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Ontario Regional Priorities Partnership Program (ON-RP3)

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This competition is closed. All submitted proposals will be assessed according to the process outlined in the competition timeline, and results will be announced as indicated.

Ontario regional priorities partnership program (ON-RP3)

Rapid advances in genomics research and their application within Ontario’s diverse agriculture and agri-food sector have the potential to dramatically impact and improve both Ontario’s economy and the well-being of its people. Genomics, which to date has been applied primarily in major field crops and select livestock species, offers tremendous untapped potential to enhance the productivity, sustainability and profitability of many more segments of this sector. Ontario is well-known for its extensive research community and robust private sector, which have led to highly successful industry-academic partnerships. Through partnerships like these, Ontario is uniquely positioned to lead the application of genomics/genomics-derived technologies, tools and processes to advance the agriculture and agri-food sector.

To this end, Ontario Genomics (OG) has partnered with Agricultural Adaptation Council (AAC) and Genome Canada (GC) to deliver the new Ontario Regional Priorities Partnership Program (ON-RP3). Funding through this program will support co-led industry-academic, proof-of-concept stage projects within Ontario’s agriculture and agri-food sector. These projects will deliver genomics-derived technologies, tools and processes for industry-identified challenges and opportunities. The outcomes of these projects will position teams for successful implementation within two years or less of project completion.

Objectives

The primary objectives of the ON-RP3 are to:

  • Develop industry-academic partnerships that will drive the adoption of genomics-derived technologies, tools and processes to advance the Ontario agriculture and agri-food sector
  • Address industry-identified challenges and/or opportunities in the agriculture and agri-food sector and demonstrate the readiness of genomics solutions for implementation
  • Achieve the benefits of genomic discoveries by bridging the gap between applied research and implementation

Key Parameters of the Program

The ON-RP3 program is open to Ontario-based, co-led industry-academic projects. Industry includes for-profit companies and not-for-profit organizations actively operating in the Ontario agriculture and agri-food sector. Proposed projects must address real-world challenges and/or opportunities in Ontario’s agriculture and agri-food sector by using genomics/genomics-derived solutions.

  • Eligible Projects: Proof-of-concept stage projects with a clear plan for implementation within two years or less of project completion.
  • Eligible Applicants: Projects must be co-led by an Industry Lead and an Academic Lead, both based in Ontario.
  • Funding Available: Up to $2 million.
  • Project Size: $375,000 – $500,000 total project budget; smaller projects of at least $150,000 will be considered if they are well-justified and still meet the review criteria.
  • Co-funding: 1/3 of the total project budget must be obtained from eligible sources including the Industry Lead. A minimum of 1/6 of the total project budget must be in the form of cash obtained from the Industry Lead.
  • Funding Duration: One to three years, beginning no earlier than July 1, 2019 and ending no later than June 30, 2022.
  • Communications Plan: Projects must present a strong plan to communicate the project outcomes to a broad audience.

ON-RP3 Public Education and Engagement Initiative: Successful project teams that are selected for funding will be required to work collaboratively with OG, AAC and GC on a common, group-identified public education/engagement-themed initiative. The aim will be to identify and implement an initiative that benefits all projects. This initiative is expected to begin in the summer of 2020 and will be financially supported by OG, AAC and GC.

Eligibility

To be considered eligible, projects must:

  1. Respond to the objectives and intent of the ON-RP3 program
  2. Have an eligible Industry Lead and Academic Lead located in Ontario and demonstrate that the project being funded will be performed in, and benefit Ontario
  3. Put forward a genomics or genomics-derived solution (technologies, tools and processes) for an agriculture and agri-food sector-driven challenge or opportunity
  4. Align within one or more of the outlined strategic priorities listed below
  5. Build on existing research/preliminary data to demonstrate proof-of-concept by the end of the funding period
  6. Provide a plan that demonstrates how implementation will be achieved within two years or less of project completion
  7. Provide a communications plan

Proof-of-concept stage projects are defined as projects that build on existing discovery research and/or preliminary data towards Research & Development (R&D) that demonstrates the feasibility of implementing the genomics/genomics-derived solution. With the proof-of-concept data generated by end of the project, teams should be well-positioned to execute their defined implementation plan.

