Abstract
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) was officially established on June 7, 2000. Among the 13 institutes that were created, the Institute for Circulatory and Respiratory Health (C&R or CnR), which brings together researchers in the fields of heart, stroke, lung and blood research, has become the principal outlet for respiratory research in this country. Although this large, combined institute was not the first choice of our society or of the respiratory research community at large, we must respect this choice within the context of the new direction for Canadian health research and help to make it work. Over this past summer, the process of recruiting the scientific directors and advisory board members for each CIHR institute has proceeded at a rapid pace. As we go to press, the decisions on the appointment of the 13 inaugural scientific directors are being made. In addition, over the next few weeks, the institute advisory boards will be appointed. The CIHR Governing Council has the ultimate responsibility for these appointments. The Council represents a very broad cross-section of the health research community in Canada; all of us on the Council sincerely wish to see the very best team of directors and board members selected to fulfill these roles.