Grant: Planning and Dissemination Grant - Institute Community Support

Every tenth Canadian has some form of kidney disease. To improve health care for these people, it is critical to strongly support research into disease mechanisms to find new therapies for kidney patients. In Canada, there is a vibrant community of scientists who study how the kidney functions in health and what can cause kidney disease. These scientists also train the next generation of researchers who will one day care for the patients. In order to maximize the rate of discoveries, the researches and their trainees should be able to present their work at scientific meetings, where all participants can exchange ideas, establish new collaborations and nurture new talent. Unfortunately, Canada currently lacks an appropriate scientific meeting for kidney discovery scientists to present their work. The Molecules and Mechanisms Mediating Kidney Health and Disease (M3K) meeting is the new initiative of the Canadian kidney research community that is designed to specifically meet the needs of Canadian fundamental kidney researchers with a focus on inclusiveness, diversity, and equitable access. These principals are supported by wavering or low registration fees and travel awards for trainees. After a long period of Covid, the kidney scientists are planning to get together in-person in spring 2023 in Montreal to re-connect with each other, re-start person-to-person discussions on the pressing issues and re-invigorate the community of fundamental kidney scientists. The CIHR Dissemination and planning grant will help coalesce a powerful national research community that works to improve the renal health of all Canadians.