Canadian Institutes of Health Research Rare Disease Research Initiative

The purpose of the CIHR Rare Disease Research Initiative is to support the rare disease ecosystem in Canada in the following areas:

• Catalyze the creation of a clinical network to streamline rare disease clinical research and facilitate the collaboration among researchers, patients, families, caregivers, health care providers, industry, and policy and regulatory bodies;
• Support research that will determine the best pathway to diagnose rare diseases by optimally positioning genomic testing in the diagnosis pathway;
• Support research to bridge the gap between model organisms/systems and clinical trials for rare disease drugs in Canada, ultimately increasing the capacity to bring gene therapies to clinic; and,
• Support research leading to better resource allocation and care for patients living with a rare disease.