Research Priority Plan 2024-2029
Amplifying Impact: Leveraging Cancer Research to Enhance the Health of Canadians

Research Priority Plan 2024-2029

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Table of Contents

1. Land Acknowledgement
2. Message from the Scientific Director
3. Strategy at a Glance
4. Our Strategic Framework
5. Cancer in the 21st Century
6. The Institute & Our Community
7. Our Research Priority Setting Process
8. Priority Area 1: Refocus on Cancer Prevention, Early Detection & Risk Reduction
9. Priority Area 2: Mitigate Treatment Toxicities to Improve Cancer Survivorship
10. Priority Area 3: Transform Cancer Research Through Data Strategy & Advanced Analytics
11. Cross-Cutting Principles
12. Acknowledgements
13. Contact Us
14. Appendix A: Alignment with the CIHR Strategic Plan 2021-2031
15. Appendix B: Deliberative Dialogue Workshop Participants
16. Image Credits
17. Footnotes

Land Acknowledgement

The Institute of Cancer Research is hosted at the University Health Network in Toronto. We respectfully acknowledge that the land on which we developed our strategic research priorities is the treaty territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, and ancestral and traditional lands of the Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, Ojibway/Chippewa and Huron-Wendat Nations. As an institute with national reach, we acknowledge the ancestral and unceded territories of all the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis People from coast to coast to coast, and honour their diverse histories and cultures. Through our engagement, research, learning, and community activities, we strive for respectful relationships with all Indigenous Peoples as we continue on a path towards healing, reconciliation, and self-determination.

Message from the Scientific Director

On behalf of the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) at the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), I am excited to share our strategic research priorities for 2024-2029. As cancer remains the leading cause of death in Canada – touching the lives of millions of Canadians and their families each year – ICR continues its mission to support life-changing cancer research grounded in scientific excellence, innovation, inclusivity, and impact. Guiding this mission are our new strategic research priorities, which were shaped by the community, for the community.

These new priorities represent ICR's future directions for the ensuing five years, capitalizing on the deeper understanding of the important elements driving cancer development and progression acquired in the recent decades and increased recognition and focus on health inequities. As we embark on the next phase of cancer research, these priority areas will build on previous advancements, facilitate new innovations, identify cancer-related health equity gaps, and foster collaborative research through strategic investments, partnerships, and capacity building. Canadian cancer research is world-class. The articulated strategic goals will further strengthen Canada's global footprint as a leader in cancer research, benefiting the full diversity of cancer patients and communities nationally and around the world.

Integral to our Institute's strategic goals is the CIHR Strategic Plan 2021-2031. CIHR's vision for a healthier future can only be achieved through our shared responsibility to support research excellence, enhance Canadian health research capacity, Indigenous self-determination, health equity, and evidence-informed decision-making. These core themes are deeply embedded within our strategic research priorities, reaffirming our commitment to CIHR's vision for the best health for all, powered by outstanding research.

Following in the footsteps of exceptional scientific leadership at the Institute, it has been an honour and privilege to lead ICR's strategic priority setting process. I would like to thank our deeply talented cancer research community, our Institute Advisory Board, our patient and community partners, the ICR team, and the dedicated CIHR staff and management for their engagement and contributions in launching these new research priorities.

Each small, but meaningful step in cancer research makes a profound difference in the lives of individuals and their families impacted by cancer. Let us continue together towards our shared vision of a cancer-free world.

Fei-Fei Liu, MD, FRCPC, FASTRO, FCAHS
Scientific Director, CIHR Institute of Cancer Research

Strategy at a Glance

Despite major scientific advances in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, cancer remains the leading cause of death for Canadians and a disease whose impact has touched virtually every individual across the country.

As one of the thirteen CIHR Institutes, the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) supports a wide range of research initiatives to strengthen Canada's cancer research footprint. For more than 20 years, ICR has collaborated with its diverse cancer research community nationally and internationally and other CIHR Institutes to support world-class cancer research. In the next five years, we will build on these achievements to continue our impact on cancer control, including advancing research to gain a national understanding of cancer-related health equity gaps.

As we embark onto the next phase, ICR is excited to share its Research Priority Plan for 2024-2029, Amplifying Impact: Leveraging Cancer Research to Enhance the Health of Canadians, encompassing three key research areas:

1. Refocus on Cancer Prevention, Early Detection & Risk Reduction. We will foster interdisciplinary research on the biological mechanisms underlying cancer etiology linked with host, lifestyle, environmental, socio-economic, and other factors that will enable improvements in prevention, early detection, and risk reduction for all people. Working closely with a wide range of partners, we will strengthen capacity, mobilize knowledge, and identify and address barriers to health equity experienced by historically excluded and underserved communities.
2. Mitigate Treatment Toxicities to Improve Cancer Survivorship. We will strengthen efforts to accelerate research and build capacity in cancer survivorship by better connecting interdisciplinary researchers with diverse areas of expertise and experience and patient partners reflecting the diversity of people in Canada to acquire a deeper understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying cancer treatment toxicities.
3. Transform Cancer Research Through Data Strategy & Advanced Analytics. We will help to promote a world-class cancer research data ecosystem by engaging and convening key stakeholders and partners to build capacity, coordinate and enhance cancer research data resources, and advance the sharing and management of research data to facilitate advanced analytics.

To achieve these research priorities, ICR will play three complementary roles in the pan-Canadian cancer research ecosystem. As a Funder, we will invest in innovative, high impact research that addresses areas of important, unmet need. As a Convenor, we will connect members within and beyond our diverse cancer research community to share knowledge, technologies, and resources to identify and capitalize on new areas for collaboration. As a Catalyst, we will work closely with our partners across CIHR and beyond to put research into action. By focusing on the three key research priority areas outlined above, we are determined to amplify our impact on the Canadian cancer research landscape, and advance the world-class cancer research that the full diversity of people living in Canada both need and deserve.

Our Strategic Framework

Research Priority Areas

1. Refocus on Cancer Prevention, Early Detection & Risk Reduction
2. Mitigate Treatment Toxicities to Improve Cancer Survivorship
3. Transform Cancer Research through Data Strategy & Advanced Analytics

Cross-Cutting Principles

• Collaborations & Partnerships
• Capacity Building
• Knowledge Mobilization & Implementation
• Patient & Community Engagement
• Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
• Indigenous Peoples' Health & Well-Being & Indigenous Rights

Our Values

• Excellence & Leadership
• Commitment to Collaboration
• Respect for People
• Integrity & Accountability

Cancer in the 21st Century

Cancer remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide. In 2020, an estimated 19.3 million new cancer cases and nearly 10 million cancer deaths occurred across the world^{Footnote 1}. By 2040, 16.4 million people are expected to succumb to this disease globally^{Footnote 1}. In Canada, cancer is the leading cause of death. Approximately 2 in 5 Canadians will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime, and 1 in 4 will die of their disease^{Footnote 2}. An estimated 239,100 Canadians were expected to be diagnosed with cancer in 2023, with 86,700 deaths^{Footnote 2} – a number that is likely to be exacerbated by disruptions to cancer care during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to later-stage diagnoses^{Footnote 3}. As such, cancer poses a significant burden on both the people affected and the health care system. From a societal perspective, the economic burden of cancer in Canada is substantial – cancer-related costs were estimated to be $26.2 billion in 2021, with 30% being borne by patients and their families^{Footnote 4}.

In the past decades, remarkable progress has been made in reducing age-adjusted cancer incidence and mortality worldwide. Technological innovations and scientific breakthroughs in the understanding, prevention, detection, and treatment of cancer – ranging from increased accessibility to affordable genome sequencing, targeted immunotherapies, mRNA vaccines, artificial intelligence, circulating biomarkers, in vivo CRISPR screening, cryo-electron microscopy, and single-cell sequencing to name a few – have accelerated progress against this disease. Understanding and addressing the intersections between socio-economic, geographic, and demographic factors across the cancer continuum have also improved cancer health equity across the globe.

Canada has a strong global footprint in cancer research, contributing to transformative, world-class research and providing scientific and strategic leadership to emerging priorities and challenges. In part, due to the advances in cancer research and care in the past decades, there are currently more than 1.5 million Canadians living with and beyond cancer^{Footnote 5}. Although the age-adjusted cancer incidence is declining in Canada, the absolute number of new cancer cases and deaths continue to rise as a result of our growing and aging population^{Footnote 6}. As such, continued investment in research spanning from prevention, to early detection, treatment, and survivorship is essential to accelerating progress against cancer. This includes sustained investment to build Canada's health research capacity and inclusivity by training the next generation of cancer researchers, clinicians, and technology developers, as well as supporting critical research infrastructure.

Canada's annual investment in cancer research averages $500 million^{Footnote 7}. CIHR has invested more than $1 billion in cancer research over the past five years, supporting research that has led to many important breakthroughs for patients. Looking ahead, ICR will execute on its new strategic research priorities, working closely with its research and patient communities, national and international funding partners, other Institutes within CIHR, government departments and agencies, such as Health Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, Statistics Canada, the Canadian Institute for Health Information, the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer, the Canadian Cancer Research Alliance, the Canadian Association of Provincial Cancer Agencies, and many others, to collectively reduce the burden of cancer and maximize the benefits of cancer research for the full diversity of people living in Canada.

The Institute & Our Community

The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) is one of thirteen Institutes of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Canada's federal agency that funds all aspects of health research. ICR plays a dynamic role in strengthening Canada's cancer research footprint. We support scientific excellence across all areas of cancer research – prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, survivorship, and palliation – to reduce the growing incidence of cancer in Canada and improve the health, well-being, and health equity of people in Canada. As part of CIHR, our mandate spans all four pillars of health research (biomedical research, clinical research, health services research, and social, cultural, environmental, and population health research) and represents inter- and transdisciplinary approaches to cancer research that considers multiple contexts, perspectives, communities, and experiences. Through its role as a funder, convenor, and catalyst across the cancer ecosystem, ICR has more than 20 years of history in supporting world-class cancer research through:

• Catalyzing and supporting research
• Building Canada's health research capacity
• Scientific leadership on Government of Canada and international priorities
• Fostering national and international partnerships
• Knowledge Mobilization Activities

Cancer remains a global health challenge that requires the collective efforts of diverse stakeholders and partners. ICR brings together a community of more than 4,700 stakeholders and partners from across Canada and the world to discover, innovate, and address cancer's greatest challenges. Our diverse community represents researchers, trainees, health professionals, people with lived and living experience, families and caregivers, government departments and agencies, industry, community organizations, and funding agencies. As ICR is proudly community-oriented, the Institute offers extensive, inclusive opportunities for engagement, dialogue, and feedback to inform and support the design and delivery of all its activities. Together, ICR aims to work with its world-class community to support and magnify the impact of cancer research in Canada and around the world.

ICR's Research Priority Plan will harken a new era of diverse and innovative cancer research initiatives and infrastructure. This plan will be integral in continuing Canada's long-standing culture of research excellence and impact while supporting future generations of cancer researchers.

The strength in cancer research lies in community and collaboration. The Canadian Cancer Research Alliance is thrilled to see all of the opportunities embedded throughout ICR's Research Priority Plan to support collaborations and interdisciplinary team science, accelerating knowledge generation across the cancer continuum.

Our Research Priority Setting Process

ICR conducted a 14-month engagement process to ensure its strategic priorities for the next five years were informed by and co-created with our diverse communities of researchers, patient partners, funding partners, government, non-government and industry representatives, and international experts in cancer research, as well as in collaboration with CIHR to ensure alignment with the CIHR Strategic Plan 2021-2031.

Pan-Canadian Active Listening Tour

Throughout November 2022 to April 2023, more than 250 members of our diverse research community, including researchers, patient partners, Indigenous communities, and funding partners across Canada provided their thoughts and perspectives on the current cancer research landscape, challenges and opportunities, and where funding and support from ICR would be most impactful. The pan-Canadian insights highlighted three potential research priority areas to be further developed and refined.

Deliberative Dialogue Workshop (DDW)

In June 2023, more than 100 attendees joined ICR in a one-and-a-half-day hybrid workshop fostering inclusive and wide-ranging discussions among diverse members of the cancer research and patient communities. The workshop focused on the three preliminary research priority areas, exploring their unique opportunities and challenges, and how they fit into the broader Canadian, and international cancer research landscape to ensure ICR continues to strategically and equitably enhance support for the cancer research community.

Community Engagement Survey

In July 2023, ICR launched a bilingual Community Engagement Survey to ensure broader community participation and the opportunity to further build upon the Pan-Canadian Active Listening Tour and DDW insights.

Guidance & Endorsement from ICR's Institute Advisory Board

Throughout our engagement process, we sought guidance from our Institute Advisory Board members to help inform, improve, and ultimately endorse the development and finalization of ICR's three research priority areas whilst ensuring alignment with the CIHR Strategic Plan.

Witnessing the wealth of knowledge, exchange, and collaboration that was generated during the research priority setting process was incredible. It speaks volumes to the extraordinary engagement of the cancer research community in Canada and its passion for advancing cancer research.

Offering my perspective in the research priority setting process was a watershed moment in my advocacy journey. As a cancer survivor, seeing cancer survivorship represented in this plan makes me feel seen and validated. It will help foster meaningful partnerships between patient advocates and researchers.

Priority Area 1: Refocus on Cancer Prevention, Early Detection & Risk Reduction

Cancer is a complex and constantly evolving disease defined by a multitude of cancer types, each characterized by unique biological mechanisms linking host, lifestyle, environmental, socio-economic, and other factors that contribute to cancer development and progression. The World Health Organization reports that between 30-50% of cancer deaths are related to modifiable risk factor exposures, and implementing existing evidence-based prevention strategies could be impactful.^{Footnote 8} Similarly, in Canada, it is estimated that approximately 4 in 10 cancer cases can be potentially prevented by modifying lifestyle and avoiding environmental and communicable risk factors.^{Footnote 9}

In the past decades, significant insights have been acquired through integrative multi-omics approaches in cancer research to identify patient subgroups and mechanisms underlying cancer development. We are now at a watershed moment, where we can harness these insights and bring them to bear to advance cancer prevention. The development and uptake of better diagnostic tools and more effective risk reduction measures will require a deeper understanding of the biological mechanisms linked with host, lifestyle, environmental, socio-economic, and other factors that underpin cancer development and progression across the diverse population of Canada. Significantly enhanced investment in cancer prevention and early detection research in Canada (Figure 1)^{Footnote 7} will be critical in generating evidence that will drive personalized approaches to cancer screening and risk reduction, and help inform public health efforts that will promote uptake of these strategies. Accelerating research in this domain with the aim of reducing the incidence of cancer will ultimately change the trajectory of this disease for many Canadians and beyond.

Figure 1: Canadian Cancer Research Investment in Operating Grants by Common Scientific Outline Category based on the 2005-2019 CCRA Canadian Cancer Research Survey ($M)

ICR's Strategic Direction

Over the next five years, ICR will invest to advance research in cancer prevention, early detection, and risk reduction by better connecting researchers with diverse expertise, whose collaborative efforts are required to harness biological insights linked with host, lifestyle, environmental, socio-economic, and other factors to drive innovations in the prevention and early detection of cancer. ICR will work closely with a wide range of partners across and beyond the Canadian cancer research and patient communities to build capacity and mobilize knowledge in the areas of cancer prevention, early detection, and risk reduction, with the aim of also improving health equity in underserved communities and historically excluded populations. From researchers to trainees, and from patients and caregivers to clinicians and policy makers, we believe that diverse voices bring valuable insights. Only by proactively, equitably, and inclusively engaging a range of partners and collaborators will we be able to amplify the impact of our work.

Alignment to CIHR's 2021-2031 Strategic Plan

Aligned with CIHR's priority to advance research excellence in all its diversity,^{Footnote 11} ICR is committed to strengthening support for inter- and transdisciplinary team science and enhancing national and international research collaborations. ICR will convene experts and knowledge users with diverse backgrounds from multiple specialties and communities to define and address research priorities within cancer prevention and early detection that would be most pertinent to Canada. ICR shares CIHR's commitment to strengthening Canada's health research capacity by supporting the current and next generation of researchers to collaborate and lead in prevention and early detection research. We also actively support CIHR's mandate to foster and enable the mobilization of new knowledge to equitably and inclusively improve the health of people in Canada and throughout the world.

ICR's full alignment with CIHR's strategic priorities can be found in Appendix A.

Goals

1. Advance the understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying cancer development linked with host, lifestyle, environmental, socio-economic, and other factors to enable improvements in cancer prevention, early detection, and risk reduction.
2. Foster and enable team science, specifically between biomedical researchers and researchers in health services and population and public health.
3. Bridge the gap between research and clinical/public health practice through knowledge mobilization and implementation.

Actions

1. Encourage new inter- and transdisciplinary research initiatives to bring biology to cancer prevention and early detection.
2. Build relationships and platforms to better connect researchers with diverse areas of expertise and experience.
3. Advance community engagement throughout the research process.
4. Support capacity-building initiatives.

Measures of Success

1 – 3 Years

• Increased number of inter- and transdisciplinary research initiatives focused on cancer prevention, early detection, and risk reduction to foster integration across discovery, clinical, translational, health services, and population health research.
• Growth in the number of research initiatives facilitating capacity building in prevention and early detection research inclusive of the full diversity of people in Canada.

5 Years

• Increased number of research trials focused on novel cancer prevention and early detection strategies and tools involving a diversity of populations.
• Increased number of collaborations or partnerships between researchers and industry to accelerate prevention and early detection research.
• Growth in the number of accessible, inclusive knowledge mobilization activities within prevention and early detection research.

Impact

Improved public awareness of cancer prevention and early detection strategies, leading to their increased utilization, and continued reduction in age-standardized incidence of cancer amongst the diversity of people living in Canada.

Cancer prevention research has tremendous capacity to alter the health trajectories of millions of Canadians. Advancing our understanding of what factors impact cancer risk and how we can translate these research findings into public health and practice is a timely scientific endeavor.

Priority Area 2: Mitigate Treatment Toxicities to Improve Cancer Survivorship

The number of Canadians living with or beyond cancer has now climbed to more than 1.5 million,^{Footnote 5} reflecting the significant advancements made in screening, early detection, therapeutics, and supportive care. There is growing recognition that the journey of cancer survivorship is complex; people living with and beyond cancer may experience symptoms and challenges in the months and years following treatment, significantly impacting their quality of life. In 2018, an estimated 8 in 10 Canadians with cancer reported physical challenges after their treatment ended, and 7 in 10 experienced emotional difficulties, including depression.^{Footnote 12} Furthermore, the advent of new cancer treatments, such as immunotherapy, can also give rise to new toxicities not previously linked to cancer therapies. Health outcomes can be further influenced not only by pre-existing conditions and genetic predispositions, but also by a wide range of other social, cultural, environmental, structural, and biological determinants of health.

Over the past decade, significant inroads have been made in understanding the basic mechanisms of disease states, ranging from immunologic to metabolic dysregulations that may underpin the development of toxicities and adverse effects from cancer treatments. We are on the cusp of understanding how and why side effects occur in certain patients and developing personalized strategies to mitigate and even prevent them. As such, focused efforts to invest in cancer survivorship research in Canada will generate the evidence needed to improve the quality of survival for many people in Canada. As the cancer survivor population grows, health system leaders will face multiple interconnected challenges, from long-term patient monitoring and caregiver support to health care planning and the provision of support services. A better understanding of the impact of cancer and its treatment on peoples' lives taking into account determinants of health and health inequities will be imperative to inform policy and practice, and ultimately bring about the desired improvements in survivorship care and outcomes.

ICR's Strategic Direction

Over the next five years, ICR will strengthen efforts to accelerate research and build capacity in cancer survivorship by better connecting researchers with diverse areas of expertise and experience with knowledge users, whose collaboration is required to integrate biology and determinants of health with survivorship. ICR will proactively engage patients as partners in research, whose input will be pivotal in helping researchers embed patient perspectives in prioritizing areas of focus, designing studies, and measuring progress and impact. This collaborative approach ensures that research and care align with the needs of Canada's growing and diverse cancer survivor population.

Alignment to CIHR's 2021-2031 Strategic Plan

ICR shares CIHR's commitment to support a more inclusive, comprehensive concept of research excellence that embeds the principles of equity, diversity, inclusion, and Indigenous rights.^{Footnote 11} ICR will engage patients, caregivers, health care providers, researchers, policy makers, and the public as active and ongoing collaborators across our activities as we aim to accelerate survivorship research that considers the determinants of health across the life course and addresses health equity gaps that exist in Canada, with the ultimate goal of informing health practice and policy. Aligned with CIHR's priority to strengthen Canada's health research capacity, ICR will also enhance its efforts to support the current and next generation of researchers reflective of the diversity of people in Canada to collaborate and lead in cancer survivorship research.

ICR's full alignment with CIHR's strategic priorities can be found in Appendix A.

Goals

1. Advance the understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying cancer treatment toxicities linked with host, lifestyle, environmental, socio-economic, and other factors to enable improvements in cancer survivorship.
2. Identify biomarkers for personalized care and treatment decision-making to improve outcomes.
3. Prioritize the early engagement of a diversity of people with lived and living experience throughout the research process to enhance cancer-related health equity.

Actions

1. Encourage inter- and transdisciplinary research initiatives to bring biology to cancer survivorship, and to define optimal models of care.
2. Create opportunities to achieve enhanced participation of a diversity of historically excluded and underserved patient partners and groups in survivorship research.
3. Foster meaningful connections between ICR, its researchers, and patient partners.
4. Leverage existing resources and build capacity to strengthen survivorship research.

Measures of Success

1 – 3 Years

• Increased number of inter- and transdisciplinary research initiatives focused on cancer survivorship to foster integration across discovery, clinical, translational, health services, and population health research.
• Increased number of targeted research initiatives facilitating enhanced participation of diverse patient partner groups.
• Growth in the number of research initiatives facilitating capacity building in survivorship research.

5 Years

• Increased number of research trials focused on novel cancer survivorship strategies and tools.
• Growth in the number of collaborations established between ICR, its researchers, and patient partners, with both groups reflective of the diversity of people in Canada.
• Increased number of care and support models for improved cancer survivorship across the country.

Impact

Enhanced quality of life of Canadians living with and beyond cancer through the development and utilization of tools that leverage personalized medicine to better predict, prevent, and manage treatment toxicities and adverse effects.

As a young mother living with metastatic breast cancer, it brings our family hope for the future knowing that ICR is committed to world-class cancer research with a specific focus on mitigating toxicities and improving survivorship, including a 5-year strategic plan rooted in collaboration and partnerships.

Priority Area 3: Transform Cancer Research Through Data Strategy & Advanced Analytics

Big data and data science are transforming the cancer landscape. By enabling the analysis of large-scale data sets, data science has opened new possibilities for cancer research and care, leading to potential breakthroughs in prevention, detection, diagnosis, and treatment. With more data being generated now than ever, it is imperative that Canada has a clear roadmap to guide efforts to enhance the collection, integration, sharing, and use of cancer data, with the ultimate aim of achieving equitable, and improved health outcomes for the full diversity of people in Canada. The Pan-Canadian Health Data Charter highlights a national path forward for strengthening the health data foundations in the country.^{Footnote 13} The Pan-Canadian Cancer Data Strategy – led by the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer and the Canadian Cancer Society – lays strong foundations for a cancer-specific data strategy focusing primarily on administrative data, and highlights First Nations, Inuit, and Métis-led efforts to advance data and data governance in Canada.^{Footnote 14} With Canada's rich reservoir of cancer research data and an evolving data science community, continued efforts to improve timely access and effective linkages and interoperability of data and data systems, as well as building data science and analytics capacity within the cancer research community, will be essential to capitalize on the full value of cancer data and maximize the benefits of cancer research for all Canadians.

ICR's Strategic Direction

Over the next five years, ICR will invest in efforts to foster a world-class cancer research data ecosystem in Canada. Building on existing resources and frameworks set by the Pan-Canadian Health Data Charter and the Pan-Canadian Cancer Data Strategy, we will engage and convene key stakeholders and partners to better understand the breadth of all cancer research data resources across the country, as well as advance the sharing and management of research data within our research ecosystem. We will bring together Canada's research data centres, networks, alliances, and initiatives to identify opportunities for collaboration and innovation, as well as recognize data gaps that need to be addressed. Examples include but are not limited to the CIHR-funded Pan-Canadian Genome Library, the Digital Health and Discovery Platform, the Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Network, Genome Canada, the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health, the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, and the Digital Research Alliance of Canada. ICR will support capacity building initiatives to enhance data literacy within its community, as well as support the current and next generation of researchers to acquire the expertise and skillsets needed to integrate data science and advanced analytics into their research and deploy them into the clinical realm.

Alignment to CIHR's 2021-2031 Strategic Plan

Aligned with CIHR's priority to strengthen Canada's health research capacity,^{Footnote 11} ICR is committed to establishing training and career supports that enable the current and next generation of researchers to collaborate and lead in leveraging data science and advanced analytics for cancer research. ICR also shares CIHR's commitment to promoting the accessibility of research data through open science and helping its diverse research community make more effective use of existing cancer data and expertise through national and international collaborations and partnerships. As we engage diverse stakeholders and partners across Canada's robust cancer research data ecosystem, ICR will promote First Nations, Inuit, and Métis data governance and self-determination in health research and foster the sharing of expertise and resources, including data analyses addressing intersectionality, to improve the health of people in Canada and beyond.

ICR's full alignment with CIHR's strategic priorities can be found in Appendix A.

Goals

1. Foster open science by supporting and extending national efforts to ensure the appropriate management and sharing of data.
2. Enhance data literacy and resource utilization across the cancer research community.
3. Promote the responsible use of advanced analytics across the entire spectrum of cancer research.

Actions

1. Engage and collaborate with key stakeholders and partners to establish a comprehensive understanding of data assets across Canada through the creation of a pan-Canadian cancer data asset map.
2. Bring the cancer research perspective and key stakeholders and partners to national efforts to foster open science and data sharing, as well as to advance the role of artificial intelligence in health care in Canada.
3. Support researchers interested in integrating inclusive, intersectional, and innovative skillsets, technologies, and methods in data science and advanced analytics into their research.

Measures of Success

1 – 3 Years

• Growth in the awareness of available data assets across Canada with more researchers leveraging existing resources and infrastructure.
• Increased number of studies reporting on shared health research data.
• Enhanced awareness and implementation of best practices for data management and sharing in cancer research.

5 Years

• Growth in the integration of skillsets, technologies, and methods utilizing data science and advanced analytics in cancer research and their application in health care.
• Progress towards development of a national research data infrastructure through collaborations within and beyond CIHR to harmonize data standards and execute on a united Pan-Canadian Cancer Research Data Strategy.
• Demonstrated value and impact of responsible advanced analytics in cancer research and care delivery.

Impact

A better coordinated and more effective approach to streamlining the collection, integration, and use of cancer data across Canada to build a cohesive cancer research data ecosystem that includes access to disaggregated data and can provide equity-driven insights to optimize cancer care and inform policies that will improve the health of the full diversity of people living in Canada.

A priority grounded in cancer data will catalyze discovery and innovation in the Canadian cancer research landscape. This priority reinforces the importance of our collective action to uncover how advanced analytics and cancer data come together to accelerate cancer research, transforming the cancer experience for everyone in Canada.

Cross-Cutting Principles

Our cross-cutting principles shape all aspects of ICR's activities and engagement with our cancer research and patient communities, and will drive each of our Research Priority Areas.

Collaborations & Partnerships

Identifying, building, and strengthening collaborations and partnerships lie at the heart of all our activities. From researchers, people with lived and living experience, government and community organizations, industry, funding agencies, to other CIHR Institutes, ICR is committed to meaningfully consulting and engaging its diverse communities to collectively explore opportunities for collaboration and innovation, enhance and mobilize knowledge and resources, build capacity, and promote evidence-informed practices and policies that equitably and inclusively address the needs of all people impacted by cancer.

Capacity Building

Working in an ever-evolving cancer landscape, equipping the current and next generation of researchers with the skills and expertise to lead cancer research in the 21st century is a priority for ICR. We are committed to strengthening Canada's cancer research capacity by enhancing training and delivering career support to researchers at every stage of their careers, with a focus on under-represented groups, trainees, and early career researchers.

Knowledge Mobilization & Implementation

ICR is committed to pairing research with active knowledge mobilization to close the gap between discovery and impact. We will strive to facilitate the mobilization of new knowledge into Canada's health systems so that timely and accurate information reaches diverse communities, permitting individuals to make informed decisions about their health, and assisting policy makers and health care providers to translate research-generated insights into new policies and equitable and inclusive clinical care delivery.

