Enhancing Collaboration Under The Federal Genomics R&D Initiative

Through An Innovation Management Strategy

Dave Wilkinson, Public Health Agency of Canada CORD Conference March 9, 2016

Genomics R&D Initiative: Shared Priority Projects

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•  GRDI program created in 1999 as the genomics funding counterpart to Genome Canada for federal scientists.

•  8 science-based departments and agencies (AAFC, CFIA, DFO, EC, HC, NRC, NRCan, PHAC)

•  Shared Priority Projects: High impact solutions to cross-cutting issues designed for economic, social, and environmental benefits §  food and water safety, quarantine and

invasive alien species §  biodiversity, antimicrobial resistance

Project Challenges •  End user engagement:

§  Need to do a better job of identifying specific end users for potential research outputs

§  End users need to be identified at the beginning of the project, then informed and consulted throughout

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•  Rights to access/transfer samples coming from a variety of sources

•  Data sharing - right to access/share data (within GRDI and externally); as widely as possible; inter-operability, acknowledgement of contributions; etc.

•  Clarity on IP issues, including open source software and collaborative agreements

•  Authorship and publication guidance

Innovation Management Strategy (IMS)

Goals: 1.  Enhance knowledge mobilization and

technology transfer 2.  Facilitate interdepartmental collaboration Mechanisms: 1.  Policy framework 2.  Community of Experts

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IMS Development

•  Creation of Community of Experts •  Development of overarching principles then

development of subject-specific guidance in line with principles

•  Discussions with departmental experts and researchers to come up with policy framework

•  Iterative development of guidance documents with research staff and subject matter experts

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End User Engagement

•  Consult with end users to identify requirements •  Liaise with end users to discuss project

developments to ensure outputs are still in line with needs

•  Work with end users to develop deployment paths to ensure outputs will be taken up

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•  Identify specific contacts within end user organisations and communities

Intellectual Property

•  Control of IP rests with the departments whose employees made a creative, inventive, or intellectual contribution to it

•  Joint IP “owners” agree among themselves how it will be administered

•  All IP may be used by all Project participants to achieve project goals

•  IP only provided to a third party with permission of “owners”

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Data Sharing and Open Science

•  Establish a centralised repository for GRDI Data •  Distinctions drawn between internal sharing for

project and non-project use, and internal versus external sharing

•  Must acknowledge contributions to creation of the data at time of sharing

•  Commitment to abide by Open Science requirements set forth by Treasury Board

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•  Commitment to share as much data as quickly and as broadly as possible

Material Transfer

•  Identify materials to be used as soon as possible – ensuring consider any restrictions on use

•  Interdepartmental Material Transfer Understanding drafted to facilitate exchange of materials among GRDI Members

•  Generator of the material owns it •  Can’t be shared unless owner agrees •  Need to acknowledge source of all materials in any

publication

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Community of Experts •  Subject matter experts within each

department who can provide advice; “on call” to provide support within departments

•  Organized into “groups” of particular expertise – can be discussion group if an issue should arise

•  Possibly play a “conflict resolution” role – but with IMS and guidance document potential for conflict should be significantly reduced

•  Continue to provide feedback and develop guidance

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grdi-irdg.collaboration.gc.ca