Institute of Genetics E-News - Spring 2012

Table of Contents

1. Message from the Scientific Director
2. Feature Story
3. Funding Opportunities
4. Funding Decisions

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1. Message from the Scientific Director

We are currently finalizing the IG Strategic Plan (2012-17) that will provide us with a framework for our funding, community building and knowledge translation activities for the next five years. A core message that will be reflected in different ways throughout the report is that IG will continue to demonstrate unwavering support for the basic research community. Since the inception of the Institute, IG has served as a strong advocate for fundamental research and we look forward to continuing to serve the Canadian basic biomedical research community in this capacity. It is anticipated that our strategic plan will be released in July 2012.

As you are well aware, CIHR is engaged in a comprehensive effort to reform its suite of open grants programs and peer review procedures in order to make them fairer and more efficient, which is a particularly challenging task in the present and anticipated fiscal environment. Many members of the IG community have commented on these changes through mechanisms set up by CIHR to receive feedback, and through multisignatory and individual messages. Your comments are being carefully considered within CIHR, and they will be presented to Governing Council to inform its further discussion about the proposed reforms at its next meetings. Subsequent to that meeting in June, CIHR will issue a response to the comments we have received and will comment on its next steps regarding reforms. Because of CIHR's decision to extend the period for community feedback, and to allow time for reflection on it, the present Open Operating Grant program will run at least through the March 2013 competition.

IG, through its Scientific Director, will continue to work to achieve a specific action plan around reforms that will fairly balance the needs of the many involved stakeholders, and to serve as a critical liaison, communicating the concerns of the fundamental research community to the designers of the plan, and communicating the specifics of the plan as it develops to the IG research community. We continue to welcome your comments as this process unfolds. IG is committed to keeping our community informed and will be sending out regular e-communications about emerging developments.

Regards,

Paul Lasko, PhD
Scientific Director
CIHR Institute of Genetics

2. Feature Story

Genomics and Personalized Health: 2012 Large-Scale Applied Research Project Competition
Genome Canada and CIHR are working together to advance the Personalized Health Research Agenda

Announced by the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq (Minister of Health) and the Honourable Gary Goodyear (Minister of State for Science and Technology) earlier this year, this Genome Canada/CIHR partnership represents a $67.5 million planned investment with a 1:1 match from other sources for a total of $135 million. CIHR Institutes participating in this exciting initiative include: Institute of Aging (IA), Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health (ICRH), Institute of Genetics (IG), Institute of Health Services and Policy Research (IHSPR), Institute of Infection and Immunity (III), Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis (IMHA), and Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction (INMHA).

This competition aims to support projects that will demonstrate how genomics-based research can contribute to a more evidence-based approach to health and improve the cost-effectiveness of the health-care system. CIHR's participation in this competition marks the launch of the CIHR Personalized Medicine Signature Initiative and represents the first in a series of funding opportunities to be launched under the CIHR Personalized Medicine Signature Initiative.

3. Funding Opportunities

Bridging Operating Grants: IG is pleased to announce a Bridging Grant Priority Announcement on the March 2012 CIHR Open Operating Grants competition.

Canadian Epigenetics, Environment and Health Research Consortium (CEEHRC) –Team Grant: Co-led by INMHA, IG and ICR, this Team Grant funding opportunity will support collaborative research teams that have the capability to transform epigenetics research, enhance our understanding of gene-environment interactions, address major health research questions (including health services/policy/economic/ethical, legal or social issues), and foster the application of knowledge gained to the clinic and/or to populations.

CIHR Café Scientifique Program: The call for applications to the 2012-2013 CIHR Café Scientifique program is now underway and IG is pleased to be partnering on this competition. This is your chance to potentially hold an informal event between experts and the general public about a particular health research subject of popular interest.

Collaborative Health Research Projects (CHRP) program: A joint initiative between the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and CIHR, the CHRP program supports innovative interdisciplinary collaborative research projects requiring participation from the natural sciences or engineering community together with the health sciences community. IG has joined the 2012 competition in recognition of the critical role that the invention and development of new research tools or techniques (or the improvement and application of existing ones) plays in enabling health research and advancing the personalized medicine research agenda.

4. Funding Decisions

Rare Diseases Emerging Team Grants: Translating Basic Biology to Enhanced Patient Care: IG and the Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes, in partnership with ICR, IHSPR, IMHA, INMHA, Ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay Foundation, The Foundation Fighting Blindness – Canada, Choroideremia Research Foundation Canada, Canadian Organization for Rare Disorders, The Kidney Foundation of Canada, are pleased to announced the $17.2M investment in support of nine research teams that will help transform fundamental biological research into medical practice and treatments in the area of rare diseases.

Lap-Chee Tsui Publication Awards: We are pleased to announce the recipients of this year's Lap-Chee Tsui Publication Award, a prize for exceptional trainee-conducted research within the IG's mandate. IG established the award to honour one of Canada's greatest researchers, Dr. Lap-Chee Tsui, whose discovery of the gene for cystic fibrosis was a milestone in human genetic disease research.

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