2015-2016
Research and Development
Guidelines
Guidelines and On-line Application FAQs
Alberta Livestock & Meat Agency Ltd.
Ellwood Office Park South
1003 Ellwood Road SW
Edmonton Alberta, T6X 0B3
Phone: (780) 638-1699
Fax: (780) 638-6495
www.alma.alberta.ca
Table of Contents
1.0 Guidelines ................................................................................................................................ 2
1.1 Purpose................................................................................................................................. 2
1.2 ALMA’s Investment Priority ............................................................................................. 2
1.3 Objectives............................................................................................................................. 2
1.4 In Scope ................................................................................................................................ 3
1.5 Out of Scope......................................................................................................................... 3
1.6 Requirements for Research and Development proposals ............................................... 3
1.7 Process and Timelines......................................................................................................... 4
2.0 Guidelines for Submission ...................................................................................................... 4
2.1 Format and Forms .............................................................................................................. 4
2.2 Eligibility.............................................................................................................................. 4
2.3 Funding Sources .................................................................................................................. 5
2.4 Evaluation Criteria ............................................................................................................. 5
2.5 Intellectual Property ........................................................................................................... 5
2.6 Notice of Collection ............................................................................................................. 5
Research Funding On-line Application System (RFOAS) - FAQ for Applicants ................. 7
Setting up and Logging into Your Account ...................................................................... 7
Creating Your Proposal / Editing Your Proposal ............................................................. 7
Saving Your Work............................................................................................................ 7
Completing the Proposal .................................................................................................. 8
Submitting the Proposal ................................................................................................... 8
Important Information ..................................................................................................... 9
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1.0 Guidelines
1.1 Purpose
The Research and Development Grant Program is an Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency
Ltd. (ALMA) grant program designed to enable both basic and applied research initiatives
complementary to ALMA’s productivity and production excellence goals, as outlined in
ALMA’s 2014-2017 Business Plan. Click here to view the Research and Development
Terms and Conditions.
The Research and Development Program is focused on initiatives that drive efficiency and
productivity within Alberta’s livestock and meat industry. This will strengthen Alberta’s
competitiveness by reducing livestock production costs, processing costs and labour
requirements.
The Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency (ALMA) is focused on investing in innovation
delivering productivity gains and supply chain collaboration for improved knowledge
transfer and profitability.
1.2 ALMA’s Investment Priority
ALMA is a catalyst for stimulating new thinking, new ideas and new approaches to enhance
the reputation, competitiveness and profitability of Alberta’s livestock and meat industry,
and to build relationships among the various stakeholders in the industry. Submissions to the
Research and Development Program should target innovative and progressive approaches to
productivity, efficiency and production costs reduction within Alberta’s livestock and meat
industry.
1.3 Objectives
The objective of the 2015-2016 Research and Development Program is to increase the
competitiveness of Alberta’s livestock and meat industry through the use of new
technologies and tools, the development of conceptual research (including proof-ofconcept), applied research and pilot studies within an industry facility, a public institution,
and/or a combination of the two.
This call for proposals is designed to:
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Accelerate research that will increase the efficiency and capacity of Alberta’s livestock
and meat sector to compete domestically and internationally.
Support innovation and transfer of knowledge to Alberta’s livestock and meat sector.
Key long-term outcomes for this program are improved competitiveness and profitability for
Alberta’s livestock and meat industry. Examples may include:
 Feeding efficiency and utilization of feed products,
 Best management practices,
 Animal Health,
 Animal Performance.
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For more information, please view the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency’s business plan
found on the ALMA website (www.alma.alberta.ca) or contact the ALMA Program
Manager.
1.4 In Scope
The Research and Development Program will give priority to projects that deliver:
1. Novel technologies and research in the livestock and meat sector that will:
i)
Increase feeding efficiency and optimize use of feedstock’s
ii)
Improve nutrient absorption and utilization
iii)
Advance best management practices and support on-farm adoption
2. Enhanced animal health and performance via:
i)
Increased herd fertility through selection of desired traits
ii)
Implementation of novel technologies to improve animal health and performance
iii)
Development of innovative and responsible strategies to control parasites and
disease
3. Enhanced animal well-being via:
i)
Cost-effective advances in pain mitigation and stress management
ii)
Innovative monitoring and production management technologies
1.5 Out of Scope
 Scale-up of new technologies beyond pilot studies
• Marketing activities
• Commercialization activities
• Research into consumer demand and preferences
1.6 Requirements for Research and Development proposals
1. Demonstration of a step forward for the industry as it pursues cost competitiveness,
productivity and labour efficiencies, economies of scale and capacity to respond to
different market requirements.
