Our Research Philosophy
Despite the popularity of complementary and alternative health care in Canada, research funding in this area is extremely sparse. Currently, only a tiny fraction of health research funding by government or disease-specific charitable organizations is spent on examining the effectiveness of complementary and alternative therapies.
The Holistic Health Research Foundation of Canada is changing that. Dedicated research efforts are urgently needed to help Canadians better understand and make decisions about their health care. Over time, this important work will give us a clearer picture of the potential for holistic and integrated healthcare to help us live longer, healthier lives.
Working with a multidisciplinary network of experts from conventional and complementary health care, we fund meaningful, innovative research into complementary and alternative therapies, exploring all pathways to health.
How we work:
- We are most interested in funding outcomes-based, clinical research that involves an interdisciplinary team of conventional and complementary medicine experts.
- Our emphasis is on translating patient health needs into research programs and transferring knowledge back to Canadians and health care professionals, where it will have the greatest impact.
- We encourage study investigators to build a cost saving analysis into their projects.
- Holistic Health Research provides an environment in which innovative new ideas are fostered and flourish, one that is open to all new ideas, regardless of the paradigm or tradition they come from, and one that is flexible enough to respond to changing public needs and practices.
- We support the careers of upcoming researchers with the expertise and creativity to think outside the box and challenge the status quo.
- Where possible, we will work with other disease-specific charitable organizations to collaborate on funding projects.
- All projects undergo rigorous review by our Scientific Review Committee and ad hoc reviewers, according to established standards.
In addition to funding clinical research, Holistic Health Research wants to answer other, more complex questions such as:
- What is the gold standard for designing research in each of the different complementary therapies?
- What is the impact on health outcomes and health care costs if people receive integrated (combined conventional and complementary) care?
- What might a patient referral system between conventional and complementary practitioners look like?
Your support can help us find answers, bridge the gap between conventional and complementary health care and promote innovation in Canadian health care research for the benefit of all Canadians.
To learn more about our current research initiatives and designated research funds, click here.
To make a donation to our research program, please call 416-778-4443 or toll free at 866-778-4443.
Additional Reviewers Wanted
If you are interested in reviewing research proposals for Holistic Health Research, please contact Keren Brown at 416-778-4443 for more information, or submit your CV with a cover note to info@holistichealthresearch.ca.
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