Discovery research with a seed sprouting icon, proof of concept with a growing sapling icon, implementation with a tree icon

Strategic Priorities

Projects must align with one or more of the strategic priorities outlined below, that are  based on the recommendations from the sector strategy report, Genomics for Agriculture & Agri-Food: Ontario’s Strategic Opportunity.  This report was prepared by Ontario Genomics following extensive sector review and consultations with academic, government, industry and other sector stakeholders:

  • Multidisciplinary Research – Augment multidisciplinary R&D using a systems biology approach, with a focus on increased understanding of microbiomes and their interconnectivity to human health
  • Sustainable Agriculture & Food – Prioritize programs for sustainable agriculture and food that consider the economy, the environment, and society, for crop production and livestock
  • Advanced Processing Systems – Enhance advanced manufacturing and processing systems for both food and industrial bioproducts, including fermentation and traceability
  • Rapid Diagnostics & Biologics – Develop rapid diagnostic methods to support regulation and trade, rapid disease detection and traceability in crops and livestock, and biologics to reduce the use of antimicrobials
  • Address Barriers to Adoption – Address barriers to the adoption of genomics innovations including issues related to data sharing, intellectual property, regulation and public acceptance
  • Leverage Computational Biology & Artificial Intelligence – Leverage Ontario’s strengths in computational biology and artificial intelligence to accelerate the development and application of agricultural genomics-based innovations

Application Review Process

The ON-RP3 application process includes three stages, as follows:

  1. Registration (Eligibility Assessment)
  2. Application Submission
  3. Application Review

Pre-commercial Business Development Fund (PBDF)

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This competition is closed. All submitted proposals will be assessed according to the process outlined in the competition timeline, and results will be announced as indicated.

PBDF Pre-commercial business development fund, ontario genomics banner. there is a blue lightbulb that is lit up in the left-hand corner

Ontario Genomics, through its Pre-commercial Business Development Fund (PBDF), is a committed investment partner supporting late-stage academic research and early-stage companies developing promising “’omics [1]” and ’omics-enabled technologies.

The PBDF is an investment fund uniquely focused on enabling the advancement of Ontario ’omics research projects and technology development toward commercialization and economic impact. Specifically, it aims to provide early-stage financial support as companies (with or without academic collaborators) move towards commercial applications, to speed up the transfer of products from R&D to market.

The Partnership

The fund invests up to C$100,000 per project. Our partnership with recipients includes not only financing, but also mentorship and guidance during the programs’ execution phase and thereafter based on our strong understanding of ’omics technologies and their potential commercial applications. Previous recipients of PBDF funding have included Ontario universities, research institutes and start-up companies.

Our Objectives

  • Create downstream economic benefits from ’omics research;
  • Support scientific entrepreneurs and start-ups; and
  • Generate returns for future PBDF investments.

Areas of Interest

Broad areas of interest for the PBDF include (but are not restricted to):

  • Biofuels, bioproducts
  • Human or animal diagnostics
  • Human or animal therapeutics
  • Crop or livestock trait improvements
  • Environmental management (related to water, mining, energy, other)
  • Forestry, natural resources
  • Laboratory and medical devices
  • Food, nutrition
  • Informatics including databases, software, other tools

Funding Criteria

We look for promising projects or opportunities that:

  • Leverage ’omics and associated technologies, and
  • Fall in the proof-of-principle (validation) phase of research.

We look for a balance of best-in-class, innovative science and high commercial potential.

The PBDF ranks opportunities in terms of the extent to which they meet the following criteria:

  • The investment would increase the likelihood of a near-term (i.e. within 24 months), ‘next-step’ event by offering concrete, definitive milestone(s) and uniquely enables rapid progress towards the marketplace for the outcome(s) of ’omics and related technologies.
  • The company should be capable of, and committed to, commercialization of the outcome of the project.
  • The proposal demonstrates that the PBDF represents a unique funding opportunity for the project at this stage.  Although matching funds (cash or in-kind) are required, a 1:1 match is not necessary.
  1. where “’omics” includes genomics, proteomics, transcriptomics, epigenomics, bioinformatics and other related disciplines that involve systematic, comprehensive and high-throughput procedures to study cellular constituents and function

AcCELLerate-ON

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AcCELLerate-ON, Canada’s first regional cellular agriculture competition, funds four cutting edge cellular agriculture-focused food and beverage projects

With a potential result of food innovations that will create billions in economic value for Canada and environmental benefit for the world, Canadian Food Innovation Network (CFIN) and Ontario Genomics launched AcCELLerate-ON, Canada’s first regional cellular agriculture competition. Designed to spark food innovation, this program will support the research and development of viable food production methods such as cell culture, precision fermentation, tissue engineering, scaffolding and hybridizing production capabilities.

Funded Projects

On May 3, 2022 The Canadian Food Innovation Network (CFIN) and Ontario Genomics have announced the recipients of more than $900K in funding through their AcCELLerate-ON competition. AcCELLerate-ON is Canada’s first regional cellular agriculture competition, supporting the research and development of novel and innovative viable food production methods with the intent to drive economic growth and Ontario’s global leadership in this new and sustainable way to produce food.

The four genomics and engineering biology projects were chosen for their potential to drive food innovation, address industry opportunities, solve challenges, and benefit the cellular agriculture ecosystem and food and beverage industry in Ontario.

Landing Pad Investment Program (LPIP)

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Driving forward our vision of developing the engineering biology ecosystem within Ontario and Canada, Ontario Genomics is enabling start-ups by providing investment and in-kind support through the Landing Pad Investment Program (LPIP).

The Landing Pad Investment Program aligns well with our strategic goals to advance genomics, applied research, and innovation to drive industry’s competitiveness, by providing access to high-risk investment, fostering connections between businesses, funders, investors and others, and advocating for policies that enable commercialization and implementation of genomics-based technologies. This enables a higher return on investments in genomics technology research, development and commercialization, filling a critical gap in Ontario’s life sciences ecosystem.

Ontario Genomics offers support to start-ups that attend an International Accelerator Program and wish to return to Ontario upon completion. Our official partner IndieBio (San Francisco & New York), backed by the global venture capital firm SOSV., offers $250,000 USD to companies accepted to their program. Successful applicants returning to Ontario from IndieBio or another approved international accelerator program may receive up to $100,000 CAD in investment from Ontario Genomics.

We are also working with Ontario Incubator Partners to provide access to laboratory space and mentorship. The mentorship includes regulatory pathway assistance, global outlook and connections, understanding of export markets, business model strategy, technical development, funding and foreign investment. Our partners are some of Ontario’s leading incubators and support organizations such as Velocity, Synapse, McMaster Innovation Park and Toronto Metropolitan University’s Science Discovery Zone (SDZ).

Ontario Regional Priorities Partnership Program (ON-RP3)

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The Ontario Regional Priorities Partnership Program (ON-RP3) is supporting Ontario-focused, industry-academic partnership projects that will positively impact Ontario’s agriculture and agri-food sector.

The funding is supporting proof-of-concept stage projects that will deliver genomics/genomics-derived technologies, tools and processes to provide solutions to industry-identified challenges or opportunities within the sector. ON-RP3 will help industry take applied research to the implementation and commercialization stages. These solutions will be implemented by 2024.

Funded Ontario RP3 Projects

2019

On December 5, 2019 Bettina Hamelin, President and CEO of Ontario Genomics, announced the eight successful ON-RP3 project teams. In total, eight projects are being funded across Ontario through a $2M investment by the Agricultural Adaptation Council and Ontario Genomics (through Genome Canada). This investment is leveraging $975,000 in industry contributions, for a total of over $2.95 M to drive genomics-derived technologies, tools and processes to create more jobs and grow the Ontario economy.

