Alignment strategy

An interministerial working group on life quality and demography (in the context of the Research Organisation Act on federally subsidised research, technology and innovation in Austria; the FTI AG3 “Lebensqualität und Demografischer Wandel”) exists. The members are from several Austrian ministries: Austrian Federal Ministry for Science, Research and Economy (BMWFW; Bettina Glaser), Austrian Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology (BMVIT), Federal Ministry of Health and Women’s Affairs (BMGF); Federal Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Consumer Protection (BMASK); Federal Chancellery (BKA). They meet at least two times a year as well as on demand and inform eachother about their activities in demographic change and life quality.

The BMWFW and the BMVIT have initialized several networking platforms for better network of national stakeholders in important research areas and societal challenges with the target of national alignment.
The first established platform is the “Netzwerk Altern” with the focus on ageing and demographic change – http://www.netzwerk-altern.at/
The platform is a contact point for partners in research, policy and society, supports young academics, gives information on action in european programs and initiatives, organises events and meetings and prepares information on on ageing and demographic change. At the moment the members of the platform are working – amongst others – on a report on the current state of research in the above mentioned areas.

Not available yet

Activities related to seniors are coordinated through several federal and provincial departments and agencies in Canada. The Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR) is part of the health portfolio which supports the Minister of Health in maintaining and improving the health of Canadians. As one of CIHR’s thirteen institutes, the CIHR Institute of Aging (IA) is a national leader in addressing health research priorities for seniors. IA initiatives not only link and support researchers located in universities and hospitals across the country, but also bring together different levels of government, practitioners, voluntary health organizations and seniors themselves. The fundamental goal of IA is the advancement of knowledge in the field of aging to improve the quality of life and the health of older Canadians.The Department of Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) reports to the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development. ESDC convenes an Interdepartmental Committee on Seniors. This group meets on a monthly basis and includes representation from over 20 federal departments and agencies (including CIHR). This forum for sharing information on various programs and initiatives related to seniors, includes, but is not limited to health, housing, income security, social inclusion and transportation.

In 2012, the CIHR Institute of Aging conducted wide-reaching consultations with stakeholders both across Canada and internationally. The Speaking of Aging tour covered 16 Canadian cities, where the Institute met with over 600 people representing not only researchers and trainees from various fields, but also with partners, policy makers and the general public. These stakeholders identified a number of research needs, with the greatest emphasis being on access to aging in place. Inspired by this tour, the Institute of Aging is leading a number of strategic investments to support research in some crucial areas related to this topic.The CIHR Institute of Aging also acts as national convenor. This role involves bringing government stakeholders, the research community, partners, patients, and population- and community-based groups together, among others. Examples of the Institute’s convenor role during the past year include:
• A proactive presence at all large Canadian meetings on aging, including annual meetings of the Canadian Association on Gerontology, the Canadian Geriatrics Society, and the Canadian Academy of Geriatric Psychiatry, at which workshops and special sessions were organized for researchers and trainees.The coordination and chairing of bi-annual meetings of all of the Directors of the Canadian Research Centres on Aging, in order to exchange on the latest initiatives and be informed of the current challenges facing early career and established investigators.The planning and coordination of “Canadian Pavilions” at International conferences, such as the Gerontological Society of America Annual Meeting and the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference, in order to provide a venue for interaction and enhance the visibility of Canadian stakeholders in an international forum.
• The coordination of meetings of stakeholders in the field of aging and cognition (Cognitive Impairment in Aging Partnership) in order to exchange and to explore potential partnerships in the area of dementia. A strong international presence, in aging as well as in dementia, maintained by regular contact with the staff of the World Health Organization (WHO) in the Department of Aging and in the Department of Mental Health and Dementia.
• The federal government also works with its provinces to ensure the health and well-being of seniors, for instance, in 2017, the government of Canada agreed to provide the provinces with $6 billion over 10 years to improve home and palliative care, including $1 billion for critical care infrastructure. CIHR regularly liaises with its counterpart provincial health research funders, collectively referred to as the National Alliance of Provincial Health Research Organizations (NAPHRO).