New funding for Networks of Centres of Excellence facilitates rapid expansion of key university-industry program

The Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE) program has awarded $52 million over four years to three new networks following a long and exhaustive selection and review process, bringing to 18 the number of networks within the widely respected program . Word of the awards comes one month after the announcement of a new targeted competition, as the program ramps up to take advantage of its new funding levels provided in the 1999 federal Budget.

The three new networks were selected from a field of 12, which in turn was culled from 45 letters of intent. Of the nine full proposals that failed to secure funding, several were encouraged to re-work their applications and apply in future NCE competitions. Once the new networks come on stream, the annual tab for the NCE program will be $64 million, leaving another $13 million for the next targeted competition. April press conferences to officially launch the networks will be held in the cities where the administrative are located.

AquaNet

The Network in Aquaculture (AquaNet) is expected to direct at least $85 million into this rapidly growing sector in the complementary and interrelated theme areas of animal production, environmental integrity and socio-economic impacts. Its administrative headquarters will be located at Memorial Univ, which is one of 14 universities participating in the program. The aim of AquaNet is to increase the efficiency of aquaculture through biotechnology, species diversification, environmental sustainability and personnel training, as well as examining the sector's environmental and social aspects. The network acknowledges that the key to the future success of the industry is to benefit from industrially relevant and socially responsible R&D, drawing together the current scattered efforts of Canadian researchers. The scientific director is Dr William Driedzic, a memorial professor and director of the Ocean Science Centre.

CSN

The Canadian Stroke Network (CSN) will be headquartered in Ottawa under the scientific leadership of the Univ of Ottawa's Dr Antonie Hakim. It will investigate and propose solutions to health and social issues associated with stroke, with the aim of decreasing the function, social and economic consequences of stroke on the individual and society at large. It's estimated that the costs associated with stroke are close to $4 billion annually. The network proposes to bring together basic and clinical researchers with social scientists and those in epidemiology, health economics and policy, as well as database and rehabilitation experts. Institutions participating in the CSN include hospitals, biotech and pharmaceutical firms, health care practitioners and emergency care personnel.

CANVAC

CANVAC (the welcome acronym for Canadian Network for Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics of Cancer and Chronic Viral Diseases) brings together specialists in the fields of immunology, virology and molecular biology to develop safe vaccines for cancer and viral infections such as HIVand hepatitis C. It plans to become self-sustaining by providing products and services to Canadians by pooling knowledge, resources and funding. The administraive headquarters is the Univ of Montreal and the scientific director is Rafick-Pierre Sekaly.

Details of each new NCE won't be known until the NCE program signs contracts with the participating universities, which in turn are lining up with provincial, institutional and private sector partners. Those negotiations are expected to take 4-6 months.

Despite the research community's support for the NCE program, many are frustrated at the current lengthy selection process, which requires full blown proposals from short-listed candidates, although funding constraints allow for the actual awarding of a select few. An allowance is provided to help defray the expense of preparing a submission, but it does not cover the considerable time required to complete the task.

"My impression is that the community sees a success rate of 25% as not very good," concedes Jean-Claude Gavrel, who joined the program earlier this year as its first fulltime director (see personalities on page 7). "We plan to work with more of the groups at the letter-of-intent stage to help them better understand and improve upon the success rate. If we work harder, we can give better direction."

Gavrel says work will also continue to determine how to best wean NCE's from program funding once their terms expire. If an NCE passes all review processes, it is eligible for 14 years of funding, after which it must be self-sustaining. This has created a serious problem in the past and more become more acute as several NCEs approach the end of their funding agreements.

"The question is, what do we do to preserve their value and momentum? There will be a small amount of transition funding from the NCE to allow for something that's sustained," says Gavrel.

New targeted competition

For the next competition, the NCE program has chosen four research areas that correspond to key planks in the government's economic and innovation strategies; not surprising considering the requirement for Treasury Board and Cabinet approval of any new NCE subjects (see chart). Gavrel points out that each of the subject areas was mentioned in last year's Speech from the Throne and correspond to areas in which Canadians have growing expertise.

A network focused broadly on The Automobile of the 21st Century will certainly tie in with Canada's capabilities in fuel cell development and technology to reduce emissions from diesel engines. It may also include research into safety issues and technologies related to design and manufacturing processes.

Clean water is a research area that has huge export potential and the successful network could include technology development for reducing and monitoring water pollutants, expertise in the management of freshwater resources, wastewater management and the social, economic and health impacts of water quality.

Genomics is another research area which is certain to gain larger visibility in the coming years. The multidisciplinary approach to this network incorporate research areas such as genotyping, functional genomics, bioinformatics and the ethical, legal and social implications of related technologies.

The fourth targeted competition will focus on early childhood development.

Interdisciplinary research will target areas such as: access to knowledge and learning opportunities, environmental and genetic factors, security of family, social and physical environments, nutrition, socio-economic conditions, and biological processes.

To prime the S&T community to participate, NCE officials are on the road to promoting the competition. Beginning this week, a series of video conferences will be held in Montreal, Toronto, Halifax, Edmonton and elsewhere, with a deadline for letters of intent set for May 1st. Those selected to submit full proposals have until October to file their applications, with the results due early next year.

"It's a very long process and we'll be looking at ways to speed it up by better managing expectations," says Gavrel.

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