Program Information

1. OBJECTIVE

The Aquaculture Collaborative Research and Development Program (ACRDP) is a Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) initiative to increase the level of collaborative research and development activity between the aquaculture industry and the department, and in some instances with other funding partners. ACRDP is an industry-collaborative program that teams industry with DFO researchers. Projects are conducted at DFO Research facilities or possibly industry or other partner facilities. The program allocates ACRDP funds to collaborative research projects that are proposed and jointly funded by aquaculture producer partners. ACRDP funding is approximately $2 million per year.

The key goals of the program are to:

• Improve the sustainability of the Canadian aquaculture industry;
• Increase collaborative research between the department and industry;
• Facilitate the process of technology transfer and knowledge mobilization; and
• Increase scientific capacity of the Canadian aquaculture industry for essential aquaculture research and development.

The broad research and development objectives are twofold, as outlined below, with the priorities and examples of the type of projects funded, provided under each objective.

The sustainability of marine aquaculture industry in Canada is dependant on the health and proper health management of the farmed aquatic animals (fish and shellfish).  The ACRDP will support industry in the development of projects that include, but are not limited to, the following areas of research:

• Disease resistance
• Disease surveillance and detection
• Life cycle studies on causative agents (pests, pathogens and parasites)
• Health management (e.g. vaccines and treatments; bio-security; management zones)
• Invasive species management

Examples of ACRDP projects which have been funded under this priority include:

• Design of protocols for the ozone disinfection of fish eggs for eradication of vertically transmitted diseases.
• The potential of using cunners to control sea lice infestation of Atlantic Salmon.
• Health of juvenile salmon during early seawater residency and migration past salmon farms.
• A comparative genomic study of low pathogenic Infectious Salmon Anaemia virus (ISAv).

The Environmental Performancepriority of the ACRDP is aimed at supporting research that will enhance the overall environmental sustainability of aquaculture in Canada.  Funded research is intended to assist the aquaculture sector to enhance environmentally responsible operations while ensuring economic viability and optimal product quality.  There are many areas of research that can be supported under this priority, some examples include:

• Wild-farmed species interactions, including ecological interactions
• Carrying capacity and coastal zone modelling
• Environmentally friendly practices/equipment
• Improvement of water quality
• Reduction/management of waste discharge
• Evaluation of marine habitat impacts
• Environmental effects of aquatic invasive species

Examples of the types of projects which have been funded over the past several years, under this priority include:

• The environmental impact of using non-permanent gear for oyster culture.
• Validation of Depositional Modelling (DEPOMOD) with a comparison of visual techniques for observing spatial and temporal variability in the benthos at active and fallowed finfish sites.
• Assessing the ecological effects of marine finfish artificial light regimes.
• Reproduction trials between wild and farmed salmon.
• Bay-scale filtration of cultivated oysters in relation to tidal flushing and phytoplankton renewal.

The ACRDP will no longer fund projects that fall under the areas of Best Performance in Fish Production or freshwater aquaculture.  Examples of research areas that were previously funded under ACRDP but are no longer eligible for funding include research directed towards:

• Improved diets for fish*
• Broodstock and strain development*
• Husbandry methods*
• Development of grow out systems (offshore, land-based, recirculation)*
• New species development (marine or freshwater)
• Freshwater environmental performance or freshwater fish health

* as this research relates to improving production for the purposes of economic gain.

Examples of projects which have been funded but would no longer be eligible for consideration going forward include:

• Comparison and evaluation of Giant Scallop culture gear and husbandry methods.
• Examination of mussel quality during live holding and evaluation of holding methods and technologies.
• Optimization of Giant Scallop hatchery culture techniques.
• Management of diseases and pathogens in freshwater farming operations.
• Development of cost effective technology for culturing novel aquaculture species such as Copper Rockfish, Atlantic Cod or Tilapia.

2. NATIONAL RESEARCH PRIORITIES

Setting national research priorities for each of the broader ACRDP research objectives (Fish Health and Environmental Performance), for both finfish and shellfