Co-Funding

As of March 31, 2008, Genome Canada has made funding commitments of $714 million and secured to date over $863 million from other public and private sources, in Canada and abroad for a total investment in genomics and proteomics research of $1.6 billion.

The public sector accounts for 83% of the funding, including the federal government, provincial governments, universities and hospital foundations. Funding sources are divided as follows:

The following tables illustrate the various sources of funding:

Partners

Government partners at the federal level include the National Research Council, Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, Western Economic Diversification, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Natural Resources Canada and the Canada Foundation for Innovation. Nine provinces are currently funding projects.

Industry partners include Ag West Bio Tech, SUN Microsystems, IBM and pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.

Institutional partners in Canada include several universities, hospital foundations and other private foundations.

At the international level, Genome Canada has signed scientific collaboration agreements with five countries, including Sweden, the Netherlands, Spain, Estonia and Denmark. As well, projects have received funding from agencies in the United States, the United Kingdom, Norway, New Zealand and Australia. Other partners of note include Johns Hopkins University, the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health in the U.S., the National Institutes of Health in the U.A., the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, Genome España, and private foundations such as the Wellcome Trust in the U.K. These partners have enhanced research opportunities and funding for Canadian scientists in areas such as crops, human proteins, bovine, fish and forestry products.

Conclusion

Managing large-scale projects from several funders requires rigorous financial and management practices and these criteria are built into Genome Canada’s selection process. Once approved, projects are reviewed again at about the mid point of the research timeline.

The consortium approach to projects has enabled Canadian researchers to lead important research initiatives that otherwise would not be funded. It has helped position Canada as a leader in genomics and proteomics research.