Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I would like to begin by thanking the committee for the invitation to appear before you today and for drawing attention to an important topic for the research ecosystem in Canada.
At CIHR, we recognize the importance of academic freedom, openness and international research collaboration in making the ground-breaking discoveries that improve lives. That is why we are working on promoting those values. We all know that health threats we face are increasingly global in nature, and that the health and well-being of Canadians is intertwined and dependent on the well-being of people everywhere.
To tackle complex health challenges, we must continue working with colleagues around the world to leverage our shared knowledge and resources so that we can find solutions for all.
To advance this global research agenda, CIHR currently has 40 international initiatives supported by agreements with countries around the world. For example, this includes the European Union's joint program on neurodegenerative disease research, which is the largest global research initiative aimed at tackling the challenge of neurodegenerative diseases. It is aimed at finding causes and developing cures and better ways of care.
As part of the work that your committee is currently conducting, CIHR has two active partnerships with the People's Republic of China. They are managed through the National Natural Science Foundation of China, or the NSFC, whose mandate is to support basic research and free exploration, identify and foster scientific talents, and promote progress in science and technology.
The first agreement represents a five-year, $12.2-million investment, of which $6.4 million is provided by the NSFC to the Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases' call for research on mental health. Through this particular initiative, seven research teams have been funded over a period of five years. As an example, this includes a team led by Dr. Brian Mishara at l'Université du Québec à Montréal, who developed a project on a World Health Organization intervention program for people who have experienced suicide attempts, in parallel projects in Ningxia, China, and among the Inuit community in Nunavut, Canada. This study is only one example of how international research can help us to understand how interventions work in different contexts.
The second partnership is to support the healthy life trajectories Canada-China team, in collaboration with the NSFC and the World Health Organization, to address the increasing rates of obesity, particularly among youth. This partnership was renewed in 2022 with a $2.5-million investment from China and matching funding from CIHR. This international approach enables the sharing of expertise, the comparative analysis of interventions, the harmonization of data and the assessment of biological mechanisms in different populations, all of which contribute to delivering greater impact in comparison to single-country projects.
While these global health initiatives have great potential to improve health, the globalization of research has also made us more vulnerable to threats from entities of concern. This is why, given the shared responsibility of creating a vigilant while open and collaborative ecosystem, we have been working closely with our federal partners, national security agencies, academic institutions and researchers to protect Canada's research investment.
In addition to the critical tri-agency work that my colleagues have described, CIHR has implemented a new requirement as part of its strategic funding opportunities for applicants to describe the role of all applicant partners and how they will be involved and contribute to research-related activities. As part of this process, risk and/or conflict of interest should also be explained, if applicable.
CIHR's strategic plan sets out ambitious goals to be achieved by 2031 to ensure that Canadian health research is recognized internationally as inclusive, collaborative, transparent, culturally sensitive and focused on tangible benefits.
In alignment with this commitment, CIHR is working to enhance national and international collaboration to address global challenges and facilitate the pooling of expertise and sharing of infrastructure.
In closing, let me remind you that research security is a shared responsibility between the federal government and academic institutions. The stakes are high, and we must continue to work together to strike a balance between openness and security to protect our country's research.
Thank you for your time. I look forward to taking your questions.