Main Menu
Main Menu
Menu

Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (B/CB) Competition

by

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)

by

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.

Structural Genomics Consortium

by

The Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC)  is an international public-private partnership incorporated as a not-for-profit organization in July 2004 that supports the discovery of new medicines through open-access research. Its core mandate is to determine the 3D structures targeting human proteins of biomedical importance and proteins from human parasites that represent potential drug targets. To date the SGC has been responsible for more than 25% of global output of new human protein structures and more than 50% of the global output of protein structures from human parasites.

The SGC is led by Aled Edwards at the University of Toronto with additional activities at Oxford University. Each site is led by a Scientific Director reporting to Edwards. The SGC began in 2003 and the first two phases of the project has delivered over and above its initial goals. Phase III of the SGC began July 1, 2011. A total of $61 million has been committed by funding partners, of which $28 million is from the public sector (including $2.5 million for one year from Genome Canada) and $33 million from the private sector, including GSK, Pfizer, Novartis, Lilly, Life Technologies, Abbott Laboratories and Takeda Pharmaceuticals, with at least two new companies requesting membership. In addition, SGC has secured at least $8M of in-kind support from pharmaceutical companies. http://www.thesgc.com/

On October 26, 2020,  on behalf of Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry Navdeep Bains, William Amos, Parliamentary Secretary (Science), announced $16 million in federal support to 10 new genomics research projects funded through Genome Canada. Provincial governments, businesses and research partners are also investing nearly $41 million in co-funding, for a total investment of almost $57 million in the areas of health, agriculture and the environment.

On June 12, 2017, the Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science, announced a new $33 million investment to support the Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC) – a Canadian-led, international public-private partnership that conducts basic science on the structures of human proteins and releases the research to the public to accelerate drug discovery and help patients worldwide. This latest investment in the fourth phase of Canadian-based SGC activities, conducted principally at the University of Toronto, includes $11 million in federal funding through Genome Canada, $5 million through the Government of Ontario, and an additional $17 million through pharmaceutical companies. This funding will help translate scientific discoveries into cures for patients with a range of diseases such as cancer, ALS, Huntington’s disease, malaria and tuberculosis.

Quick Facts

  1. The SGC is considered a pioneer in open science. Since its inception in 2004, the SGC has shared all research results and output with no restrictions on use, and without filing patents as a core principle. This approach protects against waste and duplication of effort, and catalyzes innovation by facilitating scientific exchange that is unencumbered by intellectual property considerations.
  2. Led out of Toronto, the SGC includes sister sites worldwide, engaging an ever-broadening number of public and private sector partners that collaborate to improve the lives of patients worldwide.
  3. To date, eight pharmaceutical companies are collaborating in and co-financing SGC activities. Outcomes to date include more than 25 ongoing clinical trials and the creation of many start-up companies

Disruptive Innovations in Genomics (DIG) Competition

by

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:

SPARK Program

by

The SPARK program aims to catalyzes new research by funding short duration (6-12 months) research projects performed in Ontario academic or industry institutions. SPARK projects must be focused on discrete, unique and transformative technology development relevant to genomics, with the potential to improve and develop new growth opportunities for Ontario, and produce outcomes that would enable follow-on investment for further research or development.

Funded SPARK Projects

In the 2016 SPARK Program, Ontario Genomics provided four (4) individual awards of $25,000 to projects aiming to advance microbiome research:

In the 2015 SPARK Program, Ontario Genomics provided four (4) individual awards of up to $25,000:

In the 2014 SPARK Program, Ontario Genomics provided three (3) individual awards of up to $30,000:

In the 2012 SPARK Program, Ontario Genomics provided four (4) individual awards of up to $50,000:

In the 2011 SPARK Program, Ontario Genomics provided four (4) individual awards of up to $50,000:

Competition I

by

In April 4, 2001, Genome Canada announced its first investment (Competition I) of $136 million to support 17 large-scale research projects and five science and technology platforms across the country with applications in health, forestry, fisheries, agriculture, the environment as well as the social, legal and ethical aspects of genomics.

Competition II

by

In July 19, 2001, Genome Canada announced the beginning of a second national competition (Competition II) aimed at funding several large-scale genomics research projects and their related science and technology platforms. Results for Competition II were announced during the first week of April 2002 – and $155.5 million was invested in 34 innovative and exciting research projects with application in health, forestry, agriculture, bioinformatics, technology development, the environment and GE3LS. Twelve (12) of these projects were funded through Ontario Genomic.

Competition III

by

In July 2004, Genome Canada launched Competition III, in an effort to support world-leading genomics and proteomics research at the highest level of scientific excellence.
Results for Competition III were announced on August 25th, 2005 and $346 million was invested in 33 innovative and exciting large-scale projects for a duration of 3 to 4 years.

Advancing Technology Innovation through Discovery

by

In July 2010, Genome Canada launched the Advancing Technology Innovation through Discovery (ATID) Program. This joint collaborative program was developed by Genome Canada and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) to bring together Genome Canada-funded Science and Technology Innovation Centres with Canadian researchers to focus on applying the latest genomics technologies to identify the genetic causes of childhood diseases. This funding opportunity will specifically focus on diseases where such identification can be achieved rapidly with the potential for important novel biological, clinical and commercial discoveries.

Results were announced on February 22, 2011. Two (2) research teams were supported for a total budget of $6,497,354 over two years with a maximum of $2 million from Genome Canada, $2.5 million from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, $600,000 from Genome British Columbia and $500,000 from Genome Quebec. Researchers from the two teams are based in British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia.

Genoma España and Genome Canada Joint R+D+I Projects in Human Health, Plants and Aquaculture

by

On January 21, 2004 three large-scale genomics research projects were funded for a total value of $17 million, half of which was provided by Genome Canada and the other half by Genoma España. The Competition was the result of the Framework Agreement to Promote Scientific and Industrial Cooperation between Canada and Spain, which was signed in May 2002. One of these projects was funded through Ontario Genomics