Frequently Asked Questions for Researchers
- Why was the Research Strategic Plan (RSP) created?
- What was the process through which the RSP was developed?
- What are the goals of the RSP?
- What are the targets and timelines?
- How will the RSP be implemented?
- Has there been any changes since May 2011 related to the RSP?
- What is the timeframe over which the RSP will be phased in?
- What are HSFC’s Strategic Priorities for Research?
- Why is HSFC increasing the amount of strategic research?
- How does HSFC set its mission priorities?
- How do the two 60/40 splits (investigator-initiated/SPR and basic biomedical/later pillar) interrelate – does this compromise excellence?
- What opportunity did researchers have to input into the research implementation plan?
- Did the RSP development and implementation plan process include consultation with other funding agencies to be sure it integrates into the broader research funding field?
- What are the advantages of allocating 80 per cent of the HSFC research strategic plan collectively?
- Is the funding for research overall going to be decreasing?
- Is biomedical research funding being decreased?
- Is investigator-initiated research being reduced?
- How do the HSFC unification and the new Research Strategic Plan integrate?
- How will funds be distributed across the four pillars of research?
- Will GIA funding change over time?
- Will the bias be to fund fewer projects completely, or to provide partial funding to more projects?
- Will provincial budgetary caps be impacted in F12?
- Are there any previous programs that will be revived as part of the strategy, such as Program Grants?
- Will all HSFC-funded research go through the rigorous peer review process?
- What efforts are you making to ensure these changes happen at a pace the research community can absorb?
- How will success of this plan be measured?
- Where can I find out more about the Research Strategic Plan?
1. Q. Why was the Research Strategic Plan (RSP) created?
A. The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada’s Research Strategic Plan was created to enhance our impact in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of heart disease and stroke, and strategically link research results to health policy and practice.
2. Q. What was the process through which the RSP was developed?
A. The RSP was developed through consultations with HSFC provincial staff, provincial CEOs, senior Federation staff, senior volunteers and key stakeholders. These involved the HSFC Board and Provincial Board Chairs as well as a broad cross-section of the research community, including the Research Strategic Plan Working Group, the Research Cabinet, the Research Policy and Planning Advisory Committee and Provincial Research Chairs. The three-year planning process required a thorough analysis and review of our existing research practices and thoughtful, open dialogue about ways we could and should be funding our research to deliver against HSFC mission priorities. After two years of further consultation with our provincial colleagues, the HSFC Board approved strategic directions and targets on February 5, 2011 with Year 1 approved for implementation and targets approved in principle with the request to develop a plan to implement collective management of 80% of the research budget in Fiscal Year (FY) 2012.
Through an inclusive robust process the implementation plan for years 2-5 was developed and approved by the Research Policy and Planning Advisory Committee (RPPAC) in January 2012 and subsequently approved by the Foundation Board in February 2012.The implementation plan sees us moving in a step-wise manner to achieve the goals and timelines directed by the Board.
3. Q. What are the goals of the RSP?
A. The goals of the RSP, approved by the Board in October 2010, are as follows:
a. Increase, by an agreed amount, the proportion of Federation research funding invested in agreed areas of mission priority, utilizing a variety of research vehicles funded both collectively and by individual provinces.
b. Invest the majority of research funding in investigator-initiated research moving toward an agreed upon balance across the research themes (pillars) and across personnel award and project funding.
c. Bridge knowledge gaps by supporting early-career researchers working in clinical, health services, population health and other research areas that align with our policy, program and advocacy priorities.
d. Accelerate the translation and application of research into policy and practice by implementing a knowledge transfer and exchange strategy for all funded research, with activities tailored to the type of research and audience.
e. Increase the public’s awareness and understanding of the contribution made to improved health through research funded by the HSF by investing a proportion of our research spending in building brand and visibility.
f. Broaden the reach and potential impact of our research by significantly increasing the number and breadth of our partnerships.
4. Q. What are the targets and timelines?
A. Cabinet directions are to be achieved within a five-year timeframe (2011-2016) and are as follows:
- Increase Strategic Priorities for Research (SPR) by approximately 20 per cent over five years (i.e. from 20 per cent to 40 per cent).
- Increase combined clinical/health services/population health research by approximately 20 per cent over five years (i.e. from 20 per cent to 40 per cent).
- Maintain the existing overall balance between funding research personnel awards and project grants.
5. Q. How will the RSP be implemented?
A. An internal pan-Canadian HSF research Working Group was established in October 2011 to develop a detailed implementation plan for years 2-5. Through this inclusive process the implementation plan was developed and approved by the Research Policy and Planning Advisory Committee (RPPAC) in January 2012 and subsequently approved by the Foundation Board in February 2012.The implementation plan sees us moving in a step-wise manner to achieve the goals and timelines directed by the Board.
