Rehabilitation Health Services Funding through ONF
Message to the rehab community re rehab health services funding through ONF


The initial three year funding period for Ontario Rehabilitation Research Network will be completed on March 31, 2005.

We are pleased to let you know that representatives of the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (ministry), the Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation (ONF), and ORRN have established a plan for continued work in the form of a new group called the Ontario Rehabilitation Research Advisory Network (ORRAN) to advance rehabilitation research and knowledge exchange in Ontario. The executive membership will be modified slightly by the ministry and the chair of ORRAN and will continue to focus on the current ORRN goals as well as acting in an advisory and networking capacity to the ministry regarding policy, knowledge exchange and funding focus for rehabilitation health services research in Ontario.

The goals for ORRAN are:

• To establish a collaborative context to support and develop rehabilitation research initiatives across Ontario.
• To maximize rehabilitation research funding for Ontario.
• To expand the number of people conducting rehabilitation research.
• To increase the exchange of rehabilitation research knowledge into practice, policy and development of further rehabilitation research.
• To act in an advisory and networking capacity regarding policy, knowledge exchange and funding focus for rehabilitation research in Ontario.

The ministry, ONF and ORRAN representatives are also examining ways in which to continue the network functions within the theme areas through an upcoming request for proposals application process.

In addition, a new research focus area has been identified related to rehabilitation health system services. The ONF has agreed to let us utilize their RFP infrastructure for postings of ministry directed rehabilitation research and later, of knowledge exchange funding initiatives. We encourage you to watch the ONF website for RFP's that are posted three times a year, namely, on February 1, May 1 and October 1, 2005, and to advise your research colleagues of the calls for proposals.

We will be providing updates on the ORRAN website and via email as we move forward refining future goals and research directions. Note that the website will have links to the ONF website.
 
Contacts:     
Mary Edwards
Mcmaster University
9055259140 x27815
Edwardsm@mcmaster.ca