Genome Canada has provided a major boost to Canada’s efforts in the area of applied health genomics with the selection of 14 large-scale projects worth $123 million, with half of the funding provided the arm’s length agency and the other half from a variety of partners. British Columbia won the greatest share of the competition’s funding, with researchers receiving $44 million for six projects.

The 14 projects were chosen from a massive field of 45 proposals requesting approximately $1 billion. The targeted competition was funded with $75 million from the 2003 federal Budget (R$, March 1/03).

“We were looking for projects to develop technologies for the health care setting within five years,” says Marc LePage, Genome Canada’s executive VP corporate development. “We received proposals from more researchers with a clinical background and a significant amount of co-funding was from companies.”

The emphasis on applied research and applications such as transplantation and pediatric care marks a widening of Genome Canada’s priorities. The objectives of using genomics and proteomics to generate cost-effective solutions and better care for existing health problems have captured the attention of several provincial health ministers.

It’s a trend that will also be strengthened in the coming months as Genome Canada completes a new long-term strategic plan. Genome Canada was asked to develop the plan in the last Budget , which will be finalized at its June 18 board meeting. The Budget also awarded Genome Canada $60 million in funding (R$, April 6/04)

LePage says that rather than use the new money to fund another competition, it will be used to support initiatives that will move the organization towards objectives contained in the new strategic plan.

The plan will also introduce a more aggressive commercialization track that focuses on applications.

“We already had a draft plan before the Budget, but the Budget gave us the courage to proceed even further in the area of commercialization,” says LePage.

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