Thank you, Mr. Chair and committee member, for the question.
Indeed, the Canada strategy for patient-oriented research, SPOR, as we call it, the acronym, is indeed a key platform for collaboration among federal-provincial partners on the ground—patients, as well—in terms of health innovation, with the potential for transformative results. The intention is really about bringing together from the bench side to the bedside, allowing for the research to flow through the system in a manner that allows for, as close as possible, a direct application to patient needs, to policy-maker needs, and the like.
We have developed a series of SUPPORT units, which are being co-funded by the provinces in this sphere, where CIHR, provincial governments, and other partners are investing over $270 million in the first six SUPPORT units, which demonstrates I think a very significant not only attention to but investment by the provinces in terms of this platform for bringing research to the bedside. We were very pleased to note that in budget 2014 we received an additional investment for the SPOR initiative, as we did for 2016-17 for $13 million in SPOR.
Clearly, this is an area that I think will merit continued attention perhaps by this committee, given the potential for its outcomes.