section one: program overview -...

Food Safety Research Program

Research Requirements Document

Call for Letters of Intent

(2016/2017) Research and Innovation Branch

Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs1 Stone Road West, Guelph, Ontario N1G 4Y2

Tel: 519-826-4554Fax: 519-826-4211

Email: [email protected]://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/research/foodsafety/

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/research/foodsafety/cfp/callinfo.htm

mailto:[email protected]

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION ONE: Program Overview...........................................4

1. 1 Program Objectives......................................................4

1. 2. Research Priorities......................................................4

1. 3. Project Duration and Funding......................................4

1. 4. Who May Apply...........................................................5

1. 5. How to Apply..............................................................5

1. 6. Submission of Your Application and Your Approval Authority

.......................................................................................6

1. 7. Program Timelines......................................................7

1. 8. Review Criteria...........................................................7

1. 9. Intellectual Property...................................................8

SECTION TWO: Completing the Application Form.....................9

2. 1. Saving and Validating Your Proposal:..........................9

2. 2. Unwanted Characters when Cutting and Pasting from WORD

.......................................................................................9

2. 3. Submitting Your Application........................................9

2. 4. Lead Applicant Section..............................................10

2. 5. Co-Applicant Section.................................................10

2. 6. Team Members Section.............................................11

2. 7. Proposal Details Section............................................11

2. 8. Knowledge Translation and Transfer (KTT) Plan Section12

2016-17 Food Safety Research Program: Letters of Intent 2

2. 9. Co-Funders Section...................................................13

2. 10. Budget Template Section.........................................13

2. 11. Funding Requested by the Program Section..............17

2. 12. Uploading Documents for Your Application Section....17

2. 13. Suggested Peer Reviewers Section...........................18

2. 14. Declaration..............................................................18

SECTION THREE: Research Priorities.....................................20

1. Economic Analysis.........................................................20

2. Detection and Surveillance.............................................21

3. Prevention and Control of Disease..................................21


SECTION ONE: Program Overview1. 1 Program Objectives

The Food Safety Research Program is an open, competitive research fund which enhances food safety in Ontario through innovative research. The program addresses the Ministry’s Emergency Management Research Theme, which seeks to lessen the frequency and impact of agri-food emergencies. The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) strives to fund demand-driven research that has ready receptors in policy, programs or the marketplace.

Since 2001, the program has allocated over $10 million to 112 projects at different institutions, resulting in:

New or enhanced technologies and diagnostic tools that support the agri-food industry and government regulatory and laboratory programs

New information about emerging food hazards and contaminants New strategies to reduce, eliminate or otherwise manage food safety

risks.

1. 2. Research Priorities

The Food Safety Research Program addresses the Ministry's Emergency Management Research Theme. Research needs specific to food safety have been identified in three priority areas for the 2016-2017 call. Applicants' research should address at least one specific research need within one of these three priority areas:

Economic analysis Detection and surveillance Prevention and control of disease

See Section Three for more details

1. 3. Project Duration and Funding

Project duration: 6 - 36 months

Funding availableOMAFRA recognizes the potential for a range of funding needs depending on the focus of the project. The research institution must ensure that sufficient funding is secured to complete the project. If a project exceeds the approved budget, the research institution must raise the additional funding required to complete the project; additional funds will not be provided from this program.


http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/research/foodsafety/index.html

Amount per project: Maximum of $150,000 (including indirect/overhead costs)

Leveraged Funds (Cash and In-kind)OMAFRA strongly encourages applicants to obtain leveraged funds for this program. The Ministry’s focus is to ensure that it funds demand-driven research that is valued by the end-user and has ready receptors in policy, programs or the marketplace. Both cash and in-kind contributions qualify as leveraged funds. Applicants invited to submit full proposals must provide support letters from their co-funders, confirming all types of support. Leverage funding is described more fully in the Budget part of Section Two – How to Complete the Application Form.

1. 4. Who May Apply

We invite universities, research institutes, industry, government agencies and partnership networks with demonstrated capacity to perform quality research to submit a Letter of Intent. Applicants outside the province of Ontario are eligible but must clearly indicate how their proposed research will benefit Ontario's food safety system. Provincial ministry staff are not eligible to apply as a lead applicant.

1. 5. How to Apply

The Research Management System (RMS), is OMAFRA’s on-line process for managing applications to ministry-funded research programs. Researchers can access documentation needed to apply to OMAFRA’s open research calls through the Researcher Workbench in the RMS. Letter of Intent StageApplicants to the Food Safety Research Program first submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) which describes their proposed research (including a budget). Review panels evaluate the Letters of Intent according to review criteria (see Section 1.8).

OMAFRA then invites full proposals submissions from those LOIs that best address Ministry specific research needs and review criteria. Applicants selected for full proposal submission will be notified via email. An invitation to submit a full proposal does not guarantee funding.


Note: Researchers who have received funding from OMAFRA, but have failed to submit their required reports, are not eligible for funding under this program until OMAFRA has received and approved the outstanding reports.

https://omafra.smartsimple.ca/s_Login.jsp

Full Proposal Stage

Full proposals are evaluated by both peer reviewers and review panels. Applicants whose full proposal is selected for funding will be notified via email. Funding is contingent on the applicant (or applicant's organization) signing a Research Funding Agreement with the Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario and on the applicant's compliance with all the terms and conditions in the Research Funding Agreement and the award email.Browsers to Use When ApplyingOMAFRA’s Research Management System (RMS) is fully compatible with Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox. Other browsers such as 'Safari' can result in system errors.

1. 6. Submission of Your Application and Your Approval Authority

Upon submission, your application takes a different route based upon how you registered in the RMS for the first time. Failure to register correctly could cause your application to miss the submission deadline to OMAFRA.1) Applicants with Research Offices or other similar approval authorities (most often institutions such as colleges, universities, hospitals and government)

Clicking Submit will forward your application to your Research Office (RO) or similarauthority for approval. The RO or other authority will review your application and either return it to you for revision or forward it to OMAFRA on your behalf.

Remember to allow time for your internal approvals process when applying to the program.

First time applicants should contact the RMS Administrator to ensure that their research office is set up in the RMS.

2) All Other Applicants (e.g. businesses, commodity groups, Conservation Authorities, industry, municipal organizations, Non-Government Organizations.)

Upon submission, your application comes directly to OMAFRA.

Contact the RMS Administrator if you have any questions regarding your registration.


Note: Letters of Intent for OMAFRA-funded research require specific details, including a budget. We recommend that you take a few minutes to become familiar with the application form and submission requirements.




Note: The RMS will not allow you to submit an application after the program’s submission deadline has passed.

1. 7. Program Timelines

Pre-submission Consultation

Date: Thursday, June 9th, 2016Time: 9:30-11:30 am Location: 1 Stone Road West, Conference Centre Room 1

This consultation will provide an overview of the research program and the RMS on-line application process. There will also be time for questions. You can attend the consultation in person or by webinar. To register, please contact Jen Weston, Research Analyst at [email protected] or (519) 826-3976.

Notification of the status of Letter of Intent

OMAFRA will notify all applicants of their Letter of Intent status on or before Tuesday, October 25th, 2016

1. 8. Review Criteria

The proposal title and abstract may be shared with third parties for the purpose of finding expert reviewers who are not in a conflict of interest with the proposal. The entire Letter of Intent and supporting documentation may also be used to evaluate the application for funding.

All reviewers are required to declare any conflict of interest and to sign a confidentiality agreement prior to accessing and reviewing any submission to this program.

The Review Panels evaluate the Letters of Intent according to the following criteria:

The relevance to current issues in food safety and the fit to the specific research needs described in this document

The anticipated contribution to improving the food safety system in Ontario:

o Overall benefits and impacto Training of Highly Qualified Personnelo Links to further innovation and/or commercialization

The research capabilities of the Applicant, Co-applicant, his/her research team and their corresponding establishments


Submission deadline: 11:59 am EST on Wednesday, June 29th, 2016


The quality, clarity and feasibility of the experimental plan (objectives, milestones, methodology and deliverables)

Effectiveness of the knowledge translation and transfer plan. Who are target audiences/ users of your research, how will they be involved, how will the users benefit from the research and what methods will be used to reach these audiences?

The appropriateness of the proposed budget, evidence of stakeholder support and the amount of funding leveraged (requested and confirmed). The proposal should demonstrate value for money.

In addition, OMAFRA may conduct a literature search to determine if the proposed research topic has been sufficiently investigated elsewhere. 1. 9. Intellectual Property

Title to all intellectual property resulting directly from research funded through the Food Safety Research Program will remain with the research institution or the institution’s designate.

