Sponsor

Canadian Poultry Research Council (CPRC)

Program

Poultry Science Cluster 4

For More Information

For more information on the Canadian Poultry Research Council's Call for LOI's, please consult the CPRC Website [1].

Description

The Science Cluster Program was originally introduced in Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s (AAFC) Growing Forward Agricultural Policy Framework more than a decade ago. CPRC is presently administering the third Poultry Science Cluster supported by the national poultry organizations, which established the Canadian Poultry Research Council (CPRC) more than 20 years ago. AAFC has not confirmed that the Science Cluster Program will be renewed for the Agricultural Policy Framework presently being discussed between AAFC and its provincial government counterparts; however, CPRC expects that there will be a program in the next agreement due to take effect April 1, 2023.

This call is in addition to the CPRC 2022 Call for LOIs. Submissions to the 2022 call that are of interest as potential projects for funding under the cluster program will be identified by CPRC and researchers advised if more information is required for a cluster proposal. A request for more information does not guarantee a project’s acceptance for the Poultry Science Cluster 4.

AAFC Priority Categories

AAFC has identified three research priority categories for the cluster 4 program. The information below was provided by AAFC in 2021 and may be subject to change; however, CPRC does not expect any major changes to AAFC’s priorities. Please take the information into account when designing proposed research projects. Project titles should clearly reflect the category and priority being addressed.

1) Climate Change and Environment (High Ranking AAFC Priority)

AgriScience renewal could prioritize areas that address climate change and environmental sustainability, to position the sector in contributing to the Government of Canada’s 2030 and 2050 targets. This would focus on GHG emissions reductions and carbon sequestration, as well as other environmental areas including soil health, water quality, air quality, biodiversity, and plastics.

Scope and focus of climate change & environmental sustainability under consideration:

• Research aimed primarily at reducing GHG emissions or sequestering carbon in the sector.
• Research on other environmental and sustainability issues facing the sector, including climate change adaptation and other areas such as soil health, water quality, air quality, biodiversity, and plastics.

Additional considerations:

• Increase emphasis on Knowledge and Technology Transfer to increase uptake of environmental practices in the sector.
• Encourage projects generating information on the on-farm costs and benefits of adopting environmental Beneficial Management Practices.
• Encourage investments that take a future, long-term perspective on how to advance the sector to meaningfully contribute to the Government of Canada’s 2030 and 2050 climate targets.

 2) Economic Growth

AgriScience renewal could help to drive an ambitious approach to investments targeting economic growth, including:

• Focus on emerging technologies to address labour challenges, create more value-added products, and increase productivity.
• Research to improve productivity, develop new or improved product attributes and production systems.
• Proposal selection will consider: treatment of emerging sectors vs established commodities; participation of value chain partners; and potential impact relative to cost.

The approach will be guided by the funding principles, in particular bringing “Value to Canada –contribution of the activity to the Canadian economy”, in addressing: market size (domestic and export; potential growth/consumer demands; IP landscape; and labour issues.

• Scope and focus of Economic growth under consideration:
  • Focus on emerging technologies to address labour challenges, create more value-added products, and increase productivity and downstream coordination.
  • Research to improve productivity, develop new or improved product attributes and production systems.
• Additional considerations and opportunities:
  • Market share or domestic and export sales targets –beyond the current 2025 goals of $75 billion in export sales and $140 billion in domestic sales.

3) Sector Resilience

AgriScience renewal could prioritize areas and include undertaking research aimed at improving sector resilience in response to market and societal pressures, including mental health.

Scope and focus of Sector Resilience:

• This will include undertaking research aimed at improving sector resilience in response to market and societal pressures, including mental health, and to build resilience in the sector for the future of agriculture.
• Examples of long-term sector resilience, emerging challenges and longer-term needs facing the sector include:
  • Antimicrobial resistance;
  • Animal health and welfare;
  • Plant health;
  • Alternative production systems; and
  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Big Data in Agriculture.

For more details on the Research Categories and Priorities for the 2022 call, please visit the CPRC Website [1].

Indirect Costs

15%

Special Notes

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 [2].

How to Apply

The LOI template and instructions can be found on the CPRC website [1].

Please submit your completed LOI in Word format to info@cp-rc.ca [4] by 5:00 pm EST March 31, 2022. You will receive an email notification of receipt within two days of submitting your application. If you do not receive confirmation, please contact CPRC.

Submissions to the 2022 call that are of interest as potential projects for funding under the cluster program will be identified by CPRC and researchers will be contacted if more information is required for a cluster proposal. A request for more information does not guarantee a project’s acceptance for the Poultry Science Cluster 4.

The Canadian Poultry Research Council's grant review approach consists of:

• An expanded LOI that requests:
  • More detailed and additional information on project objectives and background.
  • More detailed description and explanation of the proposed research and methodology. 
• LOIs will be reviewed initially by CPRC and its member organizations with a focus on industry priority and impact, and AAFC priorities. Those projects that are of strong interest to CPRC and its member organizations will move to the peer review stage. CPRC’s priority categories are identified on the CPRC website [1] but researchers should also take the AAFC priorities into account as well.
• Principal investigators will be provided the opportunity to respond to peer review comments.
• CPRC reserves the option to request additional information, such as a detailed work plan and methodology, expansion of knowledge transfer activities, etc.