Background

The Ontario Genomics Institute (“OGI”) seeks – as part of its mandate to augment, for Ontario’s genomics research community, access to and the impact of genomics technology and resources – to establish a formal framework and program (“Ontario Genomics Platform Affiliates” program, or “OGPA”) with which it will better be able to support Ontario’s genomics platform technology service facilities.  By “genomics”, we mean large-scale, holistic and systematic approaches (and associated technologies) to creating resources accelerating life sciences research; this is inclusive of proteomics and other “omics” applications.  Designation as an OGPA platform technology service facility (“Platform Affiliate”, or “PA”) is intended:  to increase the visibility to and use of the PAs by the research community; to create greater leverage in negotiating vendor discounts on or access to leading-edge genomics technology and reagents; and to facilitate sharing of capacity, information and strategy – when mutually agreed upon – among the PAs.

OGI’s strategic perspective in this program, as with our other programs, is Ontario-wide.  We seek to create greater connectivity, both among Ontario’s genomics platform technology service facilities and between them and their users (research scientists) and providers (vendors).

OGI has historically funded several primary genomics and proteomics genomics platform technology services.  These have been funded with funds from Genome Canada, but have also drawn on service revenues as well as support from Ontario’s government (MRI-ORF, ORDCF, OIT, etc.) and other funders such as CFI.

OGI is currently funding (as part of Genome Canada’s Platform Technology program) The Centre for Applied Genomics (TCAG), led by Dr. Stephen Scherer at SickKids.  Among other Ontario-based interactions, TCAG includes a node at the Ottawa Health Research Institute (OHRI) led by Dr. Dennis Bulman, and has implemented certain pricing agreements with the London Regional Genomics Core (LRGC), led by Dr. Robert Hegele.

As funding opportunities and need allow, OGI may fund other primary platforms (e.g., in proteomics).

Benefits of OGPA for PAs

1. Heightened profile within Ontario, the rest of Canada, and worldwide through marketing and branding support from OGI.
2. Participation in scale-leveraged reagent, service and/or equipment access and/or discounts from vendors, as available.
3. Opportunity to participate in technology seeding programs, training and other events and programs developed by OGI.  
4. Increased access to expertise, collaboration, capacity, and training from other platforms (e.g. user group meetings, training workshops, etc.). 

Eligibility of Candidate PAs

For a genomics platform technology service to be designated a PA, it must:

1. Demonstrate that it will be providing, or preparing to provide, open fee-for-service access as a core facility (intra-institutional services within an Ontario institution) or regional facility (inter-institutional services available to Ontario institutions.
2. Demonstrate capacity and technical ability to provide genomics technology services, and commitment to provide services outside the immediate Principal Investigator’s group running the facility.
3. Provide OGI a current list of services provided and pricing for each on an annual basis.
4. Provide OGI a list of publications that have explicitly acknowledged use of the service over the preceding 2 years.
5. Be willing to execute an OGPA a Memorandum of Understanding with OGI.

Process

Becoming an Affiliate
Eligible affiliates can join at any time. OGI, with input from primary genomics platforms as well as current OGPA members, will review the candidacy of each applicant based on the eligibility criteria listed above.

Renewal of Affiliate Status
A fixed date, joint review will be conducted annually by OGI with input from primary genomics platforms as well as current OGPA members.

Renewal will be based on the following criteria:

1. Platform Affiliate must be actively providing fee-for-service access as a core facility to groups outside the immediate group running the facility;
2. Platform Affiliate must demonstrate competence providing these services;
3. Platform Affiliate must have participated in knowledge sharing, workshops and user group meetings; and
4. Platform Affilate must demonstrate the impact of its facility i.e. publications, user list, acknoledgments

Affiliates will be required to submit reports in support of these criteria on an annual basis.