2025 Genome Alberta Genomic Innovations: Energy and Environmental Solutions

Eligibility

Eligible projects must:

• Be led by an Alberta-based researcher;
• Demonstrate engagement with an energy sector stakeholder as a partner and/or end-user by their willingness to provide funding support (cash or in-kind; see detailed guidelines);
• Have a minimum project value of $300,000;
• Request a maximum of $250,000 in funding from Genome Alberta;
• Have a minimum 1:1 co-funding (i.e., funding from Genome Alberta must be matched or exceeded by funding from other sources);
• Have a project term up to 24 months;
• Spend Genome Alberta funds in Alberta (with some specific exceptions; see detailed guidelines).  Research activities may be conducted in Alberta or elsewhere, but if outside Alberta the benefits gained by Alberta must be equivalent to those which would accrue had the research been conducted within Alberta; and
• Align to the objectives of the program and meet the specific program criteria, as outlined in the competition guidelines.

Summary

*This posting may be updated following the Genome Alberta information session on June 23, 2025 (see Additional Information section below). 

To support the reduction of environmental impacts associated with Alberta’s energy sector and to promote environmental stewardship, Genome Alberta will engage with the province’s innovation community to deliver practical, adoptable solutions through a targeted funding opportunity – the Genomic Innovations: Energy and Environmental Solutions funding competition. This initiative will fund genomics-based research projects that aim to accelerate the development of adoptable outputs—products, processes, or applications derived from genomics technologies with clear potential for implementation within the energy sector — that will help in reducing or assessing the environmental impact of energy operations and will promote environmental stewardship.

Research objectives are to:

• Facilitate the implementation of omics-based technologies in natural resources management and clean technology efforts for the overall goal of reducing or assessing the environmental impact of the energy sector and promoting environmental stewardship;
• Stimulate adoption of genomics-based testing and technologies within the energy sector by supporting the field validation of genomics tools; and
• Promote the development of innovative and adoptable outputs from genomic technologies within the energy sector with measurable environmental benefits.

Funding program objectives are to:

• Promote open science and data interoperability between Alberta’s various stakeholders (academia, government and industry) and lay the groundwork for longer-term collaboration that will help advance omics-based technologies in the energy sector;
• Bridge the gap between laboratory innovation and operational deployment by promoting active multidisciplinary consortia collaboration between academic researchers and energy industry stakeholders;
• Provide opportunities for networking and training between the various stakeholders (academia, government and industry) in Alberta to build capacity through workforce development; and
• Contribute to Alberta’s leadership in energy innovation through genomics

The following are types of projects which would be eligible (list is not exclusive):

• Bioremediation and reclamation: Projects may explore genomics-based approaches to clean up environments that have been contaminated with hydrocarbons, toxic metals or other contaminants and reclaim energy operation sites.
• Biodiversity Assessment around Energy Sites: Applicants may propose projects that establish ecological baselines, monitor biodiversity (including species at risk) over time, and assess the cumulative environmental effects of energy development.
• Optimization of current operations to reduce environmental footprint: Projects may focus on infrastructure corrosion. Similarly, genomics approaches could enhance produced water treatment for efficient contaminant breakdown, allowing for water reuse during operations.
• Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction: Genomic technologies may be used to convert methane into less harmful gases or valuable by-products. Productive and healthy forests could also play key roles in carbon sequestration.
• Clean Technology Development: This includes the development and optimization of biological processes for carbon storage and hydrogen production.

Funding partners: 

Genome Alberta has partnered with other key players in the field such as Genome British Columbia (Genome BC), the Petroleum Technology Alliance of Canada (PTAC) and Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA) to target projects that would benefit from genomics-based technologies, as these partners are also hoping to find challenges to reduce or assess environmental impacts of current energy operations and overall promote environmental stewardship. Applicants will have an opportunity to solicit interest from Genome BC, PTAC and/or ERA in the Expression of Interest (EOI) submission by checking the box on the form to agree that the proposal will be shared with them.

SUBMISSION PROCESS

The application process comprises two stages: 

1. Expression of Interest (EOI)
2. Full applications – on invitation only

With program questions, contact Gabrielle Scheffer at Genome Alberta at energy@genomealberta.ca (cc Research Services at ipd@ucalgary.ca).

Institutional and agency milestones are listed below; additional instructions follow.

Timeline

• Activity:       Submit Expression of Interest (EOI) to Genome Alberta and Research Services 

  • email to energy@genomealberta.ca, cc ipd@ucalgary.ca
  • no RMS is required at the EOI stage

  Deadline:    by 11:59pm July 7, 2025

• Activity:       Invitation to full application from Genome Alberta

  Deadline:    July 18

• Activity:       Optional detailed administrative review: submit draft application and budget to Research Services for review

  • email to ipd@ucalgary.ca

  Deadline:    By 9am August 14, 2025

• Activity:       Submit final application and budget to Research Services for review; approvals should be complete within RMS 

  • email to ipd@ucalgary.ca

  Deadline:    By 9am August 21, 2025

• Activity:       PI submits final application to Genome Alberta 

  • email to energy@genomealberta.ca, cc ipd@ucalgary.ca

  Deadline:    by 11:59pm August 29, 2025

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.

EOI Template

Program guidelines

RMS: Creating a Pre-Award Application

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.

Postdocs, students, and trainees: For fellowships and externally-sponsored research training awards or opportunities, you must complete the Research Funding Application Approval (RFAA) Trainee PDF form, and submit it, along with a complete copy of the application, to Research Services at rsotrainee@ucalgary.ca. Trainees should not use RMS at this time.

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 Alberta will offer an information webinar onJune 23, 2025 at 9:00am MT. Registration required; link here. 

Contact ipd@ucalgary.ca for links to the webinar recordings and presentation following the session.

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.