Contact Centre service standards
Our commitment
These service standards publicly state the level of performance that clients can reasonably expect to receive from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) under normal circumstances.
To deliver high quality responses that meet the needs of our community, we have established standards to ensure we provide knowledgeable, accessible and fair service that is timely, professional and courteous. We strive to continuously enhance our commitment to our community by developing, monitoring, reporting, and improving on these service standards.
Availability
CIHR is committed to providing high quality answers to all inquiries received. To achieve this, CIHR will:
- communicate in the official language of the client's choice;
- provide service during regular business hours, from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time;
- provide responses that are accurate, concise, complete and relevant to the request.
Promptness
Upon receipt, the inquiry is triaged and will be assigned to a Processing Officer.
Depending on the nature of the inquiry, response times will vary, as outlined below.
2024-25
| Nature of inquiry | Inquiry type | Response time | Targets | Actual Results | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr‑June | July‑Sept | Oct‑Dec | Jan‑March | ||||
| System support and access (ResearchNet, Common CV) | Straightforward | Answered within 1 business day of receipt | 85% | 97% | 81% | TBD | TBD |
Funding opportunities (including eligibility and application submissions) Post-grant/award general inquiries Other general inquiries |
Straightforward | Answered within 2 business days of receipt | 85% | 81% | 67% | TBD | TBD |
Policy interpretation CIHR competition and peer review processes |
Complex (requires input from other subject matter experts) | Answered within 5 business days of receipt | 85% | 88% | 60% | TBD | TBD |
| Post-award/grant administration change requests (including transfer of funds between Institutions and maternity, parental, medical or family medical Leave for Grantees) | Complex (requires review and approval from other CIHR teams) | Answered within 12 business days | 85% | 91% | 81% | TBD | TBD |
| Peer review grievances and inquiries | Complex (requires investigation and approval from multiple areas of responsibility) | Answered within 30 business days | 85% | 45% | 29% | TBD | TBD |
2023-24
| Nature of inquiry | Inquiry type | Response time | Targets | Actual Results | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr‑June | July‑Sept | Oct‑Dec | Jan‑March | ||||
| System support and access (ResearchNet, Common CV) | Straightforward | Answered within 1 business day of receipt | 85% | 97% | 94% | 92% | 94% |
Funding opportunities (including eligibility and application submissions) Post-grant/award general inquiries Other general inquiries |
Straightforward | Answered within 2 business days of receipt | 85% | 89% | 88% | 91% | 91% |
Policy interpretation CIHR competition and peer review processes |
Complex (requires input from other subject matter experts) | Answered within 5 business days of receipt | 85% | 87% | 78% | 85% | 90% |
| Post-award/grant administration change requests (including transfer of funds between Institutions and maternity, parental, medical or family medical Leave for Grantees) | Complex (requires review and approval from other CIHR teams) | Answered within 12 business days | 85% | 92% | 88% | 83% | 94% |
| Peer review grievances and inquiries | Complex (requires investigation and approval from multiple areas of responsibility) | Answered within 15 business days | 85% | 16% | 18% | 22% | 40% |
2022-23
| Nature of inquiry | Inquiry type | Response time | Targets | Actual Results | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr‑June | July‑Sept | Oct‑Dec | Jan‑March | ||||
| System support and access (ResearchNet, Common CV) | Straightforward | Answered within 1 business day of receipt | 85% | 99% | 96% | 94% | 94% |
Funding opportunities (including eligibility and application submissions) Post-grant/award general inquiries Other general inquiries |
Straightforward | Answered within 2 business days of receipt | 85% | 90% | 96% | 96% | 95% |
Policy interpretation CIHR competition and peer review processes |
Complex (requires input from other subject matter experts) | Answered within 5 business days of receipt | 85% | 88% | 89% | 88% | 90% |
| Post-award/grant administration change requests (including transfer of funds between Institutions and maternity, parental, medical or family medical Leave for Grantees) | Complex (requires review and approval from other CIHR teams) | Answered within 12 business days | 85% | 96% | 96% | 95% | 99% |
| Peer review grievances and inquiries | Complex (requires investigation and approval from multiple areas of responsibility) | Answered within 15 business days | 85% | 95% | 93% | 77% | 68% |
2021-22
| Nature of inquiry | Inquiry type | Response time | Targets | Actual Results | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr‑June | July‑Sept | Oct‑Dec | Jan‑March | ||||
| System support and access (ResearchNet, Common CV) | Straightforward | Answered within 1 business day of receipt | 85% | 99% | 97% | 99% | 99% |
Funding opportunities (including eligibility and application submissions) Post-grant/award general inquiries Other general inquiries |
Straightforward | Answered within 2 business days of receipt | 85% | 94% | 96% | 97% | 94% |
Policy interpretation CIHR competition and peer review processes |
Complex (requires input from other subject matter experts) | Answered within 5 business days of receipt | 85% | 78% | 77% | 83% | 87% |
| Post-award/grant administration change requests (including transfer of funds between Institutions and maternity, parental, medical or family medical Leave for Grantees) | Complex (requires review and approval from other CIHR teams) | Answered within 12 business days | 85% | 96% | 95% | 94% | 97% |
| Peer review grievances and inquiries | Complex (requires investigation and approval from multiple areas of responsibility) | Answered within 15 business days | 85% | 88% | 88% | 96% | 73% |
2020-21
| Nature of inquiry | Inquiry type | Response time | Targets | Actual Results | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr‑June | July‑Sept | Oct‑Dec | Jan‑March | ||||
| System support and access (ResearchNet, Common CV) | Straightforward | Answered within 1 business day of receipt | 85% | 95% | 94% | 94% | 98% |
Funding opportunities (including eligibility and application submissions) Post-grant/award general inquiries Other general inquiries |
Straightforward | Answered within 2 business days of receipt | 85% | 81% | 88% | 87% | 95% |
Policy interpretation CIHR competition and peer review processes |
Complex (requires input from other subject matter experts) | Answered within 5 business days of receipt | 85% | 57% | 77% | 73% | 81% |
| Post-award/grant administration change requests (including transfer of funds between Institutions and maternity, parental, medical or family medical Leave for Grantees) | Complex (requires review and approval from other CIHR teams) | Answered within 12 business days | 85% | 93% | 96% | 96% | 98% |
| Peer review grievances and inquiries | Complex (requires investigation and approval from multiple areas of responsibility) | Answered within 15 business days | 85% | 72% | 31% | 75% | 98% |
Achieving these service standards is a shared responsibility between the requestor and CIHR. Requestors must supply all required information in accordance with the relevant CIHR policies and funding opportunity guidelines in order to facilitate processing the inquiry or request as quickly as possible. In the event that an answer cannot be provided within the specified timeframe, CIHR will acknowledge receipt of the inquiry within the designated timeframe and provide an alternate response date.
Please forward any concerns with the quality and promptness of responses to the e-mail below.
Questions or comments?
For all inquiries please contact us at:
support-soutien@cihr-irsc.gc.ca
Telephone: 613-954-1968
Toll free: 1-888-603-4178
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