Sponsor

Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC)

Program

Beef Cattle Industry Science Cluster IV

Description

The Beef Cattle Research Council’s (BCRC) mandate is to determine research and development priorities for the Canadian beef cattle industry and to administer national check-off funds allocated to research. The BCRC invites letters of intent for the fourth Beef Cattle Industry Science Cluster.  

The BCRC developed the first, second, and third Beef Cattle Industry Science Clusters under Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Growing Forward Strategy. The Clusters have brought together Canada’s largest public and industry funders of applied beef research including AAFC, BCRC, provincial governments, provincial cattle associations, and other industry funders, focusing dollars and priorities on a comprehensive outcome-based research program directly aligned with industry’s vision and priorities. The BCRC is planning for the fourth Beef Cattle Industry Science Cluster under AAFC’s next agricultural policy framework, which would cover the period from April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2028.

Research Outcomes

The BCRC has established clearly defined research outcomes for the fourth Beef Cattle Industry Science Cluster through a comprehensive stakeholder engagement process. Please refer to the research outcomes in the Letters of Intent Call Notice [1] before deciding to submit a letter of intent.

Eligibility

Any individual or organization (academic institution, private industry, government, or not-for-profit/non-government organization) from Canada capable of carrying out research projects in areas relevant to the Canadian beef industry is eligible to apply. Non-Canadian researchers may be included on projects as collaborators, but Canadian project leads are preferred for this call. 

Collaborators

Only list collaborators who have been approached and have agreed to participate directly in the project. Specific contributions of each collaborator must be outlined in the Project Milestones table found in the ‘BCRC Proposal Form’. If collaborators at multiple institutions will receive funding through this project, the amount allocated to each institution must be outlined in the ‘BCRC Proposal Budget’ in the budget commentary.

Funding Availability

Funding limits have not yet been provided. Projects will be funded by Canadian cattle producers through the Canadian Beef Cattle Check-Off and matching funding from BCRC will apply through the Agri-Science Clusters Program under the next agricultural policy framework.  

Indirect Costs

15%

Project Duration

Projects up to five years in length may be submitted. Projects will commence no earlier than April 1, 2023 (subject to AAFC approval of the Science Cluster) and must be completed by March 31, 2028.

Special Notes

A webinar will be hosted by the BCRC on August 4, 2021 from 10 am – 12 pm MT to provide further explanation, project examples, and a Q&A session around the target Outcomes and Priorities for this call. We encourage researchers and others to attend if you are considering submitting an LOI. Subscribe to the BCRC Blog [2] to receive event details and a webinar link.

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 [3].

How to Apply

Letters of intent must be prepared using the file entitled ‘BCRC Letter of Intent Form [6]’ and submitted electronically to proposals@beefresearch.ca [5]. The form, as well as instructions and guidelines for submission, can be downloaded from BCRC's website [7]. In the interests of improved funding efficiency, the BCRC reserves the right to share letters of intent with other research funders. 

More details on this funding opportunity can be found in the in the Letters of Intent Call Notice [1] and the Instructions and Guidelines for Submitting a Letter of Intent and Research Proposal. [8]