Data Coordination and Collaboration Hub (Data Hub) Funding Opportunity

Ontario Genomics is pleased to announce new funding opportunities in Genome Canada’s Climate Climate-Smart Agriculture and Food Systems Initiative.

Data are a central component of the Initiative. Data will act as a bridge or connector between projects and as an output supporting the ability to achieve and measure impact across a diverse portfolio of projects.

To that end, this Initiative will fund two cross-cutting coordination Hubs: the Data Coordination and Collaboration Hub (Data Hub) and the Knowledge Mobilization and Implementation Coordination Hub (KMIC Hub). The cross-cutting, coordinating Hubs are designed to support and maximize the impacts produced by a portfolio of selected Interdisciplinary Challenge Teams (ICT) projects.

These Hubs will provide administrative, technical and coordination leadership to the project portfolio with a focus on:

• Intentionally connecting projects across the ICT portfolio.
• Supporting the coordination and alignment of portfolio activities across projects.
• Engaging stakeholders and end users at the portfolio level.
• Adding value to project outputs.
• Addressing gaps to create portfolio coherence in achieving impacts

A single pan-Canadian team will be selected to provide data coordination and technical expertise for the portfolio of projects. This team will work with the ICTs and other partners to develop and implement a portfolio data plan.

Data Coordination and Collaboration Hub (Data Hub)

The Data Hub will be responsible for coordinating the scientific data within the portfolio that are required to validate and replicate research findings. Beyond genomic datasets, relevant scientific findings will include information about how the data were generated (e.g., software, workflows and protocols) and the context in which the data should be interpreted (e.g., metadata, policy, socio-economic measures, etc.). Collectively, scientific data outputs from the Initiative will be referred to as “data assets.”

The Data Hub intends to leverage existing digital research infrastructure or software platforms and focus on adding value to these, as opposed to engineering new software. Moreover, the intent is to support the success of individual projects by providing data resources and broader connections to stakeholders. To facilitate climate impact, the Data Hub will help provide a common framework for portfolio outputs. It will not link disparate projects under one overarching research question.

The Data Hub will be responsible for data governance, research data management and analytics. Data governance will ensure that the appropriate data stewardship and data sharing policies are implemented for access, security, and privacy. Research data management will focus on the infrastructure for data storage, processing, and data sharing. This will include advancing data interoperability standards so that data flow and data linkages are optimal. Data analytics will provide value to the portfolio through expertise in statistics, machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI). Analytics would include developing tools and workflows that support ICTs and/or that make the data more useful to external partners.

This funding opportunity aims to support a single pan-Canadian team that will develop and implement a data plan for Genome Canada’s Climate-Smart Agriculture and Food Systems Initiative. First, the team will internally coordinate data-related activities across the interdisciplinary research teams to add value and consistency to the genomic data assets that are being generated. Second, the team will help the projects leverage these data assets to externally advance genomic technologies and policies that have the potential to measurably mitigate climate change, such as by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and/or increasing carbon sequestration.