More Opportunities Planned for Health Researchers

Changes to Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation regulations will open up new opportunities for grants and funding for students and academics conducting health research.

The Nova Scotia Department of Health has approved changes to the foundation's funding structure so the organization can better manage the growth it is experiencing and target more resources to programs supporting research.

"We have a vibrant and growing health research community in Nova Scotia," said Krista Connell, CEO, Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation. "Research helps us make evidence-based decisions that will lead to a healthier, stronger Nova Scotia. These changes will allow us to fulfill our mandate and better serve the changing needs of the health research community."

The foundation has received $28 million in provincial funding over the last six years to support the activities of health researchers within the province. It has witnessed a 104 per cent jump in applications for health research funding since its first year of operation in 2000.

The previous funding structure limited the foundation's ability to build research capacity in the province. A strong research base is needed in the province to secure national funding, recruit and retain researchers for universities and hospitals in the province, and meet other program objectives.

The regulations have been amended to give the foundation greater flexibility in awarding grants and funding programs, and to allow better distribution between the three budgeting areas: research funding, program funding and administration.

"Grants provided by the Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation speak well for the excellence of health research in our province," said Health Minister Angus MacIsaac. "Research conducted here in our province benefits all Nova Scotians. It's important that we respond to the foundation's changing needs as the organization grows and develops."

Projects the foundation has recently supported include:

• a study to examine harmful impacts of Oxycodone addictions in Cape Breton
• research to combat monitored prescription drug abuse
• studies to help reduce the number of people affected by drug addiction, and
• an initiative focused on how doctor shortages and wait times affect patients in Nova Scotia.

The Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation is the first provincially funded health research organization in Atlantic Canada. It was established to support the extensive talent pool of health researchers connected to Nova Scotia's universities and hospitals.