Network Environments for Indigenous Health Research (NEIHR)

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research supports health research that addresses the specific health needs of Indigenous Peoples in Canada, and aims to improve the health of First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples through the assertion of Indigenous understandings of health and by fostering innovative community-based and scientifically excellent research.

As part of its Action Plan: Building a healthier future for First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples, CIHR committed to work with other federal research councils to develop strategies to strengthen Indigenous research capacity development through training and mentoring along the entire career continuum from undergraduate to postdoctoral levels.

The Network Environments for Indigenous Health Research (NEIHR) Program, an $100.8M investment over 16 years, has been developed to address those needs in capacity development, research and knowledge translation. The NEIHR Program is led by the Institute of Indigenous Peoples’ Health (IIPH) and co-led by the Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health (ICRH). This Program is supported financially by all 13 Institutes.

In April 2020, CIHR announced that 9 NEIHR networks were funded for an initial five years, with networks in BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Atlantic Canada, NWT and Nunavut. Also funded was a NEIHR National Coordinating Centre, a secretariat to provide support to the nine networks. Each network acts independently, collaborating with First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities in their territories to provide support and mentorship in Indigenous health research, training and knowledge translation.