International Union for Circumpolar Health Ministry of Public Health and Social Development of RF Russian Academy of Medical Sciences Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Medical Sciences Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences Medical Polar Fund “Science” The Northern Forum

Abstracts

Ethnic peculiarities of the North native inhabitants health

Objectives: To assess the effectiveness and efficiency of the Aboriginal Capacity and Developmental Research Environments (ACADRE) Program, and the individual ACADRE centres. Study Design: Process Evaluation. Methods: From October 2003 to November 2004, a Canadian Institutes of Health Research – Institute of Aboriginal Peoples’ Health (CIHR-IAPH) $100,000 commissioned evaluation of the CIHR-IAPH ACADRE Program and ACADRE centres was conducted by a third party 3-person evaluation team. The evaluation was guided by a 5-person national steering committee using the Institutional and Organizational Assessment Framework. Document review, and face-to-face and telephone interviews were conducted among funding managers, researchers, staff, board members, university administrators, students, government and non-government officials, and international agencies. Information was collected on 5 subject areas: (1) structure and governance; (2) planning; (3) organizing, monitoring and reporting; (4) achievements; and, (5) relevance, effectiveness and efficiency. Results: Total of 170 persons were interviewed. From 2001 to 2002, a 6-year $24 million ACADRE Program was launched by CIHR-IAPH. Eight ACADRE centres were established engaging volunteer advisory boards on which Aboriginal people comprised the majority. Each ACADRE centre executed various governance structures: Principal investigator model (25%); board model (50%); and, model of shared governance with antecedent organizations (25%). Collective ACADRE organizational processes included strategic plans, content of initial grant proposals and budgets, and progress reports. Each ACADRE centre utilized between 0.66 to 5 full-time equivalent staff. Total of 125 fellowships were awarded: baccalaureate (57.6%), master (21.6%), doctoral (16.8%) and post-doctoral (4%). Total of 51 ACADRE-led research projects were carried out: University-initiated (74.5%); and, community-initiated (25.5%). Most ACADRE centres (87.5%) believed that the ACADRE Program must continue in some format beyond its 6-year authorization to achieve its objectives. Conclusion: The ACADRE Program and ACADRE centres are relevant to Aboriginal communities, and are meeting its overall goal in developing a network of supportive research environments in Aboriginal health across Canada. The CIHR-IAPH and ACADRE centres should further clarify and define the concept of long-term sustainability of ACADRE centres.

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Last update: 06-Jul-2012 (11:52:05)