CIHR is committed to fostering an equitable, diverse, and inclusive health research ecosystem that values the perspectives and contributions of all and promotes research excellence. As Canada’s national health research funding agency, we take seriously our responsibility to not only address barriers, but to do so in a way that is grounded in meaningful engagement and aligned with best practices.

From November 2020 to February 2022, CIHR conducted an environmental scan to identify key issues, challenges, and barriers resulting from systemic racism in the health research funding system. The findings will help ground discussions with the community and define the objectives of CIHR’s anti-racism action plan, noting this scan is one of several sources of information.

CIHR's Strategic Plan 2021- 2031 and Action Plan for Year 1 commit to engaging with organizations and members of the research community with lived experience and expertise to co-develop an action plan to address systemic racism in the CIHR funding system. As part of this commitment, CIHR hosted an Online Dialogue on Systemic Racism in the health research funding enterprise from February 4 to April 9, 2021. The launch of the online dialogue was announced to the research community through various established CIHR communications channels and networks, such as the CIHR Access Newsletter and CIHR's Twitter account, as well as with help from our partners.

A summary of the key activities completed to date to develop the anti-racism action plan as well as the upcoming steps that CIHR will take.

Established in 2022, the CIHR Anti-Racism External Advisory Committee will play a fundamental role in shaping CIHR’s community engagement initiatives and the CIHR anti-racism action plan.

Members of the External Anti-Racism Advisory Committee are asked to agree upon a set of principles to guide the overall approach and work of the committee. Additionally, the committee is asked to agree upon best practices related to the functioning of meetings.