Guest Column May 2026: Research Portfolio Update

By Dr. Jane Batt, Vice Chair, Research

Dear Colleagues,

In last month’s DoM Matters, Dr. Kapral presented the department’s new strategic plan. While the plan represents the full breadth of activities and people across the DoM, as Vice Chair Research, I am pleased for the opportunity to reflect on how we view this plan through the lens of our research enterprise.

In weighing the values identified in the plan – excellence, belonging & well-being, discovery, integrity, and collaboration – one immediately recognizes the core of what consistently makes our department a centre for impactful research. But we are not without challenges to overcome. The third strategic priority – strengthen our ability to lead globally recognized research and scholarship – is where much of our day-to-day focus remains, and over the past year, we have consulted with researchers across the department on how best to move forward.

Fireside Chats

We hosted a series of fireside chats onsite at four TAHSN hospitals and one virtual session in December and January inviting all clinician scientist (CS) and clinician investigator (CI) faculty to attend, with the intent to answer faculty questions, as well as understand their concerns and priorities for the research portfolio. Sustainable funding for clinician scientist salary support remains a major concern, as do frustrations navigating U of T systems, including delays with inter‑institutional contracts and REB approvals, and uncertainty around early‑career research pathways. We also heard a strong desire for clearer communication around changes affecting research spaces, including the Medical Sciences Building. These conversations closely mirrored issues raised during the DoM strategic planning process. We will continue to provide similar opportunities like Fireside Chats to encourage ongoing dialogue with our faculty.

Salary Support

From July 2021 to June 2026, the Department has invested $17.8M in research support across clinician scientists at all ranks, spanning CS start‑up funding, CS salary awards, and Research Chairs. All funding for support of these awards is derived from philanthropic endowments and expendable donations to the Department of Medicine. The CS Salary Award remains highly competitive, with about 23 applications annually. Current budget projections support continuing five CS start‑ups and eight salary awards per year. We are actively working with the TFOM Advancement office to identify new funding opportunities, including catalyst funds and named research donations, to help buffer ongoing funding pressures.

Matching donor intent with the right science

Donations in support of research are typically specified by the donor to specific diseases or groups of diseases, and occasionally to types of research (fundamental vs clinical, etc.). The DoM currently has 555 CI and CS faculty. The goal is to ensure all MD researchers are visible when donor-directed opportunities arise. Thus, a new initiative underway is development of the Living Research Keyword Directory, which will be used to help the department and Advancement identify real “fit” and adjacent impact when identifying researchers and research programs for presentation to donors. It will also enable us to observe organically emerging research strengths across the Department that can be used by Advancement in donor pitches. Over 120 research faculty have already contributed keywords, summaries, or CVs, from which the DoM is building the Directory. The initial Directory build is underway, with plans to update the registry twice yearly.

Making collaboration easier

Inter-institutional contracts and REB delays remain a significant pain point. The DoM survey conducted in 2024 collected data from CI and CS faculty on the time to completion for inter-institutional contracts and REB approvals, the vast majority being in excess of three months, and many experiencing losses of collaboration and/or funding due to excessive delays. This data was provided to senior TFOM and TAHSN leadership. TAHSN is addressing these issues by announcing a new Master Collaboration Agreement between Sunnybrook, Unity Health, UHN, and CAMH that is being piloted from January – May/June 2026. Its intent is to streamline agreements, harmonize terms, and improve timelines for completion of inter-institutional research contracts/REB completion around research studies.

Supporting the pipeline

Applications to the Clinician Scientist Training Program have declined sharply, reflecting broader concerns about training length, job security, salary differentials, and cost of living. The Department is working with education leadership and program directors to rethink how research exposure is built into residency, explore “fast‑track” models, and better integrate research training across IM and subspecialties. Additional attention is needed to better align divisions and hospitals workforce planning with training and development of CSs and will involve liaising with DDDs and PICs.

Exclusion of MD Researchers from U of T Competitions

Currently, MD faculty are ineligible to compete for most major U of T internal research awards (e.g., Connaught, postdoc excellence awards). DoM is working with TFOM research leadership to explore potential revision of the eligibility criteria.

U of T Canada Research Chairs

Standing eligibility restrictions for applications to CRC at U of T have had downstream effects, including increased pressure on and competition for DoM-funded Chairs, and have created challenges in retaining DoM research faculty who are excluded from CRC application. DoM Research continues to work with TFOM leadership on revisiting the eligibility criteria to enable all qualified research faculty to apply for available CRCs.

Questions or comments? Reach us at dom.research@utoronto.ca.