Beginning with the Grant in Aid (GIA) 2012 program, we will have a standardized set of application guidelines posted on our website (www.hsf.ca/research) by March 2012. This is five-months earlier than previous years. The deadline for application remains 01 September 2012.
Further details will be posted on our website and various e-newsletters (National and Provincial) as it becomes available.
6. Q. Has there been any changes since May 2011 related to the RSP?
A. Yes. The Focus on the Stroke personnel initiative and Jump Start Resuscitation initiative have formally moved into the National Personnel Awards Program.
A unified pan-Canadian Research staff team was esatablished to develop and finalize the implementation plan.
We successfully launched and implemented the inaugural year of the Foundation’s Electronic Grants Management System (EGMS) for the Grant-in-Aid (GIA) program.
7. Q. What is the timeframe over which the RSP will be phased in?
A. The plan is to be implemented over a five year timeframe. Details of the phasing in of changes will be provided as they become available.
The implementation plan sees us moving in a step-wise manner to achieve the goals and timelines directed by the Board.
Beginning with the GIA 2012 program, we now have a standardized set of application guidelines posted on our website (www.hsf.ca/research). This is several months earlier than previous years. The deadline for application remains 30 August 2012.
Further details will be posted on our website and various e-newsletters (National and Provincial) as it becomes available.
8. Q. What are HSFC’s Strategic Priorities for Research?
A. Our Strategic Priorities for Research are focused on agreed-upon mission priority content areas that have been approved by the HSFC Board or, in the case of province-specific initiatives, by the provincial Advisory Board. Currently these are: Resuscitation, Obesity and Stroke. If the board sets new strategic directions, these may change. The research community will be informed of any changes at our earliest opportunity.
9. Q. Why is HSFC increasing the amount of strategic research?
A. HSFC is increasing the focus on strategic research in order to save more lives. By pointing more of our resources toward research that relates directly to our mission and specific priorities, we will have more impact. We recognize the value of investigator-initiated research –scientific curiosity leads to brilliant discoveries – and this remains the core of our research program, but strategic research is a planful approach to achieve results in particular areas and harness research results that lead to impact across all health research pillars.
Specifically, strategic research enables us to influence health policy based on evidence. Through strategic research, we should see Increases to research fundraising opportunities for our researchers, including partnership with large funders to leverage donor dollars.
At the same time, we will retain our commitment to investigator-initiated research open competition, which will still ultimately comprise 60 per cent of HSFC research funding.
10. Q. How does HSFC set its mission priorities?
A. The HSFC mission priorities are determined based on the development of a fact base and broad consultation that includes clinicians, scientists, and researchers as well as a host of others. This process reflects HSFC’s ongoing, strong commitment to evidence-based decision making. The Research Strategic Plan was developed in the same way. The final decision about HSFC mission priorities belongs to the Board of Directors.
11. Q. How do the two 60/40 splits (investigator-initiated/SPR and basic biomedical/later pillar) interrelate – does this compromise excellence?
A. We are absolutely committed to research excellence – that is a key reason the Board has set this research direction. How best to implement the two splits is something that the implementation Working Group is looking at in detail.
12. Q. What opportunity did researchers have to input into the research implementation plan?
A. The process that led to the development of the Research Strategic Plan and its implementation plan was collaborative and consultative, including input from the Research Strategic Plan Working Group, the Research Cabinet, the Research Policy and Planning Advisory Committee, the HSFC Board, provincial Board Chairs, provincial Research Chairs, provincial CEOs, provincial Research staff and senior Foundation staff.
We encourage researchers with specific thoughts to connect with our HSFC research staff to share them.. Researchers can always contact Carolyn Pullen, Research Director, HSF directly at cpullen@hsf.ca , Bobbe Wood, President, HSF directly at bwood@hsf.ca, or any of our research staff across the country. Contact information is listed on our research web portal at hsf.ca/research. A link on the research portal provides a mechanism for you to ask questions and share your input.
13. Q. Did the RSP development and implementation plan process include consultation with other funding agencies to be sure it integrates into the broader research funding field?
A. Yes, other funding agencies played a part in the consultative process. In development of the RSP and implementation plan, the HSFC has carefully considered research needs and gaps, and the environmental context.
With other funders also undergoing change, there are timely new opportunities for enhanced donor coordination and leveraging of donor funds. As a result, many researchers and potential funding partners are optimistic about the shifts and the opportunities it presents (e.g. facilitates multi-provincial collaborations).
14. Q. What are the advantages of allocating 80 per cent of the HSFC research strategic plan collectively?
A. The 80 per cent allocation is very much in line with our recent Foundation unification. This collective approach enables the Foundation to fund research excellence, no matter where it sits geographically, and ensures funding allocation decisions across research programs take place in a consistent manner.
