International Health Research

Eleanor Maticka-Tyndale

Dept. Sociology & Anthropology

Why do international health research?

Purpose:New knowledge ----------Application of knowledge(curiosity driven) (intervention/policy/change driven)

Who are primary beneficiaries? Canadians ----------------------------- Others

Where can it be done?Within Canada--------------------Only outside Canada

Major Canadian Funders of International Health Research

• CIHRKnowledge generation – curiosity drivenBenefits the health of CanadiansOnly if it must be done outside Canada

• IDRCApplies knowledge to improving health of those in the

global southBrings Canadian expertise & knowledge to the task

• CIDABuild capacity to improve health in the global southCanada – other country partnerships in training

Some Other Major Funders

• Knowledge Generation – Research– NIH, NIMH

• Knowledge application – intervention/policy– Private

• Gates Foundation• Rockefeller Family• Ford Foundation• Various large NGOs – UNICEF, PATH, etc.

– Government• DFID (Dept. for Int’l Development – UK)• USAID• European Union• Various countries – Australia, Netherlands, Ireland, …

• Largest number of funders have intervention/policy focus. Research is to the service of the intervention or policy.

• CIHR, NIH/NIMH and affiliates – focus on knowledge generation.

RequirementsKnowledge Generation

CIHR, NIH, NIMH,etc.

• International partnerships

• Demonstrate necessity for location outside or inclusion of non-North American focus

• CIHR – demonstrate benefits to health of Canadians

• Same procedures, forms, etc. as applying for in-country funding

RequirementsIntervention/Policy Focus

More possibilities – CIDA, IDRC, DFID, EU, Gate, various NGOs

• Fit priorities of funders.• Partners in global south

Many require applications to originate in global south

• Research in service to program/policy (e.g., to inform development of and to evaluate program/policy)

• Specialists in knowledge translation on the team• Most of the budget is for knowledge translation and

program/policy development and implementation (90%)• Budget may have to be administered from the south.• Capacity building in the south (most RAs from south).• Many non-academic written outputs.

Getting Funded

• Watch calls for RFAs • Connect to and work your networks• Letters of Intent (e.g. Gates Foundation)• ‘Record’ of northern partners counts for a lot –

not record of peer reviewed publications, but successful programs, work with program partners, capacity building, reports/ presentations.

• Different formats for applications – e.g. logframe.