The Medical Research Council of Canada, designed to promote and support all manner of research in the health sciences, is the federal government's major funding agency for medical research in Canada. It was created in 1936 as the Associate Committee on Medical Research within the National Research Council (NRC). On 1 June 1946, the NRC replaced the Committee with the Division of Medical Research. On 4 July 1960, the Medical Research Council of Canada (MRC) was established as an autonomous subsidiary of the NRC.
Many different kinds of grants are awarded by the MRC. Operating Grants assist in defraying the running costs of basic, applied, developmental or clinical research in Canadian universities, their affiliated institutions, or other facilities. Major Equipment Grants allow the purchase of pieces of specialized equipment costing 0,000. or more. Scholarships are designed to give the investigator their first opportunity to develop and demonstrate their ability to carry out independent research in the health sciences. Centennial Fellowships are granted to young persons of distinguished academic standing who hold an M.D., D.D.S., D.V.M., or Ph.D and who wish to broaden their fields of interest. These awards are made for 1 to 3 years, and no more than 10 new awards are made in any year. Regular Fellowships are offered to equally qualified candicates who wish to take up full-time research training in the health sciences; these awards are tenable for 12 months, and may, under certain circumstances, be renewed. Finally, Studentships are provided to graduates with a B.Sc undertaking full-time training in research leading to an M.Sc or a Ph.D under the supervision of members of departments of schools of medicine, dentistry, or pharmacy and under certain circumstances, schools of nursing or physical education. Studentships are tenable for 12 months, with up to 3 renewal up to 3 times.
This accession contains files on applicants and recipients of operating grants, scholarships, studentships, fellowships, and Centennial fellowships. The files contain application forms and supporting documentation, correspondence, certificates of approval for clinical research on humans, description of research projects, referees' reports, notices of awards, and printouts from the Grant Application and Assessment System. Some files also contain academic transcripts, cheque requisitions, circulars to recipients informing them of changes in procedures, tracking sheets, and renewal forms. Some of the files date from 1951, and contain documentation from the MRC's predecessor body, the Division of Medical Research of the National Research Council.
For related material, please see RG 128, Volumes 1-123, and Accessions 1981-82/109, 1985-86/655, 1985-86/656, 1986-87/174, 1987-88/043, 1989-90/237, 1989-90/310 and 1989-90/326.
