Program Structure

Components

Projects funded under OREP must clearly fall into one of following research components:

1. Pest and Crop Management relating to the development of Sustainable Crop Management Systems.

2. Food Quality Improvement relating to emerging market demands for value-added animal and food-crops products.

3. Enhancement of Biotechnology Research and Development relative to the above two components, where appropriate.

Program Management

The Program will be managed by the Southern Crop Protection and Food Research Centre (SCPFRC) (London), with the assistance of a Research Advisory Committee comprised of federal / provincial / industry / university stakeholders drawn from the following groups or agencies (number of members from each group in brackets):

Project Selection and Review Process

3.1 Project Selection Committee

Members of the Research Advisory Committee will participate in the project selection and approval process.

3.2 Project Funding Criteria

All research projects will include at least one AAFC collaborator from one or more of the three Ontario AAFC Research Centres. Preference will be given to proposals:

1. using team approaches that include collaborators outside the three AAFC Centres;

2. falling within the with existing Research Centre Mandates (see Appendix "B");

3. having deliverables that are clearly achievable within the time frame of the Program.

Research Projects will be solicited which address some or all of the following principles:

• Research should result in economic value to the agriculture and/or food economy of Ontario

• Focus on targeted areas of research.

• Promote collaborations across Research Centres and agencies.

• Relevant to established priorities of OASCC and its subcommittees.

• Include integration of activities across production and food quality improvement.

• Evidence of industry support (financial or other) for the proposed research

• Promote an integrated systems approach to pest and crop management

• Contribute to the rejuvenation and rebuilding of agri-food research infrastructure in Ontario.

The Research Advisory Committee has identified the following research areas from which project proposals may be approved: