Funders

The WRTC is financially supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation (CHSRF), and the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research (AHFMR) Endowment Fund.

CIHR is a major funder of the WRTC. As Canada’s health research funding agency, CIHR has supported the WRTC since its inception in 2001. CIHR currently supports the work of more than 11,000 researchers and trainees in universities, research institutes, and teaching hospitals. A key mandate is to develop highly qualified people, promote excellent science, and train the next generation of health researchers.

CHSRF has also funded the WRTC since 2001. It promotes and funds management and policy research in health services and nursing. CHSRF works with health services decision makers to increase their effective use of research evidence when addressing significant health systems and policy challenges. Apart from funding students’ stipends, CHSRF also supports students’ attendance at conferences such as the annual meeting of the Canadian Association for Health Services Policy Research (CAHSPR).

AHFMR supports biomedical and health research at Alberta universities, affiliated institutions, and other medical and technology-related institutions. Established in 1980, AHFMR has funded more than 8,500 positions in research-senior researchers as well as researchers-in-training. Its decision to fund the WRTC enabled the establishment of a regional training centre at the University of Alberta, with the first students being accepted into the program in September 2007. In January 2010, AHFMR became Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions.