Overview
Genome Canada launched the new challenge-driven Climate Action Genomics Initiative funding opportunity in May 2022.
The opportunity, called the Climate-Smart Agriculture and Food Systems Initiative (hereafter “the Initiative”), invested $30 million from Genome Canada into cutting-edge genomic research and innovation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the carbon footprint of Canada’s food production systems, building their resiliency, environmental sustainability, and economic viability.
The scope of this funding opportunity includes areas where genomic technologies can help achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 and reduce the carbon footprint of Canada’s agriculture and food production system. Projects are intended to increase the value created by production systems without increasing greenhouse gas emissions or amplifying negative impacts on the natural environment.
The Initiative is funding a portfolio of Interdisciplinary Challenge Teams (ICTs) supported, coordinated, and connected through cross-cutting programs in knowledge mobilization, data coordination, and implementation. This portfolio is enabling the benefits of one solution to be applied to other food production systems or supply chains, such that the impacts can cascade throughout the broader food system.
Knowledge mobilization and implementation remain crucial components of the Initiative. Projects within the portfolio will continue to intentionally and regularly connect, convening and learn from each other to drive greater collective impact. To that end, the Initiative is funding two cross-cutting coordination Hubs: The Data Coordination and Collaboration Hub (hereafter “the Data Hub”), which focuses on data, and The Knowledge Mobilization and Implementation Coordination Hub (hereafter “the KMIC Hub”), which specializes in knowledge mobilization and implementation.
These Hubs 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.
The KMIC Hub focuses on 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 are equipping 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 are helping to drive the adoption of genomic solutions and mobilize knowledge; all of which are contributing factors to the intended result of a net carbon reduction portfolio.
Notably, the KMIC Hub is developing mechanisms and structures to enable the ICT teams to connect with the Hub. The Hub is working with ICTs to refine, co-create, and harmonize project-specific knowledge mobilization and implementation plans into a single unified portfolio plan. This plan requires the description of an ambitious yet practical vision of what a Canadian KMIC Hub for climate genomics could be and how it can work across the portfolio of projects to support Canada’s goals of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, in addition to a reduced carbon footprint of its agriculture and food production system.
It is critically important that the KMIC and Data Hubs work together to coordinate their activities across the portfolio, consistently informing each other’s data and knowledge mobilization portfolio-level strategies. Both Hubs require formal mechanisms and structures to ensure effective coordination and co-creation of work across the portfolio and with each other. Governance structures are supporting this. Genome Canada and the relevant Genome Centres will have ongoing, direct relationships with the Hubs to drive strategic objectives in knowledge mobilization and data coordination.
Funding Highlights
Registration deadline: CLOSED
Project Value: $2,100,000
Total Funding Available: $2,100,000
Complete List of Project Timelines
Activity |
Date |
| Launch of Funding Opportunity | August 23, 2022 |
| Registration Form Available | November 9, 2022 |
| Genome Canada Virtual Information Session | November 23, 2022 |
| Final Registration due to Genome Alberta | December 7, 2022 |
| Full Application Form Available | December 16, 2022 |
| Draft Full Application due to Genome Alberta | February 2023 |
| Final Full Application due to Genome Alberta | April 2023 |
| Application review | May 2023 |
| Notification of decision to teams | Early July 2023 |
| ICT and Hub teams convened | Mid-late July 2023 |
Objectives
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 Genome Canada’s Climate-Smart Agriculture and Food Systems Initiative. The team will coordinate knowledge mobilization and implementation activities to ensure that research and investments produce the intended impacts and outcomes. 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.
Parameters
Applicant teams will describe a proposed portfolio knowledge mobilization and implementation strategy that is ambitious and achievable. The activities should focus on the development phase. There will be three main sections in the application form that focus on the first phase:
- Portfolio vision, coordination and leadership.
- Knowledge mobilization and implementation plan and activities (including research).
- Management and finance (i.e., team, decision-making processes, and resourcing to achieve the project objectives).
Hubs must have a dedicated project manager with sufficient administrative support to coordinate Hub-specific activities. In addition, each Hub will contribute the budgetary equivalent of 0.5 of a full-time employee to pay for a portfolio-level project manager responsible for coordinating shared activities.
Project Eligibility
- 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:
- Knowledge mobilization and implementation (e.g., implementation science, knowledge translation and exchange, knowledge brokering).
- Research (e.g., implementation science, GE3LS).
- Policy and regulation (e.g., shaping and influencing policy, understanding federal and provincial or territorial governments and processes).
- Stakeholder engagement and outreach (e.g., consultations, public engagement).
- Partnership development (e.g., the ability to identify, establish and maintain partnerships with public, private, non-governmental and academic sectors).
- Science communications and marketing.
- Economics and economic evaluation.
- Evaluation and measurement.
- Inclusion, diversity, equity and access (IDEA) and Indigenous knowledge and engagement.
- 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.
Funding Available and Term
- Only one pan-Canadian team will be funded.
- Up to $2.1 million of Genome Canada funding will be available for the KMIC Hub project. This includes up to $700,000 for the first phase and up to $1.4 million for the second and third phases.
- A detailed budget is required for the first phase. A high-level budget is required for the second and third phases.
- Co-funding that is at least equal to the Genome Canada contribution is required.
- There is a 100 per cent co-funding commitment required for the first phase at the time of the release of funds.
- The term is five years.
Documents & Resources
Link to Climate-Smart Agriculture and Food Systems Funding Overview
Link to Climate-Smart Agriculture and Food Systems ICTs
Link to Climate-Smart Agriculture and Food Systems DCC
Link to Guidelines for Funding PDF
Funding Contact
Georgia Balsevich
Email