Other advantages include:
- Funding across provincial jurisdictions will be facilitated
- Opportunity for a consistent approach to partnerships to leverage funding
- We will be able to target research questions that HSFC knows must be answered to meet our strategic priorities. Forty per cent of the overall research budget will be targeted at these types of questions.
- The Grant-in-Aid program will be consistent across the country.
- Evidence-based decision-making and priority-setting will take place on a national level
- A consistent approach will produce more effective investments for research impact
- National funding in the open competition will be implemented in a consistent manner
- An up-to-date information management system will align research with mission/fundraising needs
- Knowledge transfer and exchange strategies will be integrated in a consistent manner
- Collective management of the research enterprise will be an efficient use of resources
- Evaluation will be comprehensive and consistent across all programs
15. Q. Is the funding for research overall going to be decreasing?
A. For close to 60 years, we have provided support to the scientific research community and our research strategic plan continues to build on this legacy.. The goal of unification and the RSP is to increase funds available for mission, including to help coordinate and leverage funding with other donors, both provincially and nationally, which otherwise would not be possible. We will also have increased efficiencies due to unification and it will then also strengthen our ability to fund best in class research. The overall goal of the research strategy is to enhance impact on mission.
16. Q. Is biomedical research funding being decreased?
A. The Heart and Stroke Foundation maintains a strong commitment to basic biomedical research; it will remain the bulk of HSFC research funding (i.e. 60 per cent) by 2016-2017. At the same time, the Foundation recognizes a need to align more research with the other work HSF does in the areas of health promotion, policy and advocacy, in order to maximize the impact on our mission.
17. Q. Is investigator-initiated research being reduced?
A.Investigator-initiated research will remain the major category of research funding, at 60 per cent by 2016-2017. The RSP identifies a need to fund across the spectrum of research in order to achieve a broad mission. There is recognition of the need to align more research with the other work HSFC does in the areas of health promotion, policy and advocacy, in order to maximize the impact on our mission.
HSFC is increasing the focus on strategic research in order to save more lives. By pointing more of our resources toward research that relates directly to our mission and specific priorities, we will have more impact. We recognize the value of investigator-initiated research –scientific curiosity leads to brilliant discoveries – and this remains the core of our research program, but strategic research is a planful approach to achieve results in particular areas and harness research results that lead to impact across all health research pillars. Specifically, strategic research enables us to influence health policy based on evidence. Through strategic research, we should see Increases to research fundraising opportunities for our researchers, including partnership with large funders to leverage donor dollars.
18. Q. How do the HSFC unification and the new Research Strategic Plan integrate?
A. HSFC unification and the new Research Strategic Plan are well aligned to accelerate our drive to eliminate heart disease and stroke and reduce their impact through the advancement of research and its application. The goal of unification and the RSP is to increase funds available for mission, including to help coordinate and leverage funding with other donors, both provincially and nationally, which otherwise would not be possible. We will also have increased efficiencies due to unification and it will then also strengthen our ability to fund best in class research. The overall goal of the research strategy is to enhance impact on mission.
19. Q. How will funds be distributed across the four pillars of research?
A. By 2016-2017, the goal is that biomedical research will comprise 60 per cent of research funding, while the later pillars, clinical, health services and population health will comprise 40 per cent of funding.
20. Q. Will GIA funding change over time?
A. The overall goal of HSFC unification is to increase funds available for mission. The overall goal of the Research Strategic Plan is to enhance impact on mission. This will support excellent research, both individual projects and collaborative projects.
21. Q. Will the bias be to fund fewer projects completely, or to provide partial funding to more projects?
A. No such decision has been made. The Foundation will determine its future funding programs within the context of the overall Canadian funding environment in order to address funding needs and gaps.
22. Q. Will provincial budgetary caps be impacted in F12?
A. F12 is ‘business as usual’.
23. Q. Are there any previous programs that will be revived as part of the strategy, such as Program Grants?
A. The Foundation will be carefully reviewing all of its funding programs to determine fit with the new strategic directions, and making decisions on the suite of funding programs to be offered based on careful analysis.
24. Q. Will all HSFC-funded research go through the rigorous peer review process?
A. All HSFC-funded research goes through a rigorous peer review process, and at this point there are no plans to change this approach.
25. Q. What efforts are you making to ensure these changes happen at a pace the research community can absorb?
A.The implementation plan is taking a phased approach over five years in order to be sensitive to the needs of researchers.
26. Q. How will success of this plan be measured?
A. Formal evaluation is built into the RSP implementation plan as it relates to the progress towards goals. In addition, HSFC staff will monitor, assess and evaluate on annual basis and recalibrate where/when necessary.
27. Q. Where can I find out more about the Research Strategic Plan?
A. Our website: www.hsf.ca/research services the Canadian research community and details the information you need. We provide updates on competitions, research announcements and relevant posting information. It is updated frequently.