The Lead Applicant must report to OMAFRA any third party contributions to the research project. Any background intellectual property to be used in the project must be identified to OMAFRA and covered under a written agreement.

The research institution must grant the Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario (ARIO) a non-exclusive, fully paid up, royalty free, unencumbered license without time or territory limit to use and sublicense to any ministry of the Government of Ontario, any Agency, Board or Corporationthereof, (including any authorized agent of any of the above), all Newly Created Intellectual Propertyand any of the Recipient’s Intellectual Property needed to utilize the Newly Created IntellectualProperty. The granted license and any sublicenses ARIO grants shall be and for the purposes ofnon-commercial uses, education, research, policy development, non-commercial publication andnon-commercial breeding purposes by the licensed or sublicensed entity.

The research institution with which the ARIO has the Research Funding Agreement may assignintellectual property to firms or affiliated research organizations if they determine that the otherparty can maximize returns to Ontario, subject to OMAFRA’s license rights.

The research institution or its designate, must agree that should it choose to develop any Newly


Created Intellectual Property itself; it shall, to the best of its ability commercialize the IntellectualProperty for the benefit of Ontario and its economy and upon request, demonstrates to thesatisfaction of ARIO, that it has the ability to commercialize the Intellectual Property for the directbenefit of Ontario and its economy. Should the research institution or its designate decide not todevelop any Newly Created Intellectual Property, the Recipient shall give the right of first refusal todevelop any Newly Created Intellectual Property that may arise directly or indirectly from the Fundsprovided only to an organization or entity that demonstrates (to the satisfaction of ARIO) it has theability to commercialize the Intellectual Property for the direct benefit of Ontario and its economy.

The Lead Applicant must disclose any new intellectual property discovered by them during theresearch project and identify any technology capable of being commercialized to ARIO. Thisinformation must be included in the project’s final report to ARIO.

Commercialization and protection of the intellectual property is the responsibility of the researchinstitution or its designate. The research institution or its designate will retain revenues generatedfrom patents, licenses or royalties with the exceptions and exclusions noted in this section.

With 24 hours notice, ARIO or its representatives reserves the right to audit project progress as itrelates to commercialization of intellectual property.


SECTION TWO: Completing the Application Form2. 1. Saving and Validating Your Proposal:

Save Draft – use this button to:

Save your draft for the first time Populate tabular information such as milestones or budget information Save the application without the completion of all the mandatory fields

**** Be sure to ‘save draft’ before logging out

Autosave - will save your text every 5 minutes in the background.

Validate – use this button:

before submission to determine if all mandatory fields are completed A red asterisk (*) indicates that the field cannot be blank

2. 2. Unwanted Characters when Cutting and Pasting from WORD

Unwanted characters are often inserted when a web browser can’t read the code that WORD uses for dashes (-) and apostrophes (‘)

When you cut and paste text containing dashes or apostrophes from WORD into your application form (which is web based), these unwanted characters may be inserted into your application form and the PDF (which you see when you hit the ‘preview’ button in the application).

To remove the unwanted characters, delete the dash or apostrophe, retype them and save your draft.

2. 3. Submitting Your Application

The Submit button has two different workflows for public sector and private sector applicants:

a) Public sector applications (colleges, universities, government and government agencies)


Clicking the Submit button forwards your application to your Research Office (RO) or similar authority for approval.

The RO or other authority will review your application and either return it to you for revision or forward it to OMAFRA on your behalf.

Remember to allow time for your internal approval process when applying to OMAFRA. This internal deadline is set by your institution and not OMAFRA.

b) Private Sector applicants (from businesses, industry organizations, commoditygroups etc.)

Clicking the Submit button will forward your application directly to OMAFRA.

2. 4. Lead Applicant Section

Calculating the FTE (Full Time Equivalent) for the Project Record the total amount of time that you (and your team members) are

devoting to your project over the course of a year. If the amount of time will vary over the life of the project, select a yearly average.

Use the XX.X format (i.e. FTE=1.0 or 0.30)

Products of Research You only need to provide five to six items (which can be taken from

your Researcher Profile) that are relevant to this project (such as publications, presentations, and innovations/commercialization). You do not need to complete your entire profile

Selections from your Profile will appear in your "Preview" window, not in the application window.

Alternatively you can manually enter content into this section.

Research Priority Three priorities are provided in a drop down menu. Select the one

main priority addressed by your proposal (see Section Three for more details about priorities)

Contact Person (if different from the Lead Applicant) If you are the main contact for the project as well as the Lead

Applicant, answer ‘yes’ If another person is the main contact, answer ‘no’ and provide the

contact information for the person.


Note: The system will not allow you to submit an application after the program’s submission deadline.

2. 5. Co-Applicant Section

DefinitionSometimes a Co-Applicant joins the Lead Applicant in the submission of a Letter of Intent. The Co-Applicant has a well-defined, critical and continuing role in the proposed research. He/she has equal status with the Lead Applicant. Co-applicants are optional.

Adding Co-Applicants Your Co-Applicant must have a contact file in the RMS before you can

add them to your applications Click the ‘Add’ button and type the person’s email address into the box

provided and hit the ‘Retrieve Researcher’ button. If you get a message “Researcher Email Address not found”, your

Co-applicant will need to register in the RMS and complete their contact information in the profile section of their Workbench. Click here to go to the registration pages.

2. 6. Team Members Section

Description Team members join the Lead Applicant in the investigative work of the research project. They may also play an advisory role. Team members must provide specific expertise to an aspect of the research and fulfill a necessary role in the project. Team members can be internal or external collaborators. Research team members and/or their organizations may contribute cash or in-kind support to the project. If so, record their names in the Co-Funder section of the application budget.

Use this section of the application to record each team member’s name, organization, business email address, expertise as it pertains to the research (such as food-borne disease epidemiologist) and to clearly define their role in the project.

Note: Research team members (excluding technicians and students) may be contacted at the full proposal stage to confirm their involvement in the project.

Adding Team Members


Note: the Lead Applicant cannot submit the application until the Co-Applicant has agreed to the terms and conditions outlined in the “Declaration’ section of the application.

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/research/rms/rmsindex.html

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/research/rms/rmsindex.html

Clicking the ‘Add’ button takes you to a new window where you can input information about your team members

FTE for your team members should be based on the amount of time they will devote to the entire project, not amount of time per year of the project

Use the XX.X format for your team member’s FTE (note that an FTE for one person cannot be greater than 1.0)

2. 7. Proposal Details Section

Project Duration Select the length of your project from the drop down menu Projects may be 6 to 36 months Ensure to include time to complete KTT activities described in the KTT

table

Abstract, Benefits, Rationale and Objectives These fields have word limits and the system will truncate your text if

you go over the limit. It is important that you make your case for the proposed research

here, including the problem being addressed and how the project meets specific research needs.

Milestone List The Open button leads to a new window containing a three columned

table The Add button adds rows to the table Remember to Save your table before exiting the window You must click the Save Draft button at the bottom of the application

window in order for your milestone information to show up in the application form

Methodology and Deliverables These fields have word limits and the system will truncate your text if

you go over the limit. Make sure you provide enough detail about your experimental plan for

reviewers to understand how your project objectives will be achieved. 2. 8. Knowledge Translation and Transfer (KTT) Plan Section

KTT definedOMAFRA defines Knowledge Translation and Transfer (KTT) as the transformation of knowledge into use among researchers and research


users through synthesis, exchange, dissemination, dialogue, collaboration and brokering.

Why KTT is importantOMAFRA has a renewed emphasis on knowledge translation and transfer (KTT), with the goal of accelerating research knowledge into use, and communicating the results of research and innovation activities within the ministry and among ministry partners. Effective KTT will increase user involvement in research projects, strengthen connections between research and research users throughout the research cycle, and accelerate the use of research in policy development, extension programs, and commercialization opportunities. We highly encourage partnerships that facilitate these goals.

Applicant KTT plansApplicants to OMAFRA-funded research programs must build KTT plans. The plan should be flexible so it can evolve as the research evolves. It should also emphasize collaboration, partnership and networks. The plan should embrace all potential audiences and approaches of sharing knowledge. The earlier that the end user is involved with the various stages of the research, the better.

KTT resourcesThe following resources will help you build your KTT plan:

Researchers, Build your KTT Plan KTT Best Practices Learn more about KTT

Completing the KTT Table

Target Audiences

Involvement of Research Users in Project

Explain how users will benefit from the Research

KTT Methods (forms and types of communications venues), including general timelines.

