2023 Genome Community Coordination and Collaboration Hub (C3 Hub) in support of Genomic Monitoring of Pathogens in Water (GeMPaW)

Eligibility

C3 Hub teams must:

• Be pan-Canadian with representation from at least three regions of Canada, including substantive role(s) for Indigenous researcher(s), knowledge holder(s) or community representative(s)
• Be transdisciplinary and multisectoral, with representatives from institutional, not-for-profit, private and/or public research organizations
• Collectively demonstrate that they have the expertise to lead 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

Summary

*Details regarding deadlines and submission processes are still being developed by Genome Canada.  *The October 31 deadline in this posting may be revised. 

*All deadlines should be confirmed with Genome Alberta and Research Services, and this posting will be updated as information becomes available.

Emerging infectious diseases are becoming more prevalent and an increasing threat to global health. Early genomic monitoring of the pathogens that cause these diseases is crucial to keeping communities, wildlife and the environment healthy. Genome Canada’s Genomic Monitoring of Pathogens in Water (GeMPaW) initiative will help Canada defend its population, wildlife and environment from major threats posed by emerging pathogens (EPs) and antimicrobial resistance (AMR), including antibiotic resistant bacteria and genes, through strategic investments in genomic monitoring in water.

GeMPaW will invest $10M in an integrated portfolio of projects building regional capacity and national alignment to tackle EPs/AMR through:

1. THIS OPPORTUNITY: Community coordination and collaboration (the C3 Hub) - $3M
2. Regional monitoring for EPs and AMR - $6M
3. Indigenous-led monitoring in northern and remote communities - $1M

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.

The objective is to support a single pan-Canadian 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.

GeMPaW will create an integrated portfolio of diverse regional projects. The C3 Hub will support Genome Canada’s AMR/EP regional monitoring projects by developing and implementing a portfolio operation plan to synergize the deliverables of the regional projects toward broader national outcomes and impact.

The C3 Hub will:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Facilitate the technical development for data generation and data analytics using interoperable data standards for genomic monitoring of pathogens across Canada.
4. Engage with research, community and public sector users to promote adoption beyond GeMPaW and create evidence-driven policy to support future pandemic responses.

Total Funding Available: $3,000,000 over 4 years for one pan-Canadian team. 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.

Workshop/webinar June 1, 2023 – Registration required by May 30

**Genome Canada will offer a virtual information session and workshop on June 1, 2023 from 10:30 -11:30am MT. Interested participants are strongly encouraged to register and participate in the webinar as it will be critical to discussions for participation in a C3 Hub.

This will be a chance to learn more, ask questions and explore opportunities to collaborate with other prospective applicants. Individuals interested in participating in a C3 Hub must submit a registration using the C3 Hub Individual Participation Registration form by May 30, 2023 to receive the Zoom link via email. If unable to participate in the webinar, please still submit a registration form and contact Genome Alberta (tfinn@genomealberta.ca) as soon as possible.

Following the information session, prospective C3 Hub leaders must indicate to Genome Alberta their intent to apply as a team by June 12; see below.

SUBMISSION PROCESS

Details re: full application processes will be updated here when available; with questions contact Genome Alberta at tfinn@genomealberta.ca and Research Services at ipd@ucalgary.ca. 

Genome Canada intends to fund one national Community Coordination and Collaboration Hub. 

The application process consists of three stages:

1. Registration (for the June 1 webinar/workshop) – submitted by individuals
2. Intent to Apply – submitted as a team
3. Full applications – team submission; details will follow from Genome Canada

The six Genome regional centres will coordinate hub participation; those interested are encouraged to participate in the June 1 webinar/workshop and stay in touch with Genome Alberta for details.

Individuals interested in participating in the C3 Hub should contact Tom Finn at Genome Alberta at tfinn@genomealberta.ca (cc Research Services at ipd@ucalgary.ca) as soon as possible, and no later than May 30, 2023.

RMS requirements are TBD.

Tentative institutional and agency milestones are listed below, additional instructions follow.

Timeline

Phase: Registration

• Activity:       Register for Genome Canada C3 Hub webinar by submitting a C3 Hub Registration form
  • Participate in Genome Canada C3 Hub webinar June 1, 10:30 – 11:30am MT

          Deadline:    May 30, 2023

Phase: Team Intent to Apply

• Activity:       Notify Genome Alberta (GAB) and Research Services of intent to apply
  • email to tfinn@genomealberta.ca, cc ipd@ucalgary.ca

          Deadline:    By June 12, 2023

• Activity:       Submit Team Intent to Apply (application documents) to GAB and Research Services
  • email to tfinn@genomealberta.ca, cc ipd@ucalgary.ca

          Deadline:    By August 16, 2023 (TBC)

RMS requirements for the Intent to Apply stage are TBD.

Phase: Application

• Activity:       Submit application and budget to GAB and Research Services for final review; approvals within RMS
  • email to tfinn@genomealberta.ca, cc ipd@ucalgary.ca

          Deadline:    early October, 2023 (details TBD)

• Activity:       Genome Alberta submits final application to Genome Canada

          Deadline:            TBD by Genome Canada; note the Oct. 31 program deadline is a placeholder only and will be updated

RESOURCES

Support for projects involving Indigenous Research:

Support with the development of your grant application is available internally through the Indigenous Research Support Team (IRST). Applicants can reach out by email to IRST at IRST@ucalgary.ca in advance of the RSO internal deadline. For more information about IRST, please visit the IRST webpage.

RMS: Creating a Pre-Award Application

RELEVANT DOCUMENTS

C3 Hub Individual Participation Registration form

Overhead

N/A

Pre-application deadlines

RSO internal deadline

Pre-application program deadline

Application deadlines

RSO detailed review deadline

RSO final internal review deadline

Program application deadline

NOTE: Consult your Faculty Associate Dean (Research) (ADR) regarding Faculty-specific deadlines and submission processes.

Principal Investigators: Complete a Research Management System (RMS) record, including a copy of your complete application, and submit this for approvals in RMS.

Approvals: The University of Calgary requires that all funding applications be approved prior to submission. Approval requires signatures via either RMS or the RFAA Trainee form, in the following order:

• Principal Investigator
• Department Head
• Faculty ADR/Dean
• Research Services (on behalf of the Vice-President Research)

Read the Meaning of Grant Signatures policy to understand what your approval means. Please see the agency guidelines for details about which signatures are required on your application, as it may differ from internal requirements.

Late submissions: Late submissions will only be accepted in cases of medical or family emergencies, or other exceptional circumstances. If you submit your RMS record to Research Services after the internal deadline has passed, you must secure additional approvals. Please read: Late Applications Process.

Genome Canada will offer an information session and introductory webinar on June 1, 2023, 10:30 – 11:30 MT. Register using the C3 Hub Individual Participation Registration form by May 30, 2023.

RMS Training

As the full application will run through RMS, we encourage applicants to view the step sheets available at the RMS Training page. 

For training or technical support, you can contact RMS at: rms@ucalgary.ca and 403.210.9309.