Research projects will assist researchers in analyzing and interpreting massive data sets

Joint Genome Canada-CIHR competition

Researchers required to handle increasingly massive volumes digital information will gain powerful new tools following the completion of 16 new research projects designed to help analyze, interpret and apply biological data. Genome Canada and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) have announced $4 million over two years to support the 2015 Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (B/CB) competition at academic institutions across the country.

The competition attracted 115 applications for funding, which does not require matching dollars The projects involve software and methods for looking at data and are highly targetted.

Ontario was strongly represented in the results, accounting for eight of the 16 projects — most of which are worth $250,000 each. Dr Robin Harkness, VP research at Ontario Genomics, says the province's research strength in B/CB is reflected in its robust showing.

"This funding will help with data interpretation and the use of data we have, transforming complex data into useable form," says Harkness. "Projects are focused on next-generation tools and technologies and providing data access to the research community."

Two of Ontario Genomics' projects are co-led with sister genome centres in Atlantic Canada and BC.

BC also performed well in the competition with five awards and another shared with Ontario Genomics.

"Genomics is the driver of biotech, the adoption of precision medicine and biomedicine," says Harkness. "There's been a dramatic increase in the amount of data available, especially sequencing. The challenge is to analyze and interpret it."

CIHR funding was provided through its Roadmap Accelerator Fund and the Institute for Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis.

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