Description ofExpenses(including $ valueassociated with KTT activities listed,including portionrequested fromthe *FSRP)

*Food Safety Research Program The headings in the five columns of the KTT table are shown above. Add rows and items to the table by clicking the Open button. Remember to click Save at the bottom of the window. You must click Save Draft at the bottom of the application

window in order for the KTT items to show up in the application page


http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/research/ktt/indexktt.html

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/research/ktt/indexktt.html#practices

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/research/ktt/kttplan/buildkttplan.htm

Expenses for KTT Activities Use the Description of Expenses column in the KTT Table to fully

describe the KTT expenses. Indicate the portion of the expenses which are requested from the

FSRP. All expenses must be fully justified and a reasonable/appropriate use

of public funds. Include these KTT expenses in your costs for ‘supplies’ under the

“Direct Operating – Supplies” expenses in the budget template. See 2.9 Budget Template for details of eligible and ineligible expenses.

2. 9. Co-Funders Section

DefinitionThe FSRP defines "Co-Funders" as people or organizations that contribute financial support to the project. They can contribute either cash or in-kind support or a combination of both.

Adding Co-Funders Click on Add to record the names of your Co-Funders. Once entered, these names will appear automatically as a discrete line

item in the ‘Sources of Project Funding’ table on the budget page. Please indicate whether your Co-Funders’ support is ‘confirmed’ or

‘requested’.

2.10 Budget Template

A red asterisk (*) in a budget cell indicates a scroll over note for that item.

The notes contain definitions and eligible/ineligible costs. These notes become visible when you hover your mouse over the box

containing the asterisk.

Scroll over notesThe budget template is comprised of two main tables: Sources of Project Funding and Uses(Expenditures) of Project Funding.


Note: The ‘Sources’ and ‘Uses’ sections must balance in order for you to be able to submit your Letter of Intent.

A. Sources of Project Funding

Use this table to record all the sources of funding for your project (both cash and in-kind). Each Co-Funders identified previously in the application will appear as a discreet line item in this table.

Main Fields

Co-Funders The RMS populates this section of the template with the names of the

Co-Funders that you identified earlier in the application

Cash and In-kind Use these columns to show whether the funds are cash or in-kind

Status of Funds Use the drop down menu to indicate whether the funding is requested

or confirmed.

Provider of Funds Use the drop down menu to indicate who is providing the funds such

as Tri-Council (NCERC, SSHRC or CIHR), other federal, other provincial or Business/Industry

Justification Boxes Use these boxes to provide details about your Co-Funders’

contributions, etc. It is important to describe how co-funder support will be used.

Some staff and researchers/faculty at the University of Guelph are supported directly from theOMAFRA/UofG Partnership (e.g. CARG researchers and some technical staff, such as those at some research stations). In this circumstance OMAFRA would also be considered a co-funder and the salary of these individuals should be reported as an in-kind contribution of OMAFRA to the project (based on the portion (FTE) of their time allocated to the Food Safety Research Project).

This allows OMAFRA to capture all the contributions to the project from all sources. In rare cases the salary of the Lead Applicant will be eligible for direct support from the program. These circumstances will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis as it arises and the budget will be adjusted asrequired after final project approval.


Guidelines regarding the eligibility of salaries as direct costs to the Food Safety program are described in part B) Uses (Expenditures) Of Project Funding on the next page. As with all budget items, applicant organization contributions need to be fully described in the budget notes, and valued reasonably and appropriately. OMAFRA reserves the right to determine the eligibility of all contributions and expenses on a case-by-case basis.

In-kind Support DefinedThis program defines “in-kind” support as “items necessary to the success of the project that would have to be purchased from funds within the project budget if they were not provided by a co-funder.” Examples of in-kind support can include goods and services, access to equipment and research facilities, and scientific and technical staff time contributing directly to the project.The in-kind support must be described so reviewers may determine the appropriateness of the supports’ estimated financial value. OMAFRA will only recognize contributions that are essential to the successful completion of the project.

Funding Source Use the drop down menu to select one of the following sources of your matching funds. If you have more than one source of funding, pick the largest provider of the funds and use the ‟Justification of Budget Items” box to provide details of the support and how it is to be used in the project:

a. Academic/Research (places of higher learning such as Colleges and Universities/Research - Institutes, Foundations, Hospitals etc.)

b. Business/Industry (farm, industry organizations and private sector businesses);

c. Non-Gov Organization (NGO = organizations that are non-profit, independent of government but can receive all or part of their funding from government)

d. OMAFRA e. Other Federal Gov (excludes Tri-Council funding) f. Other provincial Gov (excludes OMAFRA but includes funding from

other provinces) g. Tri-Council (NCERC, SSHRC or CIHR)

B) Uses (Expenditures) Of Project Funding

Use this table to allocate the funds that you recorded in the ‘Sources of Project Funding’ section of the template.

Eligible and Ineligible Expenses


The following tables are not exhaustive, but provide a guideline of direct project expenses that are eligible under the Food Safety Research Program. OMAFRA reserves the right to determine the eligibility of salaries and other expenses on a case-by-case basis.

Some project costs ineligible for direct funding under the Food Safety Research Program may be provided by co-funders. These contributions need to be described in the justification section of the template.

Please contact OMAFRA with any questions regarding eligibility of budget items (either as direct project expenses or as matching contributions).


Salary ExpensesEligible Expenses Ineligible Expenses

Trainees such as graduate & summer students and post-doctoral fellows

Contract technicians and other staff contributing directly to the project outcomes.

Self-funded staff (i.e. individuals supported directly from research grants)

Note: Salary costs of individuals involved in the investigative work of the project ineligible as direct project expenses can be reported as in-kind contributions to the project (e.g. technicians). Time must be valued reasonably and based on the FTE contribution to the project.

Salaries of permanent staff whose compensation is not specifically dependent on on-going research project funding

Individuals with permanent academic appointments

Individuals with permanent Provincial, Federal or Municipal Government positions

Salary costs not directly related to scientific and technical contributions to the project (e.g. office support staff)

Direct Operating – SuppliesEligible Expenses Ineligible Expenses Research supplies and disposables e.g.

petri dishes, reagents etc. KTT and technology transfer related

costs such as the organization of workshops (venue, meals etc.) and communication materials.

Publication costs e.g. peer reviewed journals

Any alcoholic beverages Support for meetings/events that

would occur regardless of project funding

Direct Operating – Research Station Fees (OMAFRA-funded Research Stations)

Applies to applicants from the University of Guelph who are requesting the use of OMAFRA-funded research stations supported under the OMAFRA-UofG Partnership;

The fee calculated by the system accounts for 92% of this cost and is recorded as an in-kind contribution; an additional 8% needs to be requested either from the program as cash or paid for by contributions from other funders.

For other institutions wishing to access these research stations, please contact OMAFRA staff for more information

Direct Operating – Equipment Leases and Purchases Equipment leases and equipment purchases (under $5000) should be

shown under Operating Some capital equipment expenditures may be eligible. Capital

equipment is a fixed asset costing over $10,000, which is expected to


yield continuous service beyond the year in which it is purchased. It includes scientific and information technology equipment that is essential to the project.

OMAFRA will only pay that portion of the equipment’s working life to which it is used solely on the project i.e. for a two-year project, OMAFRA will pay two-fifths [or 40%] of the equipment cost spread over the two years [1/5 each year]. Cost of new equipment should be reduced accordingly in cases where the equipment will last more than years and/or is also used for other purposes.

Contact OMAFRA regarding the eligibility of equipment purchases

Direct Operating - TravelEligible Expenses Ineligible Expenses

Travel necessary to carry out the project (e.g. to research stations and field plots).

Travel to conferences where project information is being presented

Any alcoholic beverages Travel costs (flights, mileage,

accommodation, meal allowances etc.) for participants in workshops and meetings.

Indirect Costs or Overhead The maximum per project funding of $150,000 includes these

overhead costs. For example, with an overhead cost of 25%, an applicant requesting the maximum project allotment would receive $120,000 in direct operating funds and $30,000 for overhead.

Overhead : Applicants should use the overhead rates set by their organizations as long as this rate does not exceed 25% of eligible direct operating costs.

Justification boxes Use these boxes to provide more details about expense items. Reviewers will use this information to evaluate the appropriateness of

budget items and to help determine the overall value for money of the proposal.

