Winter 2013 (Volume 23, Number 4)

CIORA Committee

By Boulos Haraoui, MD, FRCPC

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The Canadian Initiative in Outcomes in Rheumatology Care (CIORA) has matured since its inception in 2006, when Abbott Canada (now AbbVie) pledged to support CRA members in the pursuit and conduct of clinically relevant research projects which would not be otherwise funded by major granting agencies.

After three years with Abbott as the sole supporter and more than $1 million of funded studies, all the major pharmaceutical companies were invited to participate, expanding the scope of funded research. The vast majority realized the importance of such an initiative and pledged to support the growth of CIORA. Currently, we receive funding from AbbVie, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Janssen, Pfizer, Roche, and UCB.

Two years ago a major change occurred when CIORA ceased to function as an independent entity and became an integral part of the CRA, established as a committee responsible for advancing rheumatology clinical research in Canada.

Since the beginning, the grant review process was conducted by an independent panel of reviewers chaired by Dr. John Esdaile. The highest standards were applied; I would like to especially thank John and the many reviewers over the years who have volunteered their time and expertise. At the last round in the fall of 2012, six one-year grants and three two-year grants were funded, totaling $715,892! This makes CIORA the third-largest arthritis-research funding agency in Canada.

CIORA has recently created the CRA-The Arthritis Society (TAS) Clinician Investigator Award, to be managed by TAS. The first recipient is Dr. Cheryl Barnabe, for her contributions to rheumatology research. This is an investment in future leaders in clinical research in rheumatology.

The next call for grant applications will be conducted in the spring of 2014. For more information about CIORA and the grant application process, you can visit the CRA website at rheum.ca. You can also view posters and publications from past funded projects.

I would like also to thank the steering committee of CIORA for their guidance: Dr. Carter Thorne, Dr. Alfred Cividino, Dr. Jamie Henderson,
Dr. Janet Pope, Dr. Michel Zummer, Dr. Maggie Larché, and Dr. Regina Gjevre, as well as Virginia Hopkins and Christine Charnock for their invaluable administrative skills in the management of CIORA.

Boulos Haraoui, MD, FRCPC
Associate Professor of Medicine,
Université de Montréal
Head,
Clinical Research Unit in Rheumatology,
Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM)
Chair,
CIORA Steering Committee
Montreal, Quebec