CIHR SPOR SUPPORT Unit Extension
Aboriginal Peoples
Well-being, Health and Biomedical Discovery
Deadlines
Academic Unit: Inquire with unit
Memorial Deadline: Monday 6th, October 2025
External Deadline: Tuesday 14th, October 2025
Description
Patient-Oriented Research (POR), which is foundational to evidence-informed health care, refers to a continuum of research that engages patients, including People with Lived/Living Experience (PWLLE), as partners throughout the research process, focuses on patient and community-identified priorities, and improves patient outcomes. This research, conducted by multidisciplinary teams with relevant partners, aims to apply the knowledge generated to improve health outcomes for Canadians.
Canada’s Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR) is a national coalition of federal, provincial and territorial partners (patients and informal caregivers, health authorities, academic health centres, charities, philanthropic organizations, private sector, etc.) dedicated to the integration of POR into care.
SPOR-funded research requires the inclusion of a diversity of patients (including PWLLE) and community partners in health research in culturally safe, equitable and accessible ways.
The vision for SPOR is that Canada will demonstrably improve health outcomes and enhance the health care experience for patients through the integration of evidence at all levels of the health care system.
SUPPORT Units
Support for People and Patient-Oriented Research and Trials (SUPPORT) Units are a key enabling infrastructure for SPOR, providing specialized services throughout their respective jurisdictions to researchers, PWLLE, clinicians, and policy makers to conduct POR and enable the translation of POR results into health care policy and practice. SUPPORT Units also work collaboratively with each other and support other SPOR-funded grantees (i.e., SPOR Networks, SPOR Evidence Alliance, SPOR Canadian Data Platform, Passerelle, and other recipients of CIHR SPOR funding) within and beyond the bounds of their own jurisdictions.
There are currently 11 SUPPORT Units in provinces and territories across Canada. These Units were launched over the course of a decade based on the readiness and unique circumstances within their jurisdictions. The first SUPPORT Units were funded in 2013 and the most recent one launched in 2023 (Nunavut). As a result, the Units are in different phases of implementation. Phase I funding aimed to establish the Units and demonstrate value based on their jurisdictional needs and priorities; Phase II funding aimed to continue the operations of the Units and further focus their efforts in the core areas of data platforms and services, fostering learning health system environments, training and capacity development and patient/community engagement.
In March 2025, the SPOR Governance and Strategy Refresh Steering Committee released its Final Report outlining recommendations to CIHR and other SPOR partners for the future directions of SPOR. While CIHR and partners work to respond to the recommendations, it is critical that the work of the SUPPORT Units is maintained and continues to evolve to meet jurisdictional POR needs, support cross-jurisdictional priorities, and support SPOR-funded grantees.
This funding opportunity is intended to extend funding for SUPPORT Units with grant end dates on or before March 31, 2027, for up to two additional years, i.e. until March 31, 2028, to continue advancing the objectives of their current directed grant.
See ResearchNet for more information.
| Competition | 202510SSE |
|---|---|
| Application Deadline | 2025-10-14 |