I would like to thank the committee for this opportunity to discuss the transfers to the Canadian Institutes of Health Research under supplementary estimates (C).
As you have seen, CIHR's grants vote will increase by $10.67 million with approval of the 2010-11 supplementary estimates (C). This increase will bring CIHR's reference levels for the 2010-11 fiscal year to $1.026 billion.
I would like to highlight the potential impact of a few of these transfers on health outcomes and commercialization of health discoveries.
The largest transfer is $9.36 million for the Centres of Excellence for Commercialization and Research. This investment is being used to fund two centres of excellence: the Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine located in Toronto, and the Centre for Imaging Technology Commercialization located in London.
Regenerative medicine and medical imaging are two areas at the forefront of discovery in health research. They are also two areas in which Canada is world-renowned for its scientific expertise. These two new centres therefore represent exciting opportunities for future breakthrough discoveries with impact on the health of Canadians and the strength of our life sciences industry.
CIHR's transfers, as you just heard, also include a transfer of $1 million from the Public Health Agency of Canada for population health intervention research. With this investment, CIHR and PHAC have succeeded in attracting other partners, including the Canadian Institute for Health Information, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, the New Brunswick Health Research Foundation, and the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. Together with these partners, CIHR will fund seven major research projects in the area of mental health promotion and the prevention and reduction of obesity, two major priority areas for the health of Canadians.
For CIHR this is but one of many of these very Canadian examples where government investment serves as a catalyst for the engagement of other partners so as to increase the coherence of research funding and maximize its potential for impact.
A third transfer of $800,000 from the Public Health Agency will go to major projects on HIV and AIDS co-infections and other co-morbidities, as you have heard. This research will provide the evidence needed for future programs and policies to prevent or control HIV and AIDS co-infections and other co-morbidities.
Finally, CIHR is transferring out the amount of $700,000 to the International Development Research Centre for an international research initiative on adaptation to climate change. This investment will support multinational research teams to advance a fuller understanding of climate and related stressors on vulnerable populations, resources, and ecosystem health in Canada and in low income and middle income countries.
The purposes of having this knowledge are: to shape policies and practices that help people and vulnerable segments to adapt to climate change; to train highly qualified staff; and, finally, to establish networks that will enhance the ability of governments, of the private sector and of civil society to adapt to climate change and to reduce its effects.
I would like to thank you for your support of CIHR's endeavours and for health research in general.
I'm pleased to take any questions that you may have.