October 16, 2001
SickKids asks federal government to maintain health research funding and recognize full costs of research
At the hearings of the House of Commons' Standing Committee on Finance today, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and The Hospital for Sick Children Foundation called on the federal government to maintain its commitment to health research funding and to expand the funding formula to recognize the full costs of research.
"As a result of this welcome funding increase, our researchers have had a record year of discoveries, many of which are already having an impact on children's health. Our funding from the federal government has risen by more than 70 per cent in the past five years," said Dr. Manuel Buchwald, Chief of Research, The Hospital for Sick Children.
Dr. Buchwald noted that while the new funding is beneficial, it is creating an increased burden on the institution to cover research costs beyond the direct projects such as portions of principal investigators' salaries, staff support, facilities' costs such as electricity, heating and cooling, computer technology, laboratory, diagnostic and therapeutic equipment, and other research support such as libraries, grants' reporting, contract administration, etc.
At SickKids, in 2000/01, the Foundation provided an annual grant of $33 million, of which $22 million went to support indirect research costs. "The resounding success of the Foundation over the past decade has masked a public policy issue. World class research at Canada's premiere children's hospital cannot be funded primarily by individual supporters and golf tournaments," said Dianne Lister, President and CEO, The Hospital for Sick Children Foundation.
Health research has a profound impact on Canada: Canadian children benefit immediately from new discoveries; we build a trained work force with unparalleled expertise and credentials; by building our capacity in the new knowledge-based economy, the country's long-term economic prosperity is ensured; and Canada remains a major player in the new frontiers of science and the complex and difficult questions that still remain.
Even with the increases announced over the past few years by the federal government, Canada is still spending less than half of what comparable agencies in the United States spend.
The Hospital for Sick Children is the largest hospital-based research institution in Canada with 1,600 staff, including 700 trainees. It is the premiere paediatric research facility in the country and one of the top three in the world.
The Hospital for Sick Children Foundation is the largest hospital foundation in Canada with more than $400 million in endowments and a revenue goal this year of $70 million. In addition to its grants to SickKids, the Foundation also runs a national grants program available to researchers across the country.
The Urgent Need for Increased Research Funding
Pre-Budget Brief to the Standing Committee on Finance
August 10, 2001
Public Affairs
The Hospital for Sick Children
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