We were thrilled to launch our second phase in April with more than $11.8 million in new funding. This is a significant boost for Canadian kidney research that builds upon the successes of our first phase and creates new opportunities to mobilize innovations in diagnosis, treatment, and care that will enhance kidney health. Phase 2 also arrives with a renewed focus on changing the culture of kidney research. We will achieve this by enhancing Indigenous cultural competency, advancing principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion, and creating new resources and infrastructure to bolster Canada’s leadership in kidney-focused research and clinical trials.

As the network navigates this transition, we also celebrate all that we have built and achieved. Our 18 research projects have generated new knowledge about kidney health and disease. We have brought Indigenous ways of knowing into research and created unique resources to support respectful partnerships. We have developed training programs, such as our Learning Tree, that are helping community members enhance their patient-oriented research skills. Most of all, we have advanced a culture change in research that has placed patients and their experiences at the forefront.

Of course, none of this is possible without the collective efforts of hundreds across Canada – our volunteer patient partners, Knowledge Keepers, research team members, investigators, and staff. Special thanks are due to our funding partners for their generous contributions to our network.

Thank you to everyone who has played a role. We look forward to continuing this transformative work into Phase 2 and beyond.