Precision Health Initiative
Funding Initiative Documents:
Initiative Objectives:
The future of health is personal and tailored—responsive to each individual’s history, environment, genetic makeup and molecular reality. What was once in the realm of science fiction is increasingly part of our reality, with precise molecular diagnostics, customized therapeutics and treatments that are as unique as each of us. This revolution in health and medicine is helping us tackle chronic diseases, rare conditions and global pandemics with new tools that are getting more powerful every day.
Driving all these advances is our ability to combine and compare our individual data with large-scale, relevant population data. Underpinning and driving this data is genomics, the molecular data that shapes who we are and how similar we are (or not) to those around us.
Large-scale genomic health datasets can:
– Yield data-driven insights that tangibly improve health-care delivery and advance research and development.
– Identify genetic predispositions to diseases, enabling proactive and preventive health care.
– Facilitate personalized medicine, ensuring treatments are tailored to individual genetic profiles.
– Enhance the development of new drugs and therapies by identifying novel genetic targets.
– Support public health responses by tracking the spread and evolution of infectious diseases.
– Drive innovation in the biotechnology and health-care industries, fostering economic growth and job creation.
– Improve health outcomes through more accurate and timely interventions.
– Promote equity in health care and provide a deeper understanding of the nature of health by ensuring that the benefits of genomics and precision health are accessible to all.
– Foster a more efficient health-care system by reducing trial and error in treatment and minimizing adverse drug reactions.
Initiative Pillars:
The Canadian Precision Health Initiative is expected include an investment of $200 million from Genome Canada and its partners. The initiative comprises four integrated, connected pillars of activity:
1. Generate a co-ordinated, large-scale, diverse genomic data asset that reflects Canada’s population:
Develop a ready-to-use data asset of 100,000 genomes to drive genomics-enabled precision health in Canada and address imbalances in existing genomic datasets.
Establish standardized protocols for data collection, processing, analysis and governance to ensure reliability and ethical compliance in genomic research.
Support and coordinate the development of a trusted research environment for research and innovation using the genomic data asset.
2. Advance research outcomes and clinical impact for patients:
– Develop world-leading genomics tools and solutions to detect and diagnose diseases and support the identification of therapeutic targets.
– Improve patient stratification using genetic profiles derived from a diverse Canadian genomic dataset, accelerating translational research from bench to bedside.
– Position Canada as a global leader in the application of AI to genomics, fostering advancements in both AI and genomic research.
3. Accelerate the application and uptake of genomic data:
– Promote responsible data-sharing and the interoperability of genomic data across Canadian health systems and institutions by engaging with policy and regulatory stakeholders.
– Collaborate with federal, provincial, territorial and Indigenous health authorities to bring genomic solutions to the clinic to improve health outcomes for all Canadians.
– Understand the societal and economic impacts of integrating genomic data into Canada’s health systems.
4. Build and coordinate a community to inform precision health in Canada:
– Establish an alliance of partners to coordinate strategies and health investments across Canada toward shared goals and objectives.
– Facilitate public engagement and outreach to increase Canadians’ understanding and acceptance of genomics and precision health. Uphold Indigenous rights and interests in data governance, ensuring respect for data sovereignty and promoting equitable access and benefits for Indigenous communities in precision health.
Initiative Timeline (Pillar 1):
November 01, 2024: Applicants submit LOIs.
Week of November 04, 2024: Genome Canada completes eligibility checks.
Week of November 11, 2024: Genome Canada’s GRC meets to discuss the eligibility of the submitted LOIs and complete a portfolio review.
November 15, 2024: Genome Canada notifies applicants of the results of the LOI.
December 16, 2024: This is the first deadline for applicants to submit their full proposal.
January 2025: Independent experts conduct technical reviews of each project.
Mid-January 2025: The GRC meets to complete a portfolio review based on the proposal submissions.
End of January 2025: Genome Canada informs regional Genome Centres, partners and the broader community of funding decisions made by the GRC.
March 15, 2025: Second deadline for applicants to submit their full proposal.
June 1, 2025: If there are unallocated funds or opportunities to strengthen the portfolio, Genome Canada will welcome additional applications.
Pillar 1 Application Process:
Genome Canada requires applicants to submit both an LOI and, later in the process, a full proposal. Applicants are required to apply through Genome Canada’s Proposal Central Portal through a regional Genome Centre.
Letter of Intent
Each applicant will use a brief LOI to indicate their interest in applying for Genome Canada funding under Pillar 1 of the initiative. The LOI will enable an eligibility check by Genome Canada to ensure the LOI meets the requirements listed in the “Eligibility criteria and portfolio considerations” section of this document. LOIs will also undergo an initial selection process by the GRC based on portfolio considerations. Only LOIs that show potential for inclusion will be invited to submit a full proposal.
In the LOI, applicants will be required to briefly describe:
– The proposed project plan.
– The expected deliverables.
– The planned number of genomes to be sequenced per annum.
– How the genomic data generated will represent Canada’s diversity and/or address significant population-level gaps in the country’s reference genomic library.
– The potential clinical impacts and benefits to Canada’s health-care systems.
Projects must also confirm that they meet the eligibility criteria of the population-level genomic data generation pillar. If they do not, they must provide an overview of how they intend to meet the criteria by the start date of the project.
Applicants must also provide a summary of their budget and co-funding plan.
Applications for Pillar 2 of the Precision Health Initiative is expected to be launched sometime in 2025.
Funding Initiative Documents:
For More Information/Contact:
For more information about the Precision Health Initiative or if you are interested in making an application, please contact Genome Prairie directly at applications@genomeprairie.ca.
