes.

Main Menu

See Also

Main Menu