A major priority of my term as President of the Canadian Urological Association (CUA) was to make sure that we continue to respect, acknowledge, and support our legacy of research excellence in urology. Every CUA member knows that Canadian urology research and our researchers are acknowledged as the best in the world. In terms of funding, international presentations/publications, and number of leading international researchers, the world takes notice. We punch above our weight. However, with pressure to increase clinical output, less overall outside funding available (particularly for early and mid-career urologists), and general lifestyle shifts in our profession, the life of an academic researcher is becoming less desirable for many of our new graduates. Luckily for our contemporary Canadian urology research efforts, visionaries in our association initiated the CUA Scholarship Foundation (CUASF) in 1973 to support promising Canadian urological researchers and facilitate Canadian urology research in general. The process has been very successful, but it was realized that an overhaul was required. In 2015–16, a CUA Working Group developed an updated strategic plan for the CUASF to cover the next five years.
With our strategic plan complete, the CUASF is looking to begin an exciting new early to mid-career development grant and also looking to develop more collaborative grants with other agencies and groups in Canada. We have renamed the CUASF Scholarships to become the CUASF New Investigator Research Scholarship, renewable once. These remain for $40 000 each, with up to four awards per year, one of which will be prioritized for community members. The all-new CUASF Career Development Award is intended to support rising stars in Canadian urology and help them make the transition from new investigator to successful, independent researcher by providing up to $100 000 per year, renewable for up to five years. There will be high standards for these awards, with important metrics and benchmarks to be met before renewal is awarded.
The Working Group firmly established that a major goal of the CUASF is to continue and expand our partnership with other agencies, institutions, and industry to advance research in Canadian urology. Thus far, we have had outstanding industry support from Astellas and Pfizer. The CUA-Astellas Research Grant’s primary focus is to support research in the area of functional urology, with an anticipated three grants of $50 000. The CUA-CUOG-Astellas Research Grant is to support research in prostate cancer, with two grants of $25 000 and two grants of $50 000. The CUA-Pfizer Incontinence Fellowship Award’s ($60 000) focus is to facilitate the most comprehensive and contemporary clinical training in incontinence and to foster scientific discovery and innovation in incontinence research in Canada. The CUA-Pfizer Urology Resident Grant was just recently established to support peer-reviewed resident research or care-enhancement projects that promote excellence in functional urology in Canada. It is anticipated that three grants of $10 000 will be awarded. The CUASF has recently partnered with Bladder Cancer Canada (CUASFBCC; up to two grants of $25 000 each) and The Kidney Cancer Research Network (CUASF-KCRNC; $100 000/year) to develop two new funded research initiatives for 2017 to promote excellence in bladder and kidney cancer research, respectively. Plans are in progress to partner with the Canadian Male Medical Health Council (CUASF-CMSHC) to promote research in male sexual health.
The CUASF is working to develop a formal mentorship program. This program will develop a network of senior researchers to act as mentors for junior and intermediate researchers. The goal of the mentorship program is to support applicants and awardees of the CUASF New Investigator Research Scholarship and CUASF Career Development Award for Research as they conceptualize and implement their research ideas and proposals, to foster collaboration across the country and internationally, and to support both academic and community urologists interested in research.
Building on the success of the last 40 years, the CUASF is in a better position than ever to foster urological research and scholarship in Canada. In 2016, the CUASF awarded $610 000 in grants — a record! With these new awards, in addition to our ongoing programs, the CUASF will soon be supporting Canadian urological research with grants of $750 000 per year or more! Canadian urology will continue to punch above its weight in the world of urological research. As Canadian urologists, it is certainly something we can all be proud of.