Alan Bernstein says he's accomplished what he set out to do with CIHR

"One more job in me"

Dr Alan Bernstein, the chief architect behind the transformation of federal support for health research, is stepping down just two years into his second five-year term as president of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). Despite previously warning of an impending crisis over funding, Bernstein says accomplishments achieved to date and the challenge of taking on "one more job" are the primary reasons for his departure, effective October 31st.

"I don't want people to associate my leaving with what was in the (last) Budget. Funding pressures can be a positive thing. Health research is growing like crazy in Canada but not in lock-step with the growth of our own budget," says Bernstein. "I've always felt that 10 years is too long to be CEO of a large organization like this, whether it's private or public. After seven years, you get very defensive about what you've done. I feel personally extremely close to this organization and what we have accomplished."

Bernstein says CIHR now has a strong management team in place that is more than capable of moving the organization's strategic agenda forward. He says work still needs to be done in many areas, including the building of an agenda around knowledge translation and the launch of CIHR's clinical research initiative in conjunction with the Canada Foundation for Innovation.

"There will always be things to do here," he says. "I'm confident the government will choose the right person to succeed me."

led major changes

During his tenure as CIHR's inaugural president, funding for health research in Canada has effectively tripled from $360 million to more than $1 billion when indirect costs and health-related Canada Research Chairs are included. Bernstein asserts that this growth is "unprecedented anywhere in the world". More importantly, there has been a dramatic shift in the perspectives informing medical research, with a more holistic health approach directing new investments and determining outcomes.

"Alan came at a critical juncture with an idea and created a framework that is perfect and spans the continuum of health research. For the community at large and from a personal point-of-view, the framework he created is the right one," says Dr Michael Julius, VP research at the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and vice-chair of Research Canada, a national health research advocacy organization. "Now we have an S&T Strategy that also provides a framework … It comes at a very critical juncture for health research where opportunities abound. The integration of health research into an innovation framework is the major task of the tri-council at this stage."

budget issues remain

Despite the accomplishments behind the establishment of CIHR, Bernstein has often expressed concern with CIHR's ability to fund excellent health research. Last January he wrote an open letter to the health research community sharing their concern over the disconnect between the availability of uncommitted funds and rapidly growing demand from researchers, particularly those at the beginning of their careers.

"The crisis did happen. In our last open grants competition we had a 16% success rate which caused a lot of grief in the (health research) community. Established and new researchers did not get funded as a result," he says. "But we are releasing the results of the latest competition soon and the results are much better than 16%."

Since taking the CIHR helm in 2000, Bernstein has commuted between Toronto and Ottawa and plans to take some time before considering his next move. He says he is currently considering a couple of positions, "one quite seriously". One area that isn't on his radar is the laboratory.

"I considered going back and opening my old lab but decided against it. Health research is a young person's game with so many new technologies and approaches," says Bernstein, 60. "There is a whole new group of new researchers out there that are excellent and represent the future. I'll leave it to the kids."

While Bernstein won't say what jobs he's considering, he isn't reluctant to express his opinion on what he sees as health research priorities, both nationally and internationally.

In Canada, he welcomes the new S&T Strategy and its emphasis on improving linkages between the players in the innovation system, including achieving a balanced approach through better coordination between the granting agencies.

"We need to be in lock-step," says Bernstein, adding that new federal programs appear to be designed to ensure that all players are included. "There's business involvement in the Business-led Networks of Centres of Excellence as well as the Centres of Excellence in Commercialization and that makes a lot of sense. Some of the best commercialization activities take place in research centres and for those focused on health, business is certainly interested."

Bernstein also reiterates his call for a high level review of the peer review system, citing the change in the nature of health research from a single investigator working in a small laboratory to large complex teams and consortia that cross the boundaries of disciplines and nations.

"Peer review has not kept up with this and society has changed a lot as well. Previously they took a ‘trust us' attitude and now the public wants to be in there as part of the decision-making process," he says.

He points to a CIHR pilot project to include community service groups and end users on grant panels, adding that the need to be more inclusive has also influenced recent appointments to the governing council.

create a science culture

The need for greater public understanding and appreciation of science is also a top priority. Bernstein points to several CIHR initiatives — Synapse (youth engagement) and the Café Scientifique — as examples that need to be expanded across all sectors including government.

"We anticipated what is in the S&T Strategy which calls for a more science-literate Canada," he says. "We need to push for more S&T outreach within government — a more science literate civil service."

Bernstein is most passionate about the role of science in addressing global problems such as AIDS, cancer and the environment. "Science diplomacy is the diplomacy of the 21st century and it should be a key tool for Canada," he says. "It can be the solution to global warming, cancer, AIDS and other challenges ... I have a particular interest in getting involved with science solving global problems."

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