IC-IMPACTS Call for Proposals on Food Security, 2021

Sponsor

IC-IMPACTS (the India-Canada Centre for Innovative Multidisciplinary Partnerships to Accelerate Community Transformation and Sustainability).

Program

Call for Proposals on Food Security

Description

The primary purpose is to fund early career researchers to a one-year grant to explore collaborative opportunities with their Indian counterparts. The funds are related to developing solutions to our pressing problems of food insecurity. Both Research (Stream 1) and Demonstration Projects (Stream 2) will be funded.

Project proposals are invited from early career Canadian researchers who have innovative ideas towards developing solutions to our pressing problems of food insecurity. 

Stream 1: Exploratory Research Projects

In this Stream, funding will be provided to early career Canadian PI's to engage with Indian teams with the purposes of developing solutions to our pressing problems of food insecurity. These solutions may entail one or more of the following methods:

1. Reduce food waste: Especially when food is wasted due to lack of storage capacity, lack of transportation infrastructure, logistics and/or poor refrigeration.
2. Consider the impacts of trade policy on food security with respect to region, sector, etc. Identify problems as well as suggestions for improvement.
3. Improve infrastructure in the country including water and waste water infrastructure.
4. Promote diversification in crops and promote crops that require minimal water use.
5. Enhance yield and close the yield gap via soil management, crop research and precision farming. Also improve yield via vertical farming using controlled-environment agriculture.
6. Minimizing the impact of Climate Change.
7. Any other.

Stream 2: Deployment of Climate-Smart Agri-tech Models that Enhance Food Security

In this Stream, funding will be provided to Demonstration Projects that deploy solutions in communities with proven effectiveness to improve food resilience. These may be novel sensors for precision farming, novel seed varieties, novel fertilizers that improve the crop yield, novel methods of irrigation, etc.

Projects with higher Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) can apply under this stream. Projects with models or techniques/ technologies already developed by researchers in the Canada-India space, with previous funding from IC-IMPACTS, would be prioritized. The prototypes may be placed in either a Canadian community or an Indian community. Of particular interest, are projects that would collaborate with First Nation, Métis, or Inuit communities.

The application in this stream should clearly demonstrate the following:

1. Knowledge and technology transfer: Proposed projects with technologies to be deployed in real world conditions in India or Canada should clearly demonstrate technology transfer to communities in both environmental settings.
2. Technology demonstration and product adaptation: A unique and innovative technology to be adapted by the community, providing a solution to an existing problem, meeting local regulations, different market price-points, unique community requirements;
3. Validation: Validation of the research in the field, within a community context. Also validating factors such as functionality, performances, quality, usability and community uptake potential;
4. Replication and scalability: Proof of scalability and transferability to different settings, parameters to assess scalability and reliability. Symmetrical projects that take the technology to the partner country are of particular interest (i.e. first demonstrated in Canada, then in India or vice versa).

Eligibility

Projects must show excellence in research and have the following additional elements:

Stream 1:

• A Canadian PI (applicant). The project must also identify an Indian university collaborating PI. Since this is an exploratory grant, this is an opportunity for the Canadian team to start developing linkages with Indian teams.
• HQP involvement (graduate students, postdocs or research associates).

Stream 2:

• In addition to those mentioned above, must also include an industry partner either from Canada or from India.
• Include a support letter from the industry partner, stating their commitment to the project by providing in-kind support.
• Cash support from the industry partner is strongly recommended but not mandatory.
• A support letter from the community or demonstration site where technology will be installed.
• Be tailored to meet the needs of the market within which deployment is taking place to ensure successful uptake (i.e. complexity, maintenance and price-point).

Maximum Project Value

$25,000 maximum.

The budget parameters consist primarily of costs related to training of HQP, travel costs for deployment and testing activities. HQP training and engagement is a requirement on all IC-IMPACTS projects, therefore, applicants will need to demonstrate their commitment to this matter. If the demonstration project (Stream 2) provides an opportunity to increase HQP participation in the execution of the deployment within the community, an additional $10,000 can be requested.

Indirect Costs

0%.

Project Duration

1 year.

Special Notes

Equity Diversity and Inclusion (EDI)
IC-IMPACTS is committed to supporting underrepresented and marginalized groups, hence, proposals should demonstrate compliance with the principals of equity, diversity, and inclusion. Preference will be given to applicants from marginalized populations including, but are not limited to, groups excluded due to race, gender and gender identity, sexual orientation, age and physical ability. Women and other under-represented groups are strongly encouraged to apply. Identifying as any of the aforementioned groups is optional. 

COVID-19
Please note that research activities carried out in the context of COVID-19 need to adhere to the University of Guelph COVID-19 research principles, policies, guidelines and processes as they may be updated from time to time and communicated on the Office of Research web-page.

How to Apply

For full details on the program and how to apply, please visit the IC-IMPACTS Call for Proposals on Food Security web-page.

Submission Requirements

Please submit one PDF file containing:

1. Application Form
2. Budget Form – Canadian Funding
3. Budget Form – Indian Funding (Note: this is for information purposes only. IC-IMPACTS will not be funding the Indian component of the project).
4. CVs of all research team members
5. Letter(s) of support from industry and/or appropriate other partner(s)
6. Letter(s) of support from community or testing site partner(s)
7. IP Agreement between collaborating partners and researchers

Canadian scientists must also include the following:

8. Conflict of Interest Form
9. Consent to Disclosure Form
10. Appendix A – Acknowledgement to Network Agreement Form
11. Investigator Environmental Impact Assessment Form
12. Approval from University’s Office of Research Services