Climate Action Genomics Initiative Climate-Smart Agriculture and Food Systems Archives

Interdisciplinary Challenge Teams 2023 (ICT) Funding Opportunity

August 12, 2023 by

Ontario Genomics is pleased to announce Genome Canada’s new Climate Action Genomics Initiative – Climate-Smart Agriculture and Food Systems funding opportunity, launched in May 2022. Interdisciplinary Challenge Teams (ICTs) represent the largest, key component of the initiative. ICTs are integrated teams of researchers from different disciplines and users who work together to address specific questions, achieve relevant deliverables and, ultimately, reduce the carbon footprint and greenhouse gas emissions of Canada’s agriculture and food systems. As part of the Initiative portfolio, the teams will work toward broader national impacts that manifest value beyond each individual project. The ICTs will provide genomic solutions to help implement agriculture and food production systems that are climate-resilient, socially responsible, economically viable and environmentally sustainable, and that contribute to the mitigation of climate change impacts.

Objectives

The ICT funding opportunity aims to support teams that use genomic approaches to achieve the overall objective of the Initiative, which is to develop and apply genomic tools and technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the carbon footprint of Canada’s food systems to ensure they are resilient, economically viable and environmentally sustainable.

The scope of this funding opportunity will include areas where genomic technologies are used to help achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 and reduce the carbon footprint of Canada’s agriculture and food production system. Projects should seek solutions that will increase the value created by production systems without increasing greenhouse gas emissions or amplifying negative impacts on the natural environment. Furthermore, projects should demonstrate how their outputs could be translated into reduced emissions by taking into account the various dimensions of the food system value chain, including production, processing, distribution and consumption.

Applicants must demonstrate how their proposal has significant potential to achieve concrete deliverables by the end of the funding period. Proposals that make a strong case that their deliverables will translate into significant social and/or economic benefits that align with the Initiative’s overall intended impact (i.e., the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to lessen the carbon footprint of Canada’s agriculture and food production systems) within the shortest time frame possible after the end of the project are particularly encouraged. Consideration will be given to what is reasonable for different research areas.

See example projects here.

To ensure that the objectives of the funding opportunity are met, all applications must address the evaluation criteria established for the competition (see Appendix 1 of funding opportunity).

Available funding and term

There is approximately $24 million available for the ICTs from Genome Canada.
Genome Canada’s maximum contribution to an approved project will be $3 million.
There must be a minimum contribution of $1 million from Genome Canada to each approved project.
A project’s eligible costs must be co-funded from eligible sources such that the co-funding is at least equal to the Genome Canada contribution. See the Genome Canada Guidelines for Funding for more details.
Successful teams will be awarded funding for a term of up to four years.

It is anticipated that eight to ten ICTs will be funded as part of this Initiative portfolio. The portfolio will also include a Data Coordinating Centre (DCC) as well as a Knowledge Mobilization and Implementation Coordinating Centre (KMICC).

Eligibility

Genome Canada funds can only be awarded to individuals affiliated with one or more of the following types of organizations:

Canadian universities, colleges and affiliated institutions including research hospitals and research institutes
Not-for-profit organizations (including community or charitable organizations) with an explicit research mandate
Canadian non-federal government departments or agencies

See ICT Funding Opportunity and Guidelines for Funding Research Projects for complete eligibility requirements.

Data Coordination and Collaboration Hub (Data Hub) Funding Opportunity

August 11, 2023 by

Ontario Genomics is pleased to announce new funding opportunities in Genome Canada’s Climate-Smart Agriculture and Food Systems Initiative. This Initiative will create a portfolio of projects that will be managed for integration of activities and objectives across the various portfolio elements.

Data are a central component of the Initiative. Data will act as a bridge or connector between projects and as an output supporting the ability to achieve and measure impact across a diverse portfolio of projects.

To that end, this Initiative will fund two cross-cutting coordination Hubs: the Data Coordination and Collaboration Hub (Data Hub) and the Knowledge Mobilization and Implementation Coordination Hub (KMIC Hub). The cross-cutting, coordinating Hubs are designed to support and maximize the impacts produced by a portfolio of selected Interdisciplinary Challenge Teams (ICT) projects.

