Data and Analysis

AFMC Data Development Initiatives

Research Careers in Canada Data Development Initiative

Canada invests significantly in research and development (R&D), in terms of both dollars and people. According to Statistics Canada[1], in 2007 almost $29 billion was spent on R&D, with $6.3 billion (22%) of this directed toward research activity in the health field. Between 2003 and 2007 total R&D spending increased 18% and health related R&D spending increased by 22%. In recent years, growth in health related R&D spending has outpaced that of total R&D spending.

Unfortunately, less is known about the people that carry out Canada's R&D activity. Statistics Canada publishes valuable labour force and education statistics, but they do not clearly identify the R&D workforce, let alone those who undertake research in the health field. Other surveys provide limited data on physicians who engage in research activity, but the information is sector specific and affords no comparison with other clinician researcher groups. While we have certain metrics on R&D spending, we know virtually nothing about how this investment supports the careers of clinicians and non-clinicians who undertake research in Canada.

The goal of the Research Careers in Canada Data Development Initiative is to provide a data-driven view of the career paths and income supports for biomedical and health care researchers who are funded by peer-reviewed, non-profit or public sources. Data will be collected for the first time in January 2010 using an online, self-report survey. The survey will gather basic demographic, education and occupation data about clinician and non-clinician investigators. It will explore funding sources that support the personal income of investigators and provide more information about their work settings, research activities, and time allocation. The study will provide information about the role investigators play in supporting other research careers, such as those of graduate students and research associates. Furthermore, study data will provide a methodology to support future data collection initiatives for gauging research activity and identifying investigators who may be "at risk" with respect to their income sources and funding end dates.

The motivation for this study is concern that current research and salary award programs may not adequately meet the needs of clinician and non-clinician investigators. This, in turn, may compromise Canada's ability to recruit and retain research talent, a source of economic and social benefit. Information on the health research workforce will support the development of targeted solutions to enhance research careers and productivity.

Leadership

Project Funding

Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (AFMC) and Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)

Project Partners

AFMC, CIHR and the Association of Canadian Academic Healthcare Organizations (ACAHO)

Working Group

Steve Slade, VP Research and Analysis, AFMC; Catherine Peirce, Project Manager, AFMC; Dr. Paul H�bert - Executive Director, National Clinical Research Initiative, National Strategy on Patient Oriented Research, CIHR; Sue Geffken-Graham, Assistant Director, National Strategy on Patient Oriented Research, CIHR; Dr. Ian D. Graham, Vice-President of Knowledge Translation, CIHR; Dr. Yvonne Lefebvre, ACAHO Observer, Vice-President, Research & Academic Affairs, Providence Health Care; Glenn G. Brimacombe, President and Chief Executive Officer, ACAHO, Tina Saryeddine, Assistant Vice-President, Research and Policy Analysis, ACAHO; Dr. Victor Han, Vice Dean of Research, UWO; Dr. Pierre Boyle, Vice Dean of Research, University of Montreal

Study Domain

The study domain includes all peer-reviewed, non-profit or publicly-funded biomedical and/or health related researchers from Canada's 17 universities with faculties of medicine. Included are clinician investigators, such as nurses, physicians, pharmacists, physiotherapists, psychologists, etc. Also included are non-clinician investigators, such as basic researchers, epidemiologists, and public health/social workers, who may not provide direct health care services. Eligible researchers from all settings - universities, hospitals, research institutes, etc. - are included in the study domain. To be eligible, investigators must have an academic appointment; students - be they undergraduate, postgraduate or graduate - are excluded from the study. Eligible non-profit or public funding sources include, but are not limited to, agencies such as the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR), Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Heart and Stroke Foundation, university- and hospital-based research foundations, and other non-profit or publicly funded agencies.

Study Questions

Following are three main study questions addressed by the Research Careers in Canada Data Development Initiative. Each main question is followed by example questions designed to produce new knowledge about the health research workforce in Canada.

What are the key characteristics of Canada's health researchers?
- How many clinician and non-clinician researchers are there?
- What are their basic demographics?
- Where do they work? In what provinces/territories, universities, research institutes, etc?
How are researchers supported, in terms of their personal income?
- What percentage of investigators hold research grants that support their personal income?
- What percentage of their income is attributable to research grants versus other sources?
- What types of non-grant income do researchers receive? Contractual income? Salary? Honoraria? Other?
- On average, when will their research grant funding expire?
How do health researchers spend their time and what are their research outputs/measures of success?
- What percentages of time do investigators spend on work activities, such as research, direct clinical care, teaching and administration?
- How many concurrent grants do investigators hold and how many support staff are dependent, at least in part, on investigator's research grants?
- What are investigators' key research outputs/measures of success, such as publications, presentations, graduate student supervision and research awards?