Large Scale Applied Research Project (LSARP) Competition

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The Large-Scale Applied Research Project (LSARP) Competition provides support to large-scale genomics research projects using genomic approaches to address challenges in Canada’s main economic sectors, as well as strategic initiative programs that address national and international opportunities. Launched on May 17, 2010, the funding for this competition is targeted to projects focused on applying genomics research to create socio-economic benefits for Canada, to be realized or initiated before the end of the project

Funded Ontario LSARP Projects

On July 26, 2021 Ontario Genomics announced a total investment of over $39 million into the Large Scale Applied Research Program (LSARP) projects from across Ontario that will help address the impact of climate change and pollution. Genome Canada announced funding for eight Canadian projects under the Genomic Solutions for Natural Resources and the Environment competition with an overall budget of $58.6 million. Five of the eight projects involve Ontario researchers, with over $39 million of the nationwide budget being received by provincial researchers.

On July 23, 2019, The Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and Sport, announced the $29.3 million investment in the 2018 Large-Scale Applied Research Project (LSARP) Competition: Genomics Solutions for Agriculture, Agri-food, Fisheries and Aquaculture. The eight (8) projects approved for funding use genomics to advance the sustainability, productive capacity and competitive position of the Canadian agriculture and agri-food & fisheries and aquaculture sectors, thereby strengtheing Canada’s economy and the wellbeing of Canadians. Ontario Genomics is leading or co-leading (5) research projects bringing $9.8M of federal funding to Ontario which leverages an additional of $17.1M for a total investment of nearly $27M.

On January 23, 2018, Genome Canada, in collaboration with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and project cofunding partners, announced an investment of approx. $162 million over four years in 15 new genomics and precision health projects. These projects – spanning multiple disease areas – demonstrate how genomics-based research can contribute to a more evidence-based approach to health and thereby improve health outcomes for patients, as well as enhance the cost-effectiveness of Canada’s health-care system. Four (4) research projects through Ontario Genomics were approved for funding:

On December 8, 2016, Genome Canada announced the $110 million investment in the 2015 LSARP competition. The thirteen projects approved for funding use genomics to address the challenges and opportunities facing Canada’s natural resources and environment sectors to drive sustainability, growth, productivity, commercialization and global competitiveness. Three (3) research projects through Ontario Genomics – with one Genome British Columbia co-lead – were approved for funding:

On July 21, 2015, Genome Canada announced the $93 million investment in the 2014 LSARP competition. The eleven projects approved for funding applied genomics in the agri-food and fisheries/aquaculture sectors to address challenges and opportunities related to global food safety, security and sustainable production. Three (3) research projects received funding through Ontario Genomics:

 

On March 26, 2013, Genome Canada, in partnership with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, announced the $149.8 million investment in the 2012 LSARP competition. The seventeen projects approved for funding were focused on the application of genomics to tailor patient treatments and therapies in fields as diverse as epilepsy, autism, HIV/AIDS, cancer, cardiovascular disease, rare neurological diseases, and stroke. Four (4) research projects received funding through Ontario Genomics, and one project was co-led with Genome Quebec:

On May 9, 2011, Genome Canada announced the results of the 2010 LSARP competition. Three (3) projects received funding through Ontario Genomics, with a combined total investment of $23.8 million ($11.3 million from Genome Canada, $12.5 million from co-funding):

Pre-commercial Business Development Fund (PBDF)

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The Pre-commercial Business Development Fund (PBDF) is an investment fund uniquely focused on enabling the advancement of Ontario ’omics research projects and technology development toward commercialization and economic impact. Specifically, it aims to provide early-stage financial support as companies (with or without academic collaborators) move towards commercial applications, to speed up the transfer of products from R&D to market. Through this program, Ontario Genomics has become a committed investment partner supporting late-stage academic research and early-stage companies developing promising “’omics [1]” and ’omics-enabled technologies.