2. Demonstration of collaboration:
a. Preference will be given to projects demonstrating collaboration across
departments and/or institutions at a provincial, national or international level (if
appropriate).
b. Letters of support must be attached to the full proposal to indicate that the project
has secured industry support (cash and/or in-kind).
3. Description of the economic impact of the project, such as:
a. Impact on production efficiency, cost of production and economies of scale
b. Return on investment
c. Risk analysis
4. A well-developed technology transfer plan through scientific communication and/or
appropriate extension/industry activities.
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1.7 Process and Timelines
1. Grants can be up to 3 years in duration, and should commence by March 1st, 2016.
2. Information on preparation and submission of Letters of Intent (LOI) can be found on the
ALMA website at www.alma.alberta.ca/Programs/index.htm. Each LOI must be
submitted through the on-line system, which can be found at
www.fundingconsortium.gov.ab.ca/ALMA/Account. Only successful LOIs will be
invited to submit a full proposal.
3. Applicants may request funding for one of two tiers or types of projects. Tier I will be
for smaller, innovative proof-of-concept ideas. The funding request for Tier I proposals
will be capped at $150,000 over a maximum of 2 years. Tier II funding requests will be
capped at $500,000 over a maximum of 3 years for larger, multidisciplinary projects.
Increases in the full proposal budget from the LOI budget will not be considered unless
accompanied by adequate justification or requested by ALMA.
4. Timeframe – three LOI deadlines have been established to ensure a timely and
competitive application process.
a. July 9th;
b. September 17th; and
c. November 19th.
2.0 Guidelines for Submission
2.1 Format and Forms
The guidelines and instructions for using the on-line application system can be found on
ALMA’s website at www.alma.alberta.ca. This site also includes templates to be used in
preparation of creation of an LOI. Once the LOI portion of the process is complete, the full
proposal form will be made available only to successful applicants invited to submit a full
proposal.
The on-line system can be found at www.fundingconsortium.gov.ab.ca/ALMA/Account.
2.2 Eligibility
Eligibility will be based on eligibility requirements for ALMA’s Research and
Developmenot Program which can be found at www.alma.alberta.ca.
In addition to the eligibility requirements above, there will be a cap on the funding requested
for training of students. The maximum amount requested to ALMA for a M.Sc.
student will be $21,000/year and $25,000/year for a Ph.D. student. Please note that indirect
overhead costs and taxes are not eligible expenses.
Not-for-profit organizations are required to submit details of the organizations governance
and structure.
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2.3 Funding Sources
Applicants are encouraged to obtain other sources of financial support for the project from
stakeholders that are likely to benefit from the results of the proposed research and
innovation. The application should include details of potential and confirmed partners.
ALMA will require written confirmation of contributors and their investment, whether cash
or in-kind contributions, to the research outlined in the full proposal. This confirmation will
be required with the submission of the full proposal.
ALMA will share the submitted LOIs with other potentially-interested Alberta-based
funding agencies if permission is granted to do so by the applicant. Upon submission of the
LOI, an email requesting this consent will be automatically generated back to the applicant.
2.4 Evaluation Criteria
Applications received through the Research and Development Program will be evaluated
based on innovative ideas that can transform the livestock and meat sector, collaboration,
and impact to the industry. They must be in full accordance with the criteria of the ALMA
Research and Development Program Terms and Conditions (link here). The proposals will
be confidentially reviewed by external scientific and/or industrial reviewers, and further
reviewed through ALMA’s technical review committees for recommendation of funding.
Depending on the amount of the funding request, ALMA’s Programs and Services
Committee may also review for approval of funding.
All approved proposals will enter into an investment agreement with ALMA according to
the terms and conditions governing the specific program area in which the proposal was
approved. Please consult the ALMA website for the specific program terms and conditions.
2.5 Intellectual Property
Intellectual property developed and owned by the applicant must be managed by the
applicant.
2.6 Notice of Collection
The personal information provided through this process will be used to process the
applications through the ALMA Research and Development Program. This may require
sharing your information confidentiality with external reviewers to assist with the evaluation
process. This information is collected under the authority of section 33 (c) and 34 (1)(a)(i)
of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy (FOIP) Act. If you have any
questions about the collection and use of this information, contact the Alberta Livestock and
Meat Agency, Suite 101, 1003 Ellwood Road SW, Edmonton AB, T6X 0B3; by telephone
at 780-638-1699, or by fax at 780-638-6495.
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For questions regarding the Research and Development Program, please contact:
Dr. Susan Novak, Executive Director, Strategic Initiatives
Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency Ltd.
Suite 101, 1003 Ellwood Office Park South
Edmonton, AB T6X 0B3
Phone: 780-638-1924
Fax: 780-638-6495
susan.novak@almaltd.ca
Mr. Clinton Dobson, Senior Manager, Research and Policy
Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency Ltd.
Suite 101, 1003 Ellwood Office Park South
Edmonton, AB T6X 0B3
Phone: 780-638-1690
Fax: 780-638-6495
clinton.dobson@almaltd.ca
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Research Funding On-line Application System (RFOAS) - FAQ for
Applicants
https://www.fundingconsortium.gov.ab.ca/ALMA/Account
Setting up and Logging into Your Account
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I am a new user, how do I sign up for an account?
 To sign up for an account go to
https://www.fundingconsortium.gov.ab.ca/ALMA/Account. Under “New Users”
enter your information then click “REGISTER”.
How can I delete my account?
 If you would like to delete your account, please email Tracy.Bowers@almaltd.ca.
I have an account but forgot my password, how do I find it?
Click on “Forgot your password?” enter your email address and a password will
be emailed to you.
Creating Your Proposal / Editing Your Proposal
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To create a NEW proposal (i.e. letter of intent or full proposal), select one of the current
initiatives listed below.
The logo of the lead Funding Agency is in front of the initiative name.
To access a CURRENT proposal, that requires further work or editing, click on the tab
‘My Proposals’ above.
To access a letter-of-intent that has been accepted and a full proposal submission has
been requested, click on the tab ‘My Proposals’.
Click on the (?) near the title to see additional information and a further description of
each section of the application.
Saving Your Work
There are three ways to save the data while filling out the proposal:
 Navigate through the footer links (click to the next or previous page of proposal)
 Navigate through the left links (proposal contents)
 Click on the ‘Quick Save’ link at the top of the page
 If you log off or close the webpage without performing one of these three actions, the
information typed into the page will NOT be saved.
 Because this is a web-based application, it is strongly recommended that you save
your work often. A web-based application will TIME-OUT after a few minutes of
inactivity. If this happens you will be prompted to log back into the application, and
any unsaved work will be lost.
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Completing the Proposal
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Please keep your answers for each section brief and to the point. There is a box at the
bottom of each section that counts the number of characters that you have entered. It is
the applicant’s responsibility to keep answers within the recommended number of
characters for each section.
Proposals exceeding the character count will be arbitrarily TRUNCATED or REJECTED
when being reviewed by the Funders.
If you use the MS Word template available on the Funding Consortium website to cutand-paste your proposal text to the online form, please avoid using symbols and text
formatting (bold, italics, etc.) as these will not carry over reliably into the online
application.
Please review the online application form for EACH INITIATIVE, the form may vary
from the MS Word, Funding Consortium template.
Character count if cutting and pasting from another document.
 Many of the sections are limited for length of text. If you exceed the character
count in any of the sections, the funders reserve the right to reject your
application.
 Go to the end of the pasted text, add a space and then the document counter will
count the characters.
 The online system will provide you with the character count. If you are cutting
and pasting from a word document onto the form, you must also manually type a
character for the on-line counter to work.
 To view the number of characters in a paragraph in MS Word 2007 and 2010
click Review > Word Count. To review the number of characters in Word Version
2003 click Tools > Word Count.
 Generally, 3800 characters including spaces is equivalent to 1 page
 The on-line system will reformat scientific nomenclature which uses subscripts,
superscripts, bold and italic formats to regular text.
Submitting the Proposal
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When the proposal is complete, click the "Submit" button on the final page to submit the
proposal to the lead Funding Agency.
Once your proposal has been submitted, you will receive an automated email reply to
confirm that your proposal has been successfully submitted. Please also check your
spam/junk email folder for this message.
If you do not receive an automated message acknowledging submission of your proposal,
please contact the lead Funding Agency for the initiative.
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Important Information
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This web-based application is NOT intended for online collaboration. It is
recommended, that during proposal development you collaborate using other methods
and then cut-and-paste the final text into the online application.
The "Help" link provides the detailed information under each section.
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