Analysis of NIH and CIHR grants from 2005–2023 finds differing trends in national investments related to cardiovascular health research in immigrant populations
SOURCE: The Institute
December 4, 2025
A new international study led by researchers at The Institute provides the first comparative analysis of national research funding for the cardiovascular health of immigrants in Canada and the United States. Published in JAMA Network Open, the cross-sectional study examined grants awarded between 2005 and 2023 by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).
Senior author Thao Huynh, MD, PhD., noted the absence of prior evaluations of national funding in this area. "No prior study has evaluated national funding trends for cardiovascular health research in immigrants," she said.
"Immigrants represent a growing proportion of the population in both countries, and their cardiovascular risk profiles may differ from those of people born in Canada or the United States," added first author Wassim Bedrouini, MD, a research fellow working with Dr. Huyhn.
Investigators identified 183 NIH grants and 189 CIHR grants over the 19-year period. When funding was normalized to the size of each country's immigrant population, NIH spending per 1,000 immigrants was consistently higher beginning in 2013. According to the study, the median annual spending per 1,000 immigrants was $96.9 USD at the NIH and $52.4 USD at CIHR.
The authors also compared funding as a share of each agency's total budget. NIH's proportional investment increased from 0.03% in 2005 to 0.04% in 2021, while CIHR's proportional investment decreased to 0.02% in 2021. Trends calculated relative to national gross domestic product showed a similar pattern after 2017.
The study reports that differences in strategic priorities between the agencies may contribute to the observed trends, citing NIH documents that include health disparities among stated goals and CIHR documents that do not specifically reference immigrant cardiovascular health.
Cardiovascular disease remains a leading cause of illness and death across populations. As immigrant populations continue to grow, the authors note that understanding cardiovascular health trends and research investments is an important area of public health interest.
"It is my hope that this study will raise awareness among Canadian funders and policymakers and prompt renewed investment in cardiovascular health research for immigrant communities," said Dr. Huynh.
About the study
The article "Grant Funding for Immigrant Cardiovascular Health Research in the US and Canada" was written by Wassim Bedrouni, Mahdi Bedrouni, Akl C. Fahed, Sonia S. Anand, Amal Bessissow, Rhian Touyz, and Thao Huynh. It was published in JAMA Network Open on December 2, 2025.
DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.46110
The study was supported by a philanthropic donation from Mr. Brahm Steinberg and Mrs. Carole Kastner Steinberg.
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