Can-SOLVE CKD
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Can-SOLVE CKD

Canadians Seeking Solutions and Innovations to Overcome Chronic Kidney Disease (Can-SOLVE CKD) is a unique patient-oriented kidney research network that puts patients at the heart of everything that is done. The goal of the network is to improve the quality of care of those with kidney disease and to help kidney patients experience the best outcomes and quality of life. The first phase of this network was announced by the Honourable Jane Philpott, Minister of Health, in March 2016 as one of five successful recipients of $12.5 million of funding through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR).

The Kidney Foundation was a proud partner in the years of planning and development which went into the development of Can-SOLVE CKD, and has continued to play an active role throughout the first phase of the network’s growth. 

As the largest non-government funder, The Kidney Foundation committed over $3.35 million to the first phase of Can-SOLVE CKD through the generous support of our donors and partners.

In 2022, phase 2 funding for Can-SOLVE CKD was announced. Continuation of this work will focus on knowledge mobilization and implementation science.

Our Can-SOLVE CKD Supporters

The Kidney Foundation is committed to continuing its support for this initiative, pledging an additional $1.9 million investment through the second phase of funding as projects move from research to implementation. Our resources and connections will provide valuable implementation reach and sustainability support for Can-SOLVE CKD, and we are eager to assist the network in transforming results into practice.

We are grateful to the many generous donors who have provided support to help us meet this commitment; they include:



Leslie and John
Pearson and Family 

Otsuka logo
Amgen logo

  • "The partnership with The Kidney Foundation has been a cornerstone of our success to date, and I look forward to extending and deepening our collaboration for the benefit of all Canadians living with kidney disease. We recognize that The Kidney Foundation has tremendous reach across Canada’s kidney community and can play a crucial role in implementing Can-SOLVE CKD research programs and capacity building initiatives.”

    Dr. Adeera Levin, Co-Principal Investigator of the Can-SOLVE CKD Network

  • “This next phase provides opportunity to translate research outputs into policy and practice that will benefit all Canadians living with or affected by kidney disease. The focus of elevating lived experience voices and priorities in research aligns with the Foundation’s strategic goals.”

    Leanne Stalker, National Director of Research for The Kidney Foundation of Canada

Patients' Comments

  • "As a patient with CKD,...

    ...I fear I will suffer the same fate as my family members have: starting dialysis before the age of 40, experiencing chronic pain and fatigue, having to work part time or not at all, developing diabetes and heart disease, having surgery after surgery for stents, grafts, and fistulas, developing infections, and having appendages amputated. This is not a future I want, and this is not the future I want for my loved ones! Being a member of Can-SOLVE CKD empowers me to make change and support medical professionals who are dedicated to improving kidney health and care through research."

  • "Allowing patients to have a voice...

    ...in the future of kidney care and research is really extraordinary, a new frontier. Of course, we would all like to see a cure, but in the meantime, we want to know that everything possible is being done to improve people’s quality of life now. Not in 10 or 20 years, but now."

To learn more, please visit the Can-SOLVE CKD website.