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Request for Applications – Sharing Big Data for Health Care Innovation

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Overview

In order for Canada to take full advantage of the advances in DNA sequencing technologies for health care, we need to have the ability to share complex data sets including both genomic and clinical phenotypic data. These data need to be shared across institutional, provincial and national jurisdictional boundaries in order for scientists and clinicians to interrogate disease specific cohorts for validation, statistical significance and disease stratification purposes. There are a number of challenges associated with sharing genomic and clinical data sets including the ad hoc use of a range of data formats and technologies in different systems, lack of alignment between approaches to ethics and national legislation across jurisdictions, and the challenges of devising secure systems for controlled sharing of these data.

The Global Alliance for Genomics and Health (Global Alliance) was formed in 2013 to encourage collaboration on the development of innovative solutions to accelerate sharing of genomic and clinical data. The Global Alliance brings together leading international organizations working in health care, biomedical research, disease and patient advocacy, life science, and information technology to create a common strategy using interoperable approaches and initiatives to enable the responsible, secure, and effective sharing of genomic and clinical data. Canada has played an important role in the development of the Global Alliance and is well-positioned to move forward on a strategy to facilitate the sharing of data for biomedical discovery in Canada and beyond. Canadians are at the forefront of contributions to biomedical discoveries and health care innovation from basic and clinical research to participation in clinical and population studies. Capitalizing on new types of information based on genomics and other sciences linked to clinical characteristics from healthy and diseased individuals will lead to a more comprehensive understanding of health and novel ways to prevent, detect, monitor and treat disease.

Objective

Through this “Sharing Big Data for Health Care Innovation: Advancing the Objectives of the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health” competition, Genome Canada and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) aim to support a single pan-Canadian program to develop a comprehensive strategy that will enable the sharing of genomic and clinical datasets across Canada and around the globe in a responsible, secure and effective manner, thereby accelerating progress in health research and improving patient care.

It is expected that the program will leverage existing provincial and national genomic and clinical data sharing efforts and be aligned with international initiatives.

Application Process

Applicants are required to apply for funding through their regional Genome Centre. The application process is comprised of two steps: Registration and Full Application.

For more information view the Request for Applications .

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