Overview
Genome Canada has launched Genomic Monitoring of Pathogens in Water (GeMPaW) — a targeted genomic initiative to strengthen, complement and add value to Canada’s existing pathogen monitoring efforts.
The Community Coordination and Collaboration Hub (C3 Hub) is the first of three key components that make up the GeMPaW initiative. It will act broadly as a connector, ensuring that data from monitoring antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and emerging pathogens (EPs) are used to inform public policy decisions.
Water sources to be monitored in GeMPaW include sewage, wastewater in treatment plants, saltwater, freshwater and groundwater. GeMPaW aims to use a collaborative, multisectoral and transdisciplinary approach to:
- Address the threat of EPs, with a focus on those that can be detected in water and have been prioritized by the Public Health Agency of Canada, including respiratory viruses such as SARS-CoV-2, influenza, respiratory syncytial virus, monkeypox and polio.
- Address the threat of AMR, including antibiotic-resistant bacteria and genes.
- Advance genomic monitoring of antibiotic-resistant genes with a focus on the six “ESKAPE” pathogens prioritized by the World Health Organization: Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacter.
- Advance understanding of the connections between people, animals, plants and their shared environments (in other words, “One Health”) in relation to the genomic monitoring of pathogens.
- Increase the value of pathogen monitoring data through national data-sharing, data standards, data analysis and data visualization to strengthen an evidence-driven approach for future pandemic preparedness.
- Develop knowledge mobilization strategies to support the use of genomic data and associated metadata in public health and policy decisions.
For more details, please refer to the GeMPaW Funding Overview.
Funding Highlights
Registration deadline: May 30, 2023
Project Envelope Range: $3,000,000
Total Funding Available: $3,000,000
Complete List of Project Timelines
Activity |
Deadline |
| Launch of C3 Hub funding opportunity | April 26, 2023 |
| Application stage 1: C3 Hub individual participation registration deadline | May 30, 2023 |
| Application stage 2: Team Intent to apply deadline | August, 2023* |
| Application stage 3: C3 Hub full application deadline | October 23, 2023* |
| C3 Hub application review period | November 2023 |
| C3 Hub notice of funding decision | December 2023 |
| C3 Hub strategy and planning meeting | February 2024 |
| C3 Hub flow of funds | April 2024 |
* Please contact Genome Alberta
Objectives
The objective of this funding opportunity is to support a single C3 Hub team that will work to enhance provincial and national AMR/EP monitoring to support public health planning, decision-making and response and create operational structures and integrated processes to support genomic monitoring efforts across the country.
The C3 Hub will support Genome Canada’s AMR/EP regional monitoring projects by developing and implementing a portfolio operation plan. A distinguishing feature of the GeMPaW initiative will be the creation of an integrated portfolio of diverse regional projects. Adopting a portfolio approach will make it possible to synergize the deliverables of the regional projects toward broader national outcomes and impact.
Parameters
Specifically, the C3 Hub will:
- Develop, coordinate and implement a portfolio operation plan. This plan will include aspects of administration (e.g. project management, meetings and reporting), data (e.g. governance, storage and analytics), and knowledge mobilization, translation and policy (e.g. communication, engagement and policy). It will also connect all the funding opportunities, including regional genomic monitoring projects and Indigenous-led monitoring projects, and will ensure international alignment and collaboration.
- Develop the administrative structures to coordinate and co-create data-related activities across regional and Indigenous community-led AMR/EP monitoring projects in northern, remote or isolated regions.
- Facilitate the technical development for data generation and data analytics using interoperable data standards for genomic monitoring of pathogens across Canada.
- Engage with research, community and public sector users to promote adoption beyond GeMPaW and create evidence-driven policy to support future pandemic responses.
Project Eligibility
To be eligible for this funding, the C3 Hub team must be pan-Canadian with representation from at least three regions of Canada, including a substantive role or roles for Indigenous researcher(s), knowledge holder(s) or community representative(s). The team must leverage the expertise and resources of each partner and clearly define their respective roles and responsibilities in its submission. Collectively, the team must demonstrate that it has expertise in leading multidisciplinary project teams—including strategy, execution and project management—as well as broad or specific knowledge of:
- Data, such as data-sharing, data standards, data harmonization and visualization, and data governance, including the FAIR guiding principles (which ensure that data are findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable to support future research and analysis)
- Genomic monitoring
- Pathogen monitoring, including AMR/EP monitoring
- Knowledge mobilization and transfer
- Indigenous data governance, including ownership, control, access and possession (OCAP®) principles and CARE principles
The C3 Hub team should be transdisciplinary, with representatives from institutional, not-for-profit, private and/or public research organizations. It must be led by one or more project leaders who will be responsible for its intellectual direction. As per Genome Canada’s Guidelines for funding, at least one of these leaders must be eligible to receive and administer Genome Canada funds.
Applications should describe a plan that is ambitious and feasible to deliver the intended outcomes.
To ensure that the objectives of the funding opportunity are met, all applications must address the evaluation criteria established for the competition (see PDF).
Funding Available and Term
- Only one pan-Canadian team will be funded.
- Up to $3 million of Genome Canada funding will be available.
- Co-funding equal to at least the Genome Canada contribution is required. It is expected that 50 per cent of such co-funding will have been secured by the time the Genome Canada funds are released.
- The term is four years.
Application Process
There are three stages involved in the application process.
STAGE 1: Individual participation registration
Deadline: May 30, 2023
Individuals interested in participating in a C3 Hub team are invited to submit a registration form and attend a virtual information session. The form will focus on the applicant’s interest and relevant expertise. All individual registrations will be shared with other registrants before the virtual information session to support synergies and encourage team-building.
In collaboration with the Genome Centres, Genome Canada will host a virtual information session to facilitate connections, answer questions and support synergies for teams to form and develop cohesive team applications. This information session will have a dual purpose: to clarify the C3 Hub goals and to provide interested participants with an opportunity to identify themselves and form teams.
STAGE 2: Team intent to apply
Deadline: August, 2023
Following the information session, prospective C3 Hub leaders must indicate (through the corresponding Genome Centres) their intent to apply as a team.
STAGE 3: Full application
Deadline: October, 2023
To be eligible, applications must address the required elements for the C3 Hub—that is, the focus areas, portfolio operation plan, and overall team, finance and management details.
A committee with expertise in the areas of the GeMPaW initiative (i.e., understanding of the national and international challenges associated with genomic monitoring, data standards, sharing and harmonization, One Health principles, knowledge mobilization, and AMR/EP) will review each full application. The review committee will assess the merit of the application(s) and provide strategic advice and recommendations related to the team’s ability to execute the key objectives of the C3 Hub. Full applications must address the review criteria as well as the specific requirements of the C3 Hub.
The review process may be adjusted where warranted by the complexity of the funding opportunity or other relevant factors. Any changes will be communicated promptly through Genome Canada’s website and the Genome Centres.
Documents & Resources
Link to GeMPaW – C3 Funding Opportunity
Link to GeMPaW Funding Overview
Link to Guidelines for funding
Link to OCAP
Link to CARE
Funding Contact
Tom Finn
Email
