I've posted a lot on this blog so far about the areas of scientific research in which I've been involved in the past - stem cell biology and cancer research. One thing I haven't talked about, however, is where the money came from to fund that research. Almost all research funding is distributed in the form of grants or awards. A principal investigator (PI) - usually a professor and/or medical doctor - will apply for grant funding which can be used by their lab to purchase supplies and pay student and employee salaries. Undergraduate and graduate students, as well as post-doctoral fellows, can also apply for studentships/fellowships, which cover the cost of their salary over a certain number of months/years. This then frees up additional money in their PI's budget, which can be used to purchase additional supplies, run additional experiments, or hire additional staff. In return for the funding, the PI, student, or fellow is accountable to their funding agency. Usually this accountability takes the form of progress reports, which must be submitted at regular intervals, showing how the funds are being used, and what discoveries have been made using the money. In addition, in every publication that a lab produces (usually in the form of a journal article), there is an acknowledgement section which includes a list of all funding that supported the research being published.
But where does the money come from? Ultimately, almost all research money comes from the public, although there are a few different mechanisms. Many grants come from the government and are therefore funded by taxpayers; in Canada, the biggest government funder of health research in the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), although smaller agencies, such as Genome Canada and the Stem Cell Network, target specific areas of research. Provincially, Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research administers grants with funds from the BC Provincial Government.
The other major source of grant funding comes from charitable organizations - foundations or societies which raise money for research into a specific health issue. Local examples include the Canadian Cancer Society, which, in addition to supporting cancer prevention and support initiatives, administers funding for cancer research through the Canadian Cancer Society Research Institute (CCSRI); the Terry Fox Foundation, which administers cancer research funding through the Terry Fox Research Institute (TFRI); and the Heart and Stroke Foundation, which directly administers grant funding for cardio- and cerebro-vascular research.
Funding agencies, regardless of the source of their funds, use a process called peer review to determine which grants are funded. In simple terms, this means that other scientists from a similar field are called upon to read all the grant applications submitted, and determine which grants are the most scientifically exciting. The most exciting grants are then awarded funding. Peer review isn't limited just to grants, either - it's the cornerstone of the scientific process, and is also used to determine whether research results are published (and in which journal).
In my earlier research career, I have benefited from all types of funding. I held a studentship from the Stem Cell Network of Canada, which funded six months of my salary as an undergraduate researcher, as well as a trip to a national conference. The remainder of my salary, for the years I worked in the lab, as well as all of the supplies I used, were covered by my PIs' grant funds, received from both government and charitable granting agencies. I also worked as a Research Project Coordinator for a year, helping to prepare grant applications for review. The peer review process has held great fascination for me over the years - not surprising, since the success of my lab and my PI, and therefore my career prospects, all depended upon the success of our research in the peer review process.
Earlier this year, I became aware of an opportunity to volunteer as a Community Representative for a grant review panel being administered by the CCSRI. Unsurprisingly, I jumped at the chance to participate in this process. I am now writing a guest blog series about my experience for the BC/Yukon Division of the Canadian Cancer Society - you can read Part 1 here, all about why I chose to serve on the panel.
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