B.C. researchers with ready-to-launch projects applicable to combatting the COVID-19 pandemic are being urged to tap into a new funding avenue that could deliver as much as $250,000.
Genome BC, a non-profit known for facilitating genomics research across the province, launched a rapid-response funding program Thursday (March 26) that could get funds approved for projects within days.
Researchers, scientists and innovators based on the West Coast will be prioritized for funding, but Genome BC is not closing the door on any out-of-province projects that are endorsed by another regional genome centre.
“The initiative is optimized for speed while maintaining high review standards and balanced decision-making,” Pascal Spothelfer, president and CEO of Genome BC, said in a statement.
“By investing in ideas to deliver short-term impacts, we increase our chances to overcome challenges of this pandemic more quickly.”
Genome BC has been funding COVID-19 research since at least February, supporting the launch of a $150,000, six-month pilot study with the B.C. Centre for Disease Control.
That project integrates genomic analysis into the BCCDC’s own coronavirus tracking methods.
The goal is to turn around genome sequences from patients within 24-48 hours, which would allow B.C. experts to quickly determine if the strain has a close relative that’s already appeared in the province or if it’s a new introduction already documented in another country or province.
“So it really helps us understand transmission and that can be really important information when investigating a cluster of cases or trying to understand how an organism is spreading throughout the community,” Natalie Prystajecky, a BCCDC microbiologist overseeing COVID-19 test development, told Business in Vancouver last month.