[1] where “’omics” includes genomics, proteomics, transcriptomics, epigenomics, bioinformatics and other related disciplines that involve systematic, comprehensive and high-throughput procedures to study cellular constituents and function

PBDF Investment Portfolio

 

Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (B/CB) Competition

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Genome Canada’s Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (B/CB) Competition supports research projects that address current challenges in bioinformatics and computational biology. Launched in 2012, in partnership with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), this open competition was designed to create an environment that supports the creation and evolution of new tools and methodologies required by the research community to analyze and integrate the influx of large amounts of complex data produced by modern genomics technologies for application across industries.

Funded Ontario B/CB Projects

On February 4, 2019, The Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and Sport, announced the funding recipients from Genome Canada’s 2017 Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Competition (B/CB). Eight (8) of these projects are based in Ontario – driving $3.6 million of federal funding into the province and an additional $3.7 million in investments by industry, the Ontario government and other funding partners, for a total of $7.3 million. This investment will support the development of next generation tools and methodologies to deal with the influx of large amounts of data produced by modern genomics technologies and will provide broad access to these tools to the research community.

On September 13, 2016, Parliamentary Secretary for International Development, Karina Gould, on behalf of the Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science, announced the funding recipients from Genome Canada’s 2015 Bioinformatics and Computational Biology competition. Eight (8) projects received funding through Ontario Genomics– with two projects co-led with British Columbia and Atlantic – representing a combined total investment of $1.96 million:

On April 25, 2013, Genome Canada announced the results of the 2012 Bioinformatics and Computational Biology competition. Seven (7) projects received funding through Ontario Genomics, with a combined total investment of $4.7 million ($2.1 million from Genome Canada):

Genomics Technology Platforms (GTP)

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The Genomics Technology Platforms (GTP) enables innovation centres across Canada to collaborate and harness their collective power for the advancement of genomics research.

Currently there are 10 platforms, each receiving core operational funding from Genome Canada, with matching funds from various public and private sector partners. The platforms provide Canadian and international researchers access to leading-edge technologies used in genomics, metabolomics, proteomics and other related areas of research, and assist researchers in the development of research proposals by providing advice on appropriate technologies, study design, data analysis and bioinformatics that improve the quality of the research.

Furthermore, the highly-qualified personnel within each platform provide the Canadian research community with advice and expertise on the selection and use of appropriate technologies, study design, data analysis and bioinformatics, ensuring Canadian research remains world-class and highly competitive on a global scale.

Ontario platforms

Four of the 10 centres in Canada’s Genomics Technology Platforms (GTP) were funded in Ontario and one in Quebec, co-led by Ontario Genomics. These technology platforms provide researchers with access to cutting-edge genomics technologies.

Disruptive Innovations in Genomics (DIG) Competition

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Genome Canada’s Disruptive Innovations in Genomics (DIG) competition seeks to support research projects that focus on disruptive innovations with the potential to advance the field of genomics and eventually lead to social and/or economic benefits to Canada. For the purposes of this competition, a disruptive innovation is defined as either a new genomics technology or the application of an existing technology from another field, applied to the field of genomics. These Innovations must be truly transformative in that they have the potential to either displace an existing technology, disrupt an existing market, or create a new market.

Launched on June 11, 2015, the DIG initiative exists to capture true disruptive innovation and translate it to improve human health, agriculture, and natural resources.

Funded Ontario DIG Projects

On February 4, 2019, The Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and Sport, announced the funding recipients from Genome Canada’s Disruptive Innovations in Genomics (DIG) Phase 2 competition to improve human health, agriculture, natural resources. Ontario Genomics led five (5) of the seven (7) awarded projects – driving $4.4 million of federal funding into the province and an additional $9.5 million in investments by industry, the Ontario government and other funding partners, for a total of $13.9 million. This investment will support the development of prototypes of the disruptive innovations developed in Phase 1 of the program.

On December 09, 2016, the Government of Canada announced the investment of $9.1 million in Disruptive Innovation in Genomics to improve human health, agriculture, natural resources. Ontario Genomics led twelve (12) of the awarded early-stage feasibility (Phase 1) projects:

Ontario Genomics led two (2) of the awarded prototype development (Phase 2) projects: