Message from the Scientific Director, III: Join the Strategic Plan Conversation

We are in an important and exciting time for infection and immunity research in Canada. The CIHR Institute of Infection and Immunity (CIHR-III) and the CIHR HIV/AIDS and STBBI Research Initiative are both in the process of developing new strategic plans for the next five years. The strategic planning process is a valued opportunity for CIHR to engage with the health research community to hear your thoughts and feedback on research priorities. This exercise will inform CIHR strategic research investment in infection and immunity research and in HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted and blood borne infections (STBBI) research for the next 5 years. We are planning to release both plans in fall 2020, which will align with the new overall CIHR Strategic Plan 2020-2025.

Join the conversation! As part of the engagement efforts for the strategic planning process, both CIHR-III and the CIHR HIV/AIDS and STBBI Research Initiative are launching online surveys (see below) to seek your advice on research priorities. We strongly believe in the importance of engaging our community and we encourage researchers, trainees, community members, clinicians, people with lived/living experience, and policy makers to join the conversation and complete both surveys.

We acknowledge that in completing both surveys, there will be some overlap in content. We deemed this distinction necessary as the two strategic plans are separate entities, each with its own strategic objectives. While the CIHR Institute of Infection and Immunity survey will seek input on research priorities for the next 5 years in broader areas of infection and immunity research such as autoimmune diseases, antimicrobial resistance or emerging threats to name a few, the CIHR HIV/AIDS and STBBI Research Initiative survey will focus on research priorities across the continuum of care for HIV and other STBBIs. We encourage you to complete both surveys but if you are only able to complete one, we recommend you select the one that is most relevant to your research interests or the community you most identify with.

We will be hosting two informational webinars to provide more information and answer your questions on both strategic planning processes. Please use the links to register for the webinars.

We thank you in advance for participating in the strategic planning process and we look forward to working collaboratively with you to develop a common vision for infection and immunity research in Canada.

Charu Kaushic

Date modified:

2019-10-29