NEIHR overview

The purpose of the NEIHR Program is to establish a national network of centres focused on capacity development, research and knowledge translation (KT) centred on Indigenous Peoples (First Nations, Inuit and Métis). The network of centres is intended to provide supportive research environments for Indigenous health research driven by, and grounded in, Indigenous communities in Canada. The NEIHR Program will take a comprehensive approach to capacity building in Indigenous health research by concentrating on Indigenous communities and structural factors (e.g., educational systems, institutions, research infrastructures, policy apparatus) and by focusing on individual agency (e.g., supporting trainees and researchers).

The objectives of NEIHR are seven-fold:

  1. To support Indigenous community-based health research that reflects the priorities and values of Indigenous Peoples;
  2. To develop an Indigenous community-based health research network environment that will support Indigenous leadership and research-related organizations with existing and new research infrastructures and platforms;
  3. To augment awareness, capacity and relevance of Indigenous health research that improves the health of First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples across all health research domains;
  4. To improve understanding of Indigenous health research and Indigenous research paradigms through ethical and impactful partnerships between Indigenous communities and health researchers, scholars, professors and instructors, research administrators, policy and decision makers, and other parties with an interest in Indigenous health research;
  5. To engage Indigenous Peoples in Canada in leading and conducting health research and KT;
  6. To engage with researchers, Indigenous Peoples and other relevant parties from different countries as appropriate in order to advance the objectives of the NEIHR centres; and
  7. To develop enduring NEIHR centres with sustainable mandates to build research capacity, conduct research, advance Indigenous research paradigms, and carry out KT activities.

Commitment to equity

Recognizing that equity is an integral part of a sustainable health research ecosystem, the NEIHR Program is committed to supporting and promoting CIHR's Equity Strategy. The NEIHR Program commitment to equity allows for diversity, which is expected to lead to more creative, innovative and meaningful outcomes. This commitment to equity specifically includes incorporating the CIHR Action Plan: Building a healthier future for First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples, the CIHR Policy on Official Languages and the CIHR Gender Equity Framework into the NEIHR Program.

Date modified: