2024-25 Departmental Results Report: Gender-based analysis plus

Section 1: Institutional GBA Plus governance and capacity

Governance

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) has a Gender-based Analysis (GBA) Plus Framework to coordinate related work and operationalize commitments to the Health Portfolio, the Department of Women and Gender Equality and within the CIHR Strategic Plan 2021-2031 and the Tri-Agency EDI Action Plan. The CIHR GBA Plus Responsibility Centre leads, enhances, supports, and monitors implementation of CIHR’s GBA Plus Framework and the actual practice of GBA Plus. It is compromised of the GBA Plus Focal Point and staff of the EDI Policy Team within the Equity Strategy Branch.

Strategic guidance on GBA Plus/EDI-related matters is also provided by CIHR’s Science Council, while operational guidance and decision-making is provided by senior management. CIHR’s Governing Council is responsible for developing and approving CIHR’s strategic directions and applies an EDI lens to all deliberations.

In 2024-25, CIHR continued to work with the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council to implement the Tri-Agency EDI Action Plan. This work is coordinated through an Interagency Committee on EDI supported by an Interagency EDI Policy Working Group.

Capacity

The CIHR GBA Plus Framework seeks to build GBA Plus organizational capacity and sustain the practice of GBA Plus through three streams:

GBA Plus in CIHR-Funded Research

• Continued requiring the consideration of diverse biological factors (e.g., sex, age), intersecting aspects of social location or identity (e.g., gender, race, disability) and Indigenous Rights in research funding proposals, where applicable.
• Continued launching funding opportunities with requirements supporting meaningful representation and inclusion of research team members who have historically been underrepresented.
• Advanced the development of resources to help mitigate bias in the peer review process, and published Skill Builders to help peer reviewers build their knowledge and practice their skills (e.g., Sex and Gender Integration).
• Continued to invest in the National Women’s Health Research Initiative and supported under-researched areas of women’s and gender diverse people’s health.

These measures are helping ensure that CIHR-funded research is relevant, culturally safe, and impactful for the diversity of people living in Canada.

GBA Plus in CIHR's Funding System

• Continued to collect applicant and peer reviewer data through the expanded Tri-Agency Self-Identification Questionnaire.
• Published From Intention to Impact: CIHR’s Anti-Ableism Action Plan, which proposes actions to address barriers experienced by persons with disabilities who interact with CIHR.
• Added new equalization measures to the Project Grant Program competition to remove barriers to funding for racialized people and persons with disabilities.
• Published a What We Heard Report: Dialogue on Anti-Black Racism and Black Health in the Health Research Funding System that will help inform the development of the CIHR Anti-Racism Action Plan.

These measures are helping CIHR remove systemic barriers to ensure that we are capitalizing on the full extent of Canada's scientific talent.

GBA Plus in CIHR's Workplace

This stream aims to ensure that CIHR conducts its business in an equitable manner. In 2024-25, CIHR continued its work on the development of an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Strategy and Action Plan for the workplace. Building on previous efforts, insights and recommendations from several sources, including the Employment Systems Review, employee surveys, and new data sets, are continuously being evaluated to inform ongoing work. Looking ahead, CIHR will also engage in consultations with a range of internal and external interest groups to ensure the plan is informed and inclusive. Additionally, CIHR is currently preparing its legislatively mandated annual Employment Equity Report and Multiculturalism Report, which help monitor progress and guide future initiatives.

A new CIHR Anti-Racism, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (CAREDIA) Champion was appointed to provide leadership and advocacy for an inclusive culture across the Agency. The Campion also endorses related activities and events and engages with internal and external stakeholders to identify best practices. With their support and leadership, the CAREDIA Committee was revitalized with a renewed focus on developing a forward-looking plan to guide its work. This refreshed mandate aims to ensure the Committee undertakes purposeful and impactful initiatives that align with CIHR’s broader EDIA objectives. As part of this renewal, two employee co-chairs were appointed to help lead and advance the Committee’s collective efforts. Each co-chair will serve a six-month term.

As part of its commitment to enhancing data quality and advancing EDIA, CIHR officially launched its self-identification campaign in May 2025. This initiative was designed to raise awareness and encourage employees to voluntarily self-identify as belonging to one or more of the groups designated under the Employment Equity Act. This supports the collection of more accurate and comprehensive data to better inform EDIA initiatives and programs.

These measures are helping to ensure that CIHR’s workspace is inclusive, equitable and representative of the diversity of Canadians.

Human resources (full-time equivalents) dedicated to GBA Plus

The total number of FTEs: 10.5

Section 2: gender and diversity impacts, by program

Core responsibility: Funding Health Research and Training

Program name: Investigator-Initiated Research

Program goals: This program provides funding to conduct research in areas related to health aimed at the discovery and application of knowledge. Funding is provided to researchers and academic organizations to conduct research, translate knowledge, and build capacity through research training and salaries. CIHR’s Investigator-Initiated Research Program collects sufficient data to enable the monitoring and reporting of program impacts across different identify dimensions.

Target population: All Canadians

Distribution of benefits

Specific demographic group(s) to be monitored

No group is negatively or positively affected.

Key program impacts on gender and diversity

Not available

Key program impact statistics:

Core responsibility: Funding Health Research and Training

Program name: Research in Priority Areas

Program goals: This program provides funding for targeted grants and awards aimed at addressing priority areas identified by CIHR in consultation with other government departments and agencies, partners, and stakeholders. CIHR’s Research in Priority Areas Program collects sufficient data to enable the monitoring and reporting of program impacts across different identity dimensions.

Target population: All Canadians

Distribution of benefits

Specific demographic group(s) to be monitored

No particular group is negatively or positively affected.

Key Program impacts on gender and diversity

Not available

Key Program Impacts Statistics:

Core responsibility: Funding Health Research and Training

Program name: Training and Career Support

Program goals: This program provides funding directly to promising current and next generation researchers to support training or career development. CIHR’s Training and Carer Support Program collects sufficient data to enable the monitoring and reporting of program impacts across different identity dimensions.

Target population: All Canadians

Distribution of benefits

Specific demographic group(s) to be monitored

No particular group is negatively or positively affected.

Key program impacts on gender and diversity

Not available

Key program impact statistics:

Other key program impacts

Not available

GBA Plus data collection plan

To monitor GBA Plus in its funding system, CIHR tracks diversity in applicants for and recipients of CIHR funding across all its three programs through the Tri-Agency Self-identification Questionnaire. The questionnaire collects information from CIHR applicants and peer reviewers across eight identity dimensions, including age, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, population group, language, and identity as Indigenous or a visible minority. This information enables CIHR to identify, understand and address diversity and potential inequities with its funding system. Aggregate results are reported internally, the Program Information Profiles (PIPs), and externally in the Canada Research Coordinating Committee (CRCC) annual report and in four related indicators in the Departmental Results Framework.

Scales

Gender scale

• First group: predominantly men (80% or more men)
• Second group: 60% to 79% men
• Third group: broadly gender-balanced
• Fourth group: 60% to 79% women
• Fifth group: predominantly women (80% or more women)

Income-level scale

• First group: strongly benefits low income individuals (strongly progressive)
• Second group: somewhat benefits low income individuals (somewhat progressive)
• Third group: no significant distributional impacts
• Fourth group: somewhat benefits high income individuals (somewhat regressive)
• Fifth group: strongly benefits high income individuals (strongly regressive)

Age group scale

• First group: primarily benefits youth, children or future generations
• Second group: no significant intergenerational impacts or impacts on generations between youths and seniors
• Third group: primarily benefits seniors or the baby boom generation

Date modified:

2025-11-07