Provincial funding for Genome BC covers projects from first competition

The British Columbia government has authorized funding for projects awarded to Genome BC, nearly two years after the original announcements were made. The prov-ince is allocating $27.5 million for the five research projects and one infrastructure project won by Genome BC under Genome Canada’s first competition.

An additional $6.1 million is being provided by the Michael Smith Foundation, helping to match Genome Canada’s $34 million investment.

The projects now fully funded are: early stages of cancer; genomics research on Atlantic salmon; microbial enviro-gemomics; nematode as a model organism; and, forestry genomics. Platform technology for high-volume sequencing and mapping of genes and proteins was also funded.

In last month’s provincial Budget, the Liberal government indicated that it was requesting $21 million and $5 million respectively from the existing budgets of the ministries of Health Services and Advanced Education (R$, March 7/03). The funds were to be obtained through reallocation.

The government has not announced how or whether it will fund projects awarded last year under the second competition. In that round, Genome BC secured another five projects valued at $32 million and received $6 million for a project shared with Genome Prairie. Genome Canada contributed a total of $22 million, leaving an equal amount which must be matched.

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