Patient & Community Engagement

ICR prioritizes and values collaboration with our patient partners and broader communities. Actively engaging patients and community stakeholders and partners early and often in the research process will ensure that our activities are informed, relevant, impactful, and ultimately focused on meeting the needs and preferences of those impacted by cancer.

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

ICR underscores that the principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion are central to all of our activities and goals, ranging from identifying and designing research initiatives and teams, to peer-review panels, knowledge mobilization, partnerships, and community engagement. We will foster a research culture that is inclusive and equitable and capitalizes on the full breadth of Canada's diverse scientific talent and communities.

Indigenous Peoples' Health & Well-Being & Indigenous Rights

Guided by a commitment to reconciliation and allyship, ICR will respectfully engage Indigenous communities as active partners for collaboration in distinction-based research activities, ensuring our approach and actions are inclusive and respectful of Indigenous cultures, beliefs, values, and knowledge systems.

Acknowledgements

ICR would like to extend our sincere gratitude to members of the cancer research community who shared their expertise and insights with us during our strategic priority setting process, and will continue to support the delivery of our activities. These members include researchers, health professionals, people with lived and living experience, caregivers, national and international partners, trainees, Indigenous communities, industry, governmental policy makers, members of the public, as well as our CIHR Integrated Institute Team and other CIHR Institutes and staff. We also give special thanks to the ICR Institute Advisory Board for their ongoing support and guidance. All of your collective wisdom and contributions have been critical in defining and shaping our strategic goals and research priorities for 2024-2029.

Participants of the Engagement Process

• Nova Scotia Engagement Workshop
  November 2, 2022
• British Columbia Engagement Workshop
  November 7, 2022
• Quebec Engagement Workshop
  November 14-15, 2022
• Ottawa Engagement Workshop
  December 13, 2022
• Ontario Engagement Workshops
  January 11 & March 9, 2023
• Alberta Engagement Workshop
  February 8-9, 2023
• Manitoba Engagement Workshop
  February 28-March 1, 2023
• Saskatchewan Engagement Workshop
  March 29, 2023
• Indigenous Community Engagements
  January 9, February 3 & March 10, 2023
• Patient Partners Focus Groups
  February 3 & 10, 2023
• National Partners Engagements
  October 2, 2022, April 26 & July 25, 2023
• International Partners Engagements
  March 2 & April 15-17, 2023
• Deliberative Dialogue Workshop (DDW)
  June 20-21, 2023
• Community Engagement Survey
  July 2023

The full list of DDW participants can be found in Appendix B.

Institute Advisory Board

• Christine Williams (Chair)
  Ontario Institute for Cancer Research
• Nathalie Baudais
  City of Saskatoon
• Parveen Bhatti
  BC Cancer
• Juliet Daniel
  McMaster University
• Bertrand Jean-Claude
  McGill University Health Centre
• Trevor Pugh
  Ontario Institute for Cancer Research
• Robin Urquhart
  Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Institute
• Hanne Ostergaard (Vice-Chair)
  University of Alberta
• Jason Berman
  CHEO Research Institute
• Kimberley Brewer
  IWK Health Science Centre
• Martin Hirst
  BC Cancer Genome Sciences Centre
• Erika Penz
  University of Saskatchewan
• Lee-Hwa Tai
  University of Sherbrooke

Institute Staff

• Fei-Fei Liu
  Scientific Director
• Kelly Hancock
  Business Officer
• Shirley Chung
  Research Associate
• Emma Ito
  Assistant Director
• Brooke Low
  Communications Specialist and Project Coordinator
• Naseem Shaikh
  Event and Project Coordinator

Special Thanks

• Canadian Cancer Society
• Cancer Research Society
• CIHR Integrated Institute Team
• Fuselight Creative
• Santis Health
• Taylor MacLean
• Terry Fox Research Institute

Contact Us

CIHR Institute of Cancer Research
University Health Network
700 University Avenue, 4th Floor, Room 4-095
Toronto, ON M5G 1Z5

Email: cihr.icr@uhn.ca

Phone: 1-888-603-4178

X: @CIHR_ICR

Appendix A: Alignment with the CIHR Strategic Plan 2021-2031

Appendix B: Deliberative Dialogue Workshop Participants

• Deborah Anderson
  Saskatchewan Cancer Agency
• Michelle Audoin
  Patient Partner
• Rebecca Auer
  Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
• Vicky auf der Mauer
  Patient Partner
• Philip Awadalla
  Ontario Institute for Cancer Research
• Versha Banerji
  University of Manitoba
• Jill Barnholtz-Sloan
  National Cancer Institute
• Christian Baron
  Canadian Institutes of Health Research
• Gerald Batist
  McGill University
• Nathalie Baudais
  Patient Partner
• John Bell
  Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
• Jason Berman
  CHEO Research Institute; ICR Institute Advisory Board
• Parveen Bhatti
  BC Cancer Research Institute; ICR Institute Advisory Board
• Jeanette Boudreau
  Dalhousie University
• Judy Bray
  Canadian Cancer Society
• Darren Brenner
  University of Calgary
• Kimberly Brewer
  Dalhousie University; ICR Institute Advisory Board
• Philip Castle
  National Cancer Institute
• Dean Chamberlain
  Saskatchewan Cancer Agency
• An-Wen Chan
  University of Toronto
• Jennifer Chan
  University of Calgary
• Stephen Chanock
  National Cancer Institute
• Victor Chong
  Merck
• Nabilah Chowdhury
  Canadian Institute for Advanced Research
• Sherri Christian
  Memorial University of Newfoundland
• Amy Clark
  Patient Partner
• Kelly Cobey
  University of Ottawa Heart Institute
• Jennifer Couch
  National Cancer Institute
• Kerry Courneya
  University of Alberta
• Ekaterina Dadachova
  University of Saskatchewan
• Juliet Daniel
  McMaster University; ICR Institute Advisory Board
• Tanja Davidsen
  National Cancer Institute
• Paul Demers
  Ontario Health
• Trevor Dummer
  University of British Columbia
• Alison Dungey
  AstraZeneca
• Craig Earle
  Canadian Partnership Against Cancer
• Stuart Edmonds
  Canadian Cancer Society
• Jill Edmondson
  Patient Partner
• Jodi Edwards
  University of Ottawa Heart Institute
• Thomas Flannery
  Patient Partner
• Eduardo Franco
  McGill University
• Andrew Freywald
  University of Saskatchewan
• Christine Friedenreich
  Alberta Health Services
• Katherine Frohlich
  University of Montreal; Canadian Institutes of Health Research
• Chantelle Garritty
  Public Health Agency of Canada
• Ron Geyer
  University of Saskatchewan
• Spencer Gibson
  University of Alberta
• Satish Gopal
  National Cancer Institute
• Robert Grant
  Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
• Jennifer Gunning
  Canadian Institutes of Health Research
• Benjamin Haibe-Kains
  Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
• Sean Hanlon
  National Cancer Institute
• Shane Harding
  Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
• Denise Hemmings
  University of Alberta
• Jason Hicks
  The Atlantic Partnership for Tomorrow's Health Study
• Bertrand Jean-Claude
  McGill University; ICR Institute Advisory Board
• Jennifer Jones
  Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
• Angela Kaida
  Canadian Institutes of Health Research
• Sachin Katyal
  University of Manitoba
• John Kildea
  McGill University
• David Kirsch
  Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
• Sonny Kohli
  Roche Canada
• Jennifer Kwan
  University of Toronto
• Cheng-Han Lee
  University of Alberta
• Stephen Lewis
  Atlantic Cancer Research Institute
• Peter Liu
  University of Ottawa Heart Institute
• Benjamin Lok
  Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
• Jean-Yves Masson
  Laval University
• John McLaughlin
  University of Toronto
• Rachel Murphy
  University of British Columbia
• Paul Nathan
  SickKids
• Dajan O'Donnell
  Cancer Research Society
• Hanne Ostergaard
  University of Alberta; ICR Institute Advisory Board
• Anbalakan Paramasivam
  Cancer Research UK
• Morag Park
  McGill University
• Stuart Peacock
  Simon Fraser University & BC Cancer
• Erika Penz
  University of Saskatchewan; ICR Institute Advisory Board
• Lynne-Marie Postovit
  Queen's University
• Carla Prado
  University of Alberta
• Angus Pratt
  Patient Partner
• Laszlo Radvanyi
  Ontario Institute for Cancer Research
• Srinivas Raman
  Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
• Lana Ray
  Lakehead University
• Zeev Rosberger
  McGill University
• George Ross
  Digital Research Alliance of Canada
• Bertrand Routy
  University of Montreal Health Centre
• Aaron Schimmer
  Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
• Jan Seuntjens
  Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
• Lillian Siu
  Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
• Victoria Smith
  Digital Research Alliance of Canada
• Michael Strong
  Canadian Institutes of Health Research
• Ellen Sweeney
  Dalhousie University
• Lee-Hwa Tai
  University of Sherbrooke; ICR Institute Advisory Board
• Sara Urowitz
  Canadian Partnership Against Cancer
• Robin Urquhart
  Dalhousie University; ICR Institute Advisory Board
• Christiane Vaillancourt
  Canadian Institutes of Health Research
• Jennifer Vena
  Alberta Health Services
• Daryl Waggott
  Genome Canada
• Peter Watson
  BC Cancer
• Michael Weinfeld
  University of Alberta
• Christine Williams
  Ontario Institute for Cancer Research; ICR Institute Advisory Board
• Philip Wong
  Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
• Jim Woodgett
  Terry Fox Research Institute
• Bradly Wouters
  University Health Network
• Lin Yang
  Alberta Health Services
• Kenneth Yip
  University of Toronto

Image Credits

Canadian Cancer Society

Date modified:

2024-02-05