The Collaborative Health Research Projects Program - Evaluation Summary

About the Collaborative Health Research Projects (CHRP) Program

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) launched the Collaborative Health Research Projects (CHRP) program in 1999. The CHRP program supports interdisciplinary collaborative research, involving any field of the natural sciences or engineering, and any field of the health sciences, to facilitate the transfer and translation of knowledge; generate health and economic benefits for Canadians; create more effective health services and products; and/or strengthen the health care system.

Results: What We Found

Recommendations and Management Response

  1. CIHR and NSERC should review the CHRP program objectives and identify the best ways to achieve these objectives, either through redesign of the program or delivery via other funding opportunities.

    Response: Management agrees and CIHR will lead, in collaboration with NSERC, the identification of existing and emerging programs across the Tri-agencies that support interdisciplinary research and integrate learnings from the evaluation into funding programs that support interdisciplinary research.

  2. Performance measurement and data availability related to the CHRP program should be strengthened.

    1. CIHR needs to improve the performance measurement of the CHRP program and enhance the way that data is collected related to collaborations and partnerships as well as longer term outcomes (i.e., innovations and health care efficiencies) to better monitor the impact of CHRP program funding.
    2. NSERC and CIHR need to establish a means by which to improve the consistency of data collection, data management and data sharing processes related to the CHRP program.

    Response: Management agrees and CIHR will lead, in collaboration with NSERC, exploring options for enhancing the agencies’ ability to collect, manage and share data on interdisciplinary research.

About the Evaluation

CIHR's Evaluation Unit conducted the evaluation in 2019, in collaboration with the NSERC-SSHRC Evaluation Division, to meet requirements of the Policy on Results and provide Tri-agency senior management with valid, insightful and actionable findings regarding:

Scope

  • Covered the period from 2009-10 to 2017-18
  • Second evaluation since the program's inception in 1999; recent grants awarded by SSHRC (2018) were out of scope

Methodology

  • Analyses of documents, end of award reports and other administrative data
  • Surveys of award recipients and applicants, co-applicants, application partners, and trainees
  • Key informant interviews

Associated Links

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