2. 11. Funding Requested by the Program Section

The following three fields in the application form are auto-populated from your budget template by the RMS:

Funding Requested from the Program Total Leveraged Cash Funds Total Leveraged In-Kind Funds


2. 12. Uploading Documents for Your Application Section

Letters of Support Click here to attach letters of support or confirmation of funding from

your Co-Funders. These letters must be in PDF format when uploaded to the RMS

or they will not be appended to the PDF version of your application (i.e. reviewers will not be able to see them).


IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT PDF FILES: For PDF files that have security restrictions in place such as Content Copying or

Extraction have been encrypted. o These encrypted files cannot be included in your application.

The security settings can be viewed by opening the PDF and clicking File > Document Properties >Security (steps may vary depending on the version of your PDF reader).

o The PDF documents must be regenerated without the restrictions for them to be appended properly to your application.

Documents for Research Offices If applicable, click here to append any documents required by your

Research Office for project approval These documents can be in any format as they are not appended to

your application

2. 13. Suggested Peer Reviewers Section

Please suggest a minimum of five (and ideally up to eight) peer reviewers who may be contacted should your project be invited for full proposal. Ensure the suggested reviewers are not in conflict of interest and can actually review your project. Definition of Conflict of InterestFor the purposes of RMS, a conflict of interest is defined as a conflict between your suggested peer reviewer’s duties and their responsibilities with regard to the review process, and that person's private, professional, business or public interests.

Specifically: They are not related to or employed by, the lead applicant, co-

applicant or any other member of the research team or the co-funders (people or organizations) of the project.

They have not co-authored a journal article or other publication with the lead applicant or co-applicant any other member of the research team or the co-funders (people or organizations) of the project during the past two years.

They will not benefit monetarily or in any other way from the funding of this project.

They are not in conflict in any way with the lead applicant, co-applicant or any other member of the research team or the co-funders (people or organizations) of the project.

2. 14. Declaration

The declaration section of the proposal serves as an electronic signature of both the Lead Applicant and his/her Co-Applicant (if applicable).

Both the Lead Applicant and Co-Applicant (if applicable) are required to read and accept the terms and conditions stated in the Food Safety Research Program Letter of Intent Requirements document as well as the following before submitting a proposal:


Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act The applicant(s) acknowledges that OMAFRA, on behalf of ARIO, is bound by the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (Ontario), as amended from time to time, and that any information provided to it in connection with this application, the proposed project, and any agreement that may be entered into with the Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario (ARIO), is subject to disclosure in accordance with that Act or pursuant to an order of a court or tribunal or a legal proceeding. The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) may also share this letter of intent and any supporting information in order to evaluate the application for funding.

Notice of Collection of Personal Information Any personal information on this form, such as information regarding the education and employment history of the lead applicant and research team members, is necessary to assist in assessing the qualifications of a proposal for funding under the Food Safety Research Program. The information is collected under the authority of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. M.16. Questions as to the collection of this information may be directed to the Research Analyst – Food Safety Research Program at 1-888-466-2372 ex. 65178 or 519-826-5178.

Where any personal information related to team members is submitted, the applicant acknowledges that he/she has obtained the consent of these individuals to submit the information for the purposes of the evaluation of the application for funding. The applicant will provide evidence of the consent of these individuals to OMAFRA upon request.


Note: the Lead Applicant cannot submit the application until the Co-Applicant has agreed to the terms and conditions outlined in the “Declaration’ section of the application.

SECTION THREE: Research PrioritiesThe Food Safety Research Program supports the Ministry’s Emergency Management Research Theme. This year’s call focuses on three Emergency Management research priority areas: Economic Analysis, Detection and Surveillance and Prevention and Control of Disease. Proposals must clearly demonstrate how the proposed research addresses at least one specific research need. All applicants must clearly indicate how the proposed research will provide significant benefits to the food safety system in Ontario.

1. Economic Analysis

Improving food safety is both an important public health priority and a key driver for enhancing a firm’s competitiveness in an increasingly global marketplace. At the same time, investing in food safety can be a significant undertaking for a business, with little to no assurance that the marketplace will reward the expenditure. Failure to plan for emergency situations, and the lack of clear plans for emergency response and prevention, puts considerable resources at risk. Industry, government and the general public need information regarding the costs and benefits of avoiding possible adverse events through risk mitigation strategies. This information will help facilitate sound decision-making regarding investments in food safety. Risk management initiatives and policies must achieve their intended benefits, be cost effective for the agri-food industry, and allow the sector to maintain its competitiveness globally. Specific research needs in this area:Estimate the potential economic impact to Ontario of adverse events (for example, foodborne illness outbreaks, food recalls) and evaluate the costs and benefits of potential risk-reducing interventions in order to prioritize risk management options and support science-based decisions and policy development. Cost/benefit analysis is required for the Ontario context with respect to risk management interventions including:

o implementation of written, preventive food safety programs, including food processing, on-farm programs and participation in private food safety certification schemes;

o best practices and/or traceability systems among agriculture and food stakeholders; and

o regulatory interventions.

Outcomes of the research should ideally integrate:


the effectiveness of interventions in reducing risk, the resulting benefits to the business, to public and/or environmental

health, and the time/effort and financial investment required for the intervention. Analysis could be conducted at the food processing facility or farm level, commodity level or agri-food sector level or from the perspective of a value chain. A focus on Ontario small and medium enterprises preferred.

2. Detection and Surveillance

Surveillance is a necessary component for supporting the protection of public health and the trade of safe food products. The data required to help evaluate the effectiveness of food safety interventions and other initiatives in an Ontario-specific context is currently limited. Specific research needs in this area are:Identify and evaluate food safety risks associated with the distribution of fish through Ontario supply chains and different fish processing activities including, but not limited to hot/cold smoking, brining, pickling, fermenting and preparing raw ready-to-eat fish products (e.g.for use in sushi and sashimi).

Evaluation of the field persistence of pathogens on produce from common sources of contamination, such as irrigation water.

3. Prevention and Control of Disease

Preventing the introduction of a hazard is the most effective means to avoid or minimize risk, and can be considered the most cost-effective approach to risk management. Effective prevention and control strategies are required that are affordable, predictable and can be broadly implemented. Research is required to support the development of best management practices. The design of risk management systems that pay for themselves through improved business efficiency have the best chance of adoption and success. For the 2016-2017 Call for Proposals and within the Prevention and Control of Disease theme, a higher priority level is focused on research which supports the validation of food safety hazards/risks and control strategies for small and medium-sized agri-food businesses in Ontario. Specific research needs in this area are:Research which supports evidence-based recommendations for food safety prevention and control focused on:


o Validation of the effectiveness of interventions used by industry to reduce levels of pathogens on products produced in Ontario.

o Validation of best practices related to horticultural irrigation water application and sampling.

o Evaluation of control systems and/or process modifications that reduce environmental impact (e.g. energy efficiency, waste/wastewater reduction_ and minimize operating costs while achieving food safety prevention and control.

o Development and validation of intervention options to prevent and control allergens and other biological and chemical hazards (e.g. hormone and chemical residues in food and the environment).

Barriers to adoption and implementation of food safety and traceability programs. Investigate factors contributing to the low level of adoption or adherence to accepted protocols by small and medium-sized agri-food businesses (e.g. IT, legal, economic, behavioral, cultural, training/education) including motivation to change behaviour and lead change.

Development of effective mitigation strategies for the most significant foodborne hazards. Practical interventions are needed for each sector based on sound research as to the effectiveness of particular measures to prevent or reduce the introduction or spread of food safety hazards or contaminants. Applied research could focus on:

o Validation of manufacturing processes for various ready-to-eat (RTE) food products that pose high risk to human health and the economy. For example:

RTE raw fermented sausages, RTE dried/dehydrated meat products (e.g. jerky, biltong, droewors) and smoked fish, dry-cured or salted RTE whole muscle (e.g. hams, bastuma, etc.) and cold smoked meat/fish products;

RTE produce, including but not limited to, fresh-cut fruit and vegetables that have been either washed and peeled, either sliced, chopped or shredded prior to being packaged for sale and are intended to be consumed raw and not for further processing or cooking (e.g. coleslaw mix, chopped romaine lettuce, peeled mini carrots, sliced mushrooms).


o Validation of proof of concept rapid detection tools to identify and monitor food safety hazards associated with raw milk from all milking species including sheep, goat, and water buffalo.

o Interventions on-farm (e.g. irrigation and post-harvest water use/re-use) and at the processor level for processed foods (e.g. dried meats and fermented sausages, fish processing) need to be scientifically evaluated and validated to demonstrate effectiveness in reducing food pathogens such as E.coli, Salmonella spp. and other chemical and biological hazards to food safety.
