I think the thing that's bothering me most about @CIHR_IRSC cancelling this grant competition (after all grants were submitted, nonetheless) is that they didn't even check in to see if researchers/reviewers would want to step up to make it happen. 1/

This is a missed opportunity to BUILD community across Canadian research. So many of us would have felt a sense of purpose and unity at a time when the world is very much uncertain by reviewing grants (this was a cited major concern--insufficient reviewer capacity). 2/

Instead, dropping the bomb of "this grant round is cancelled" without consultation breaks down trust and community, reinforces inequities in funding, and compounds the impact felt by so many who are not able to be in the lab at this time due to #physicaldistancing. 3/

It's also shocking b/c the giant @NIH mobilized its review community on a dime and has already switched to online, synchronous review. Many of us who would review could have schooled @CIHR_IRSC in the use of various online platforms. In fact, we had to learn these O/N. 4/

It didn't have to be this way @CIHR_IRSC. There is an army of us across Canada who would have stepped up to review, despite many other current challenges, to keep this competition and our research livelihood in this country in play, and we would have all been stronger for it. 5/5