These Hubs will provide administrative, technical and coordination leadership to the project portfolio with a focus on:

Intentionally connecting projects across the ICT portfolio.
Supporting the coordination and alignment of portfolio activities across projects.
Engaging stakeholders and end users at the portfolio level.
Adding value to project outputs.
Addressing gaps to create portfolio coherence in achieving impacts

A single pan-Canadian team will be selected to provide data coordination and technical expertise for the portfolio of projects. This team will work with the ICTs and other partners to develop and implement a portfolio data plan.

Data Coordination and Collaboration Hub (Data Hub)

The Data Hub will be responsible for coordinating the scientific data within the portfolio that are required to validate and replicate research findings. Beyond genomic datasets, relevant scientific findings will include information about how the data were generated (e.g., software, workflows and protocols) and the context in which the data should be interpreted (e.g., metadata, policy, socio-economic measures, etc.). Collectively, scientific data outputs from the Initiative will be referred to as “data assets.”

The Data Hub intends to leverage existing digital research infrastructure or software platforms and focus on adding value to these, as opposed to engineering new software. Moreover, the intent is to support the success of individual projects by providing data resources and broader connections to stakeholders. To facilitate climate impact, the Data Hub will help provide a common framework for portfolio outputs. It will not link disparate projects under one overarching research question.

The Data Hub will be responsible for data governance, research data management and analytics. Data governance will ensure that the appropriate data stewardship and data sharing policies are implemented for access, security, and privacy. Research data management will focus on the infrastructure for data storage, processing, and data sharing. This will include advancing data interoperability standards so that data flow and data linkages are optimal. Data analytics will provide value to the portfolio through expertise in statistics, machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI). Analytics would include developing tools and workflows that support ICTs and/or that make the data more useful to external partners.

This funding opportunity aims to support a single pan-Canadian team that will develop and implement a data plan for Genome Canada’s Climate-Smart Agriculture and Food Systems Initiative. First, the team will internally coordinate data-related activities across the interdisciplinary research teams to add value and consistency to the genomic data assets that are being generated. Second, the team will help the projects leverage these data assets to externally advance genomic technologies and policies that have the potential to measurably mitigate climate change, such as by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and/or increasing carbon sequestration.

The broader vision is to co-develop the foundation of a collaborative Canadian climate genomic data hub.

To ensure that the objectives of the funding opportunity are met, all applications must address the review criteria established for the competition (see Appendix 1 of funding opportunity).

Available funding and term

Genome Canada will fund one pan-Canadian team.
There is up to $4 million available for the Data Hub from Genome Canada (phased approach – see funding opportunity).
Co-funding at least equal to the Genome Canada contribution is required (phased approach – see funding opportunity).
The successful team will be awarded funding for a term of up to five years.

Eligibility Criteria

The team must be pan-Canadian with representation from at least three provinces.
The team must include relevant expertise in:
1. Data governance (i.e., data-sharing, access, security and privacy policy).
2. Data management (i.e., standards, metadata, data portals and cloud computing).
3. Data analytics (i.e., bioinformatics, statistics, and AI).
4. Agriculture science (e.g., crops and livestock).
5. Climate science (e.g., carbon accounting, climate modelling, geographic information systems).
The project must include public or private sector partner(s) to:
1. Support computational infrastructure and longer-term sustainability.
2. Facilitate the downstream use and/or impact of the data resources.
Project leaders from the ICT teams cannot be Project Leaders of the Hubs. However, members of the ICT teams can be involved in the Hub team as co-applicants.

See Data Hub Funding Opportunity for complete eligibility requirements.

Knowledge Mobilization and Implementation Coordination Hub (KMIC Hub) Funding Opportunity

August 10, 2023 by

Knowledge mobilization and implementation will be critical to the Climate-Smart Agriculture and Food Systems Initiative. The projects within the portfolio will intentionally and regularly connect, convene and learn from each other to drive greater collective impact.

To that end, this Initiative will fund two cross-cutting coordination Hubs: the Knowledge Mobilization and Implementation Coordination Hub (KMIC Hub) and the Data Coordination and Collaboration Hub (Data Hub). The cross-cutting, coordinating Hubs are designed to support and maximize the impacts produced by a portfolio of selected Interdisciplinary Challenge Teams (ICT) projects.

These Hubs will provide administrative, technical and coordination leadership to the project portfolio with a focus on:

Intentionally connecting projects across the ICT portfolio.
Supporting the coordination and alignment of portfolio activities across projects.
Engaging stakeholders and end users at the portfolio level.
Adding value to project outputs.
Addressing gaps to create portfolio coherence in achieving impacts

A single pan-Canadian team will be selected to develop and implement a portfolio-level knowledge mobilization and implementation plan for Genome Canada’s Climate-Smart Agriculture and Food Systems Initiative.

Knowledge Mobilization and Implementation Coordination Hub (KMIC)

The KMIC Hub will have broad and specific knowledge, skills, and expertise in Genomics In Society (GIS) – a field that encompasses the environmental, economic, ethical, legal and social aspects of genomics (GE³LS) research – as well as skills in stakeholder relations, partnership development, project management, stakeholder and end-user engagement, policy and regulation, economics, and implementation science. These skills and knowledge areas will equip the KMIC Hub to lead and coordinate cross-cutting GE3LS research and activities at the portfolio level and to launch and manage other knowledge mobilization activities that will help drive the adoption of genomic solutions and mobilize knowledge to help the portfolio deliver net carbon reduction.

The KMIC Hub will focus initially on developing mechanisms and structures to enable the ICT teams to connect with the Hub. The Hub will work with ICTs to refine, cocreate and harmonize project-specific knowledge mobilization and implementation plans into a single unified portfolio plan. This plan should describe an ambitious yet practical vision of what a Canadian KMIC Hub for climate genomics could be and how it will work across the portfolio of projects to support Canada’s goals to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 and to reduce the carbon footprint of its agriculture and food production system.

The objective of this funding opportunity is to support a single pan-Canadian team that will develop and implement a portfolio-level knowledge mobilization and implementation plan for this Initiative. The team will coordinate knowledge mobilization and implementation activities to ensure that research and investments produce the intended impact and outcome. Consistent with the overall initiative objective, this will include undertaking key GE3LS research at the portfolio level and advancing genomic technologies and policies that have the potential to measurably mitigate climate change by reducing carbon emissions and increasing carbon sequestration.

To ensure that the objectives of the funding opportunity are met, all applications must address the review criteria established for the competition (see Appendix 1 of funding opportunity).

Available funding and terms

Genome Canada will fund one pan-Canadian team.
There is up to $2.1 million available for the KMIC hub from Genome Canada (phased approach – see funding opportunity).
Co-funding at least equal to the Genome Canada contribution is required (phased approach – see funding opportunity).
The successful team will be awarded funding for a term of up to five years.

Eligibility Criteria

The team must be pan-Canadian with representation from at least three provinces.
The team should be multidisciplinary and include representatives who have expertise, skills and knowledge in areas such as:
1. Knowledge mobilization and implementation (e.g., implementation science, knowledge translation and exchange, knowledge brokering).
2. Research (e.g., implementation science, GE3LS).
3. Policy and regulation (e.g., shaping and influencing policy, understanding federal and provincial or territorial governments and processes).
4. Stakeholder engagement and outreach (e.g., consultations, public engagement).
5. Partnership development (e.g., the ability to identify, establish and maintain partnerships with public, private, non-governmental and academic sectors).
6. Science communications and marketing.
7. Economics and economic evaluation.
8. Evaluation and measurement.
9. Inclusion, diversity, equity and access (IDEA) and Indigenous knowledge and engagement.
10. Climate and agriculture science (e.g., genomics in society, crops, livestock).

Please note that different sources of expertise and experience can be pulled in at different phases; the full complement is not necessarily expected at the start of the project.

The project must include partner(s) from the public, community or private sector to facilitate the use and/or impact of the Initiative.
Project Leaders from the ICT teams cannot be Project Leaders of the Hubs. However, members of the ICT teams can be involved in the Hub team as co-applicants.

See KMIC Funding Opportunity for complete eligibility requirements.

Objectives

Available funding and term

Eligibility

Data Coordination and Collaboration Hub (Data Hub)

Available funding and term

Eligibility Criteria

Knowledge Mobilization and Implementation Coordination Hub (KMIC)

Available funding and terms

Eligibility Criteria

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