2023 to 2024 Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy Report

Table of Contents

• Introduction to the 2023 to 2024 Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy Report
• Commitments for Canadian Institutes of Health Research
  • Goal 4: Promote knowledge and skills for sustainable development
  • Goal 10: Advance reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples and take action on inequality
  • Goal 12: Reduce waste and transition to zero-emission vehicles
  • Goal 13: Take action on climate change and its impacts
• Integrating Sustainable Development

Introduction to the 2023 to 2024 Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy Report

The 2022 to 2026 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS) presents the Government of Canada's sustainable development goals and targets, as required by the Federal Sustainable Development Act. This is the first FSDS to be framed using the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations 2030 Agenda and provides a balanced view of the environmental, social, and economic dimensions of sustainable development.

In keeping with the purpose of the Act, to make decision-making related to sustainable development more transparent and accountable to Parliament, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) supports the goals laid out in the FSDS through the activities described in CIHR's 2023 to 2027 Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy (DSDS). This Report provides a report on progress related to CIHR's DSDS in the fiscal year 2023 to 2024.

The Federal Sustainable Development Act also sets out seven principles that must be considered in the development of the FSDS as well as DSDSs. These basic principles have been considered and incorporated in CIHR's DSDS and 2023 to 2024 DSDS Report.

To promote coordinated action on sustainable development across the Government of Canada, CIHR's departmental strategy reports on Canada's progress towards implementing the 2030 Agenda and advancing the SDGs, supported by the Global Indicator Framework (GIF) and Canadian Indicator Framework (CIF) targets and indicators. The Report also now captures progress on SDG initiatives that fall outside the scope of the FSDS.

Commitments for Canadian Institutes of Health Research

Goal 4: Promote knowledge and skills for sustainable development

FSDS Context:

In support of this goal to promote knowledge and skills for sustainable development, CIHR invests in health research and training to support the creation of new knowledge and its translation into improved health for Canadians. The Agency has launched several initiatives in recent years with ongoing support for research and training in the environmental and sustainable development sector, including:

• The Environmental and Health Signature Initiative (EHSI) that aims to bring together information and understand how the environment contributes to health and disease across the life course; identify new methods to measure the environment and its effects and new ways to prevent or treat diseases caused by harmful environmental exposures; and improve overall health, health equity and quality of life. The EHSI is grounded in a nexus approach to signal the importance of interacting environmental exposures, and the need to examine cumulative exposures across the life course. A nexus approach highlights the interdependence of actions taken by multiple sectors and the necessity of cross-sector collaboration in tackling environmental problems.
• Two initiatives have been launched in support of the Government of Canada's Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change, by funding environments and health research:
  • The Food Security and Climate Change in the Canadian North Initiative supports research that will provide a deeper understanding of food security and climate change in the Canadian North, with a focus on Indigenous populations (i.e., First Nations, Inuit, and Métis), and to support the development of effective approaches, programs, and policies to address the issue.
  • The Research Network on Lyme Disease funding opportunity established a Network to generate new knowledge to improve the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme Disease in Canada. Given that changing climate and weather patterns affect the emergence and re-emergence of vector-borne diseases, including Lyme disease, the Research Network on Lyme Disease is well-positioned to contribute research evidence related to the health impacts of climate change.
• The Healthy Cities Research Initiative (HCRI) focuses on how urban environments have the potential to become engines of good health and health equity. Governments and communities can harness this potential by promoting physical activities, healthy eating, social connectivity, economic opportunity, and injury prevention as well as access to health services, clean air, nutritious food, and green space. The HCRI has the overarching goal of improving health in Canada by ensuring urban environments are maximizing their health-promoting potential and minimizing their harms. CIHR continues to support HCRI through a series of funding opportunities, grants and fellowships including the Healthy Cities Research Training Platform.

• Implementation Strategy

  Support youth skill development in environmental sectors

  Departmental Action

  Support students at every stage of study, help develop research skills and assist in the training of highly qualified personnel in environmental sectors.

  Programs:

  • Investigator-Initiated Research
  • Training and Career Support
  • Research in Priority Areas
  Performance Indicator/Starting Point/Target

  Performance indicator: Number of supported research trainees working on projects related to environment and/or sustainable development. Progress towards target is reported by fiscal years.

  Starting point: Baseline based on average of the last three fiscal years of available data (from 2019 to 2022):

  • Indirect^{Footnote *} trainees – 76 per fiscal year
  • Direct^{Footnote *} trainees – 25.7 per fiscal year

  Target: Maintain current level through to 2027^{Footnote *}

  How the departmental action contributes to the FSDS goal and target and, where applicable, to Canada's 2030 Agenda National Strategy and SDGs

  This departmental action contributes to FSDS Goal 4 by funding research in health, environment and sustainable development that in turn supports research trainees and students. By preparing young Canadians for success in this high-growth sector, CIHR will contribute to increasing the number of STEM graduates in Canada.

  Relevant targets or ambitions:

  GIF Target:

  • 4.4 By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship.
  • 4.7 By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture's contribution to sustainable development.
  Results achieved

  Indicator result:

  • Indirect Trainees: Data will be available in 2024–25
  • Direct Trainees: 35 per fiscal year

  Notes:

  • Due to the methodology for collecting and validating data for Indirect Trainees data, 2023–24 results will be published in 2024–25.
  • Breakdown of direct trainees by type and number (per fiscal year):
    • 12 Masters
    • 15 Doctoral
    • 8 Postdoctoral

• Implementation Strategy

  Work with partners on sustainable development research initiatives

  Departmental Action

  Support team-led research projects on sustainable development.

  Programs:

  • Investigator-Initiated Research
  • Training and Career Support
  • Research in Priority Areas
  Performance Indicator/Starting Point/Target

  Performance indicator: Annual number of partners on research projects related to sustainable development.

  Starting point: Baseline based on average of the last three fiscal years of available data (from 2019 to 2022):

  • 7.7 Partners per fiscal year

  Target: Maintain current level through to 2027^{Footnote *}

  How the departmental action contributes to the FSDS goal and target and, where applicable, to Canada's 2030 Agenda National Strategy and SDGs

  This departmental action contributes to the FSDS Goal 4 by supporting environmental research by leveraging Canadian and international research partnerships and funds projects that address identified research gaps. This will in turn support increased research outputs and publications, thus increasing Canada's Average Relative Citation (target).

  Relevant targets or ambitions:

  GIF Target:

  • 4.4 By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship.
  • 4.7 By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture's contribution.
  Results achieved

  Indicator result:

  Number of partners: 0

  Notes:

  Although there were no partners reported in 2023–24, CIHR will continue to strive to meet the target^{Footnote *} in subsequent years.

Goal 10: Advance reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples and take action on inequality

FSDS Context:

As stated in the CIHR 2021-2031 Strategic Plan, achieving a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive Canadian research enterprise is essential to creating excellent, innovative, and impactful research necessary to advance knowledge and understanding, and respond to the local, national, and global sustainable development challenges. CIHR supports the Government of Canada's goal of advancing reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples and taking action to reduce inequality by removing systemic barriers to accessing research funding and embracing a diversity of perspectives to enhance the participation and retention of outstanding researchers from all under-represented groups. This ensures that we are capitalizing on the full extent of Canada's tremendous scientific talent.

CIHR remains committed to advancing Indigenous self-determination in health research and embedding Indigenous ways of knowing, learning and healing in its research programs. Through the Agency's priority to Accelerate the Self-Determination of Indigenous Peoples in Health Research, and as established in the CIHR Strategic Plan 2021-2031, CIHR works towards a 10-year vision whereby Indigenous communities will lead health research that focuses on resilience, wellness, and Indigenous Ways of Knowing, resulting in equitable health outcomes – something that has not been achieved in our lifetime. Results achieved from initiatives and directed grants contribute to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and advancement of the SDGs. These are interlaced throughout CIHR's work by engaging meaningfully with First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities to build foundational capacity for research and knowledge mobilization. Building these meaningful and collaborative relationships will promote well-being throughout the health research ecosystem further advancing reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples.

In parallel, CIHR's Gender Equity Framework launched in 2016, aims to address gender equity challenges in funding competition success rates, amount of grant funding and the health research enterprise. This strategy contributes to advancing the CIF ambitions to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls, as well as the GIF to end all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere.

With Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), CIHR continues to establish equity, diversity and inclusion in the research system by delivering a variety of initiatives. For example, the Tri-Agency pilot funding opportunity EDI Institutional Capacity Building Grants was designed to support post-secondary research institutions to identify and eliminate systemic barriers that impede the career advancement, recruitment, and retention of underrepresented and/or disadvantaged groups, aligning CIF ambitions to ensure an inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

The Tri-Agencies are also delivering new funding, stemming from Budget 2022, to support Black scholars at the undergraduate, masters, doctoral, and postdoctoral and post-health professional degree stages through existing scholarship and fellowship programs. This funding is contributing to strengthening the research capacity of Black scholars and enriching Canadian research and innovation.

In addition, in 2022 CIHR launched the National Women's Health Research Initiative, a joint partnership with Women and Gender Equality Canada, which is advancing a coordinated research program to address under-researched and high-priority areas of women's and gender-diverse people's health and ensures new evidence improves women's and gender-diverse people's care and health outcomes.

• Implementation Strategy

  Implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act

• Departmental Action

  Support research training and research into Indigenous health and/or research by Indigenous researchers.

  Programs:

  • Investigator-Initiated Research
  • Training and Career Support
  • Research in Priority Areas
• Performance Indicator/Starting Point/Target

  Performance indicator: Percentage of research investments in grants and awards addressing Indigenous health.

  Starting point: 4.6% as of 2016

  Target: Greater than or equal to 4.6% of CIHR's total annual Grants and Awards expenditures by 2027

• How the departmental action contributes to the FSDS goal and target and, where applicable, to Canada's 2030 Agenda National Strategy and SDGs

  This departmental action contributes to FSDS Goal 10 by supporting Indigenous communities to lead health research founded in Indigenous ways of knowing focused on resilience and wellness, and by establishing research environments that are socially spiritually, emotionally and physically safe for Indigenous Peoples as rights-holders.

  Relevant targets or ambitions:

  GIF Target:

  • 10.3 Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies and practices and promoting appropriate legislation, policies and action in this regard.
• Results achieved

  Indicator result:

  5.2%

  Notes:

  The increase in the total research investments in grants and awards addressing Indigenous health in fiscal year 2023–24 is likely due to a number of factors, including an increase in Indigenous Health Research (IHR) expenditures compared to a reduction in CIHR grants and awards (G&A) expenditures (fluctuation "in-year IHR-relevant expenditures / CIHR G&A expenditures"); key strategic initiatives releasing their first full year of funding such as the I-HeLTI Cohort Grant, the Inuit Research Network Grant and the First Nations Biobanking and Genomic Research Grant; and the Diabetes Prevention and Treatment in Indigenous Communities: Resilience and Wellness Grant funding four projects.

Implementation strategies supporting the goal

This section is for implementation strategies that support the goal "Advance reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples and take action on inequality" but not a specific FSDS target.

• Implementation Strategy

  Invest in targeted scholarships

• Departmental Action

  Implement programming designed to benefit scholars from underrepresented groups.

  Program:

  • Investigator-Initiated Research
  • Training and Career Support
  • Research in Priority Areas
• Performance Indicator/Starting Point/Target

  Performance indicators:

  • Percentage of newly funded recipients who self-identify as women
  • Percentage of newly funded recipients who self-identify as visible minorities
  • Percentage of newly funded recipients who self-identify as Indigenous Peoples
  • Percentage of newly funded recipients who self-identify as persons with disabilities

  Starting point (in 2022–23):

  • Percentage of newly funded recipients who self-identify as women – 45.2%
  • Percentage of newly funded recipients who self-identify as visible minorities – 23.9%
  • Percentage of newly funded recipients who self-identify as Indigenous Peoples – 1.3%
  • Percentage of newly funded recipients who self-identify as persons with disabilities – 2.9%

  Target (by 2027):

  • Percentage of newly funded recipients who self-identify as women – 51.2%
  • Percentage of newly funded recipients who self-identify as visible minorities – 29.1%
  • Percentage of newly funded recipients who self-identify as Indigenous Peoples – 1.4%
  • Percentage of newly funded recipients who self-identify as persons with disabilities – 3.6%
• How the departmental action contributes to the FSDS goal and target and, where applicable, to Canada's 2030 Agenda National Strategy and SDGs

  CIHR implements a variety of programs designed to contribute to the organization's equity, diversity and inclusion commitments, including the Research Excellence, Diversity and Independence (REDI) Early Career Transition Award, funding to support Black scholars, and support for early career researchers, women, Indigenous Health research and French applications as part of the Project Grant Program.

  Relevant targets or ambitions:

  GIF Target:

  • 10.2 By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status.
  • 10.3 Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies and practices and promoting appropriate legislation, policies and action in this regard.
• Results achieved

  Indicator result:

  • Percentage of newly funded recipients who self-identify as women – 50.0%
  • Percentage of newly funded recipients who self-identify as visible minorities – 29.9%
  • Percentage of newly funded recipients who self-identify as Indigenous Peoples – 1.8%
  • Percentage of newly funded recipients who self-identify as persons with disabilities – 6.7%

Goal 12: Reduce waste and transition to zero-emission vehicles

FSDS Context:

CIHR is supporting the Government of Canada's goal and the net-zero procurement target. CIHR is also supporting the goal of waste diversion targets by integrating environmental considerations into procurement management processes and controls, motivating suppliers to reduce the environmental impact of the goods and services they deliver and their supply chains, and ensuring that decision-makers, material management and procurement specialists have the necessary training and awareness to support green procurement.

• Implementation Strategy

  Strengthen green procurement criteria

• Departmental Action

  Include specific sustainability clauses in our tenders.

  Program:

  Internal Services

• Performance Indicator/Starting Point/Target

  Performance indicator: Percentage of competitive tenders that include specific sustainability clauses.

  Starting point: 0% (new program) in 2023

  Target: By 2027, 100% of competitive tenders include specific sustainability clauses

• How the departmental action contributes to the FSDS goal and target and, where applicable, to Canada's 2030 Agenda National Strategy and SDGs

  This departmental action contributes to the FSDS Goal 12 by supporting the promotion of public procurement practices that are sustainable, in accordance with national policies and priorities thus improving Canada's waste diversion targets.

  Relevant targets or ambitions:

  GIF targets:

  • 12.6 Encourage companies, especially large and transnational companies, to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainability information into their reporting cycle.
• Results achieved

  Indicator result:

  Data will be available in fiscal year 2024–25.

  Notes:

  CIHR fully recognizes the importance of incorporating sustainable clauses into its internal tenders to support the FSDS goal. At present, CIHR is in the preliminary stages of evaluating how best to integrate more of these practices in a meaningful way into our tenders.

• Departmental Action

  Procurement specialists complete training on green procurement.

  Program:

  Internal Services

• Performance Indicator/Starting Point/Target

  Performance indicator: Percentage of procurement specialists that have completed green procurement training.

  Starting point: 57% (4 procurement specialists) in 2023

  Target: 100% (7 procurement specialists) by 2024

• How the departmental action contributes to the FSDS goal and target and, where applicable, to Canada's 2030 Agenda National Strategy and SDGs

  This departmental action increases knowledge of sustainable procurement practices among CIHR procurement officers.

  Relevant targets or ambitions:

  GIF targets:

  • 12.7: Promote public procurement practices that are sustainable, in accordance with national policies and priorities.
• Results achieved

  Indicator result:

  100% in 2023–24

• Departmental Action

  Include life cycle assessment and disposal in our internal processes.

  Program:

  Internal Services

• Performance Indicator/Starting Point/Target

  Performance indicator: Percentage of purchased goods for which an assessment of the lifecycle is done.

  Starting point: 0% assessment (new program) in 2023

  Target: 100% by 2027 all requests will be assessed

• How the departmental action contributes to the FSDS goal and target and, where applicable, to Canada's 2030 Agenda National Strategy and SDGs

  This departmental action improves internal procurement processes, so the life cycle of a product is taken into consideration.

  Relevant targets or ambitions:

  GIF targets:

  • 12.5 By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling, and reuse.
• Results achieved

  Indicator result:

  0% (Not Started)

  Notes:

  CIHR fully recognizes the importance of incorporating sustainable practices into its internal services to support the FSDS goal. At present, CIHR is in the preliminary stages of evaluating how best to integrate these practices into its internal processes.

Goal 13: Take action on climate change and its impacts

FSDS Context:

The Government of Canada recognizes that climate change affects the health of Canadians, especially the most at-risk populations such as youth, seniors, Indigenous populations, those with chronic health conditions, and equity-seeking groups. CIHR contributes to moving this goal forward through different funding initiatives such as the government's Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change. Through this initiative, CIHR has implemented targeted investments in health and climate change. Operationally, CIHR is adopting innovative practices in line with the Government of Canada's Greening Government Strategy and its commitment to greener operations to achieve net-zero emissions and become climate-resilient. Through these measures, CIHR supports the Government of Canada's commitment to reduce GHG emissions by 2050 and ensure our processes, policies and programs reflect this commitment to the environment.

CIHR and its workforce are adopting a future workplace model that is flexible to balance organizational excellence and the wellness of our employees. With the opportunity to reimagine our work, CIHR has chosen a hybrid work model. Through this model, CIHR's workforce is embracing a modern, sustainable work culture that will allow for effective virtual core business as well as in-person collaborations. This is a work environment that is both socially and environmentally sustainable and is committed to more responsible business practices that reduce our carbon footprint and better steward our environment. Workforce innovations that encourage positive environmental practices include the implementation of the CIHR cloud strategy by end of 2023–24, migrating its application portfolio from its on-premises data centre to the cloud. In addition, CIHR is enhancing the use of virtual meeting and training spaces, continuing to offset the need for in-person and associated travel, that ultimately reduces negative environmental effects of its activities.

CIHR will be moving its office in 2025 in conjunction with the end of its current lease. Our workspace will be designed as per the Government of Canada Workplace standards, based on the seven dimensions of creating a flexible, healthy, efficient, inclusive, collaborative, green and technologically advanced digital space. The new location, which is compliant with accessibility standards, has received the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification and is centrally located allowing employees to use public transportation. Onsite bike cages and showers encourage active transportation.

The hybrid model also allows CIHR to decrease office space, eliminate surplus items, and therefore reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In preparation for the move, CIHR has been recycling several tons of paper and actively participating in local waste diversion programs to responsibly dispose of surplus items while successfully diverting waste from landfills. This action, along with CIHR's other innovations, will increase the Agency's resilience of operations to the impacts of climate change.

• Implementation Strategy

  Implement the Greening Government Strategy through measures that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve climate resilience, and green the government's overall operations

• Departmental Action

  Eliminate physical records^{Footnote **} and offsite storage footprint through digitization, while adhering to responsible recycling and disposal methods.

  Program:

  Internal Services

• Performance Indicator/Starting Point/Target

  Performance indicator: Percentage of physical records digitized and disposed of.

  Starting point: 62% of physical records digitized and disposed of in 2022–23

  Target: 100% of physical records digitized and disposed of by 2027

• How the departmental action contributes to the FSDS goal and target and, where applicable, to Canada's 2030 Agenda National Strategy and SDGs

  This departmental action contributes to the FSDS Goal 13 by integrating measures to reduce paper consumption while eliminating storage footprint of physical records, and increasing the resilience of operations to impacts of climate change.

  Relevant targets or ambitions:

  CIF Ambition/Target: 13.1 Canadians reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

  CIF Indicator: 13.1.1 Greenhouse gas emissions

  GIF Target: 13.2 Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning

• Results achieved

  Indicator result:

  81% of physical records^{Footnote **} digitized and/or disposed of in 2023–24.

  Notes:

  On target to have 100% of all physical records digitized and/or disposed of by 2027. Only records under litigation hold will not be digitized and/or disposed.

Integrating Sustainable Development

CIHR will continue to ensure that its decision-making process includes consideration of FSDS goals and targets through its Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) process. The SEA is a tool used to incorporate environmental considerations into policy, plan or program proposals and includes an analysis of the impacts of the given proposal on the environment, including on FSDS goals and targets.

Public statements on the results of CIHR's assessments are made public when an initiative that has undergone a detailed SEA is announced on the CIHR Publications web page. CIHR commits to ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns have been integrated when procuring goods. For example, an assessment of the life cycle and disposal of goods in an environmentally friendly manner will be made by the procurement specialists. This information will be captured by our internal processes and recommendations will then be made to our clients so that measures can be taken accordingly to promote sustainable development.

CIHR did not complete any detailed SEAs in 2023–24.

Date modified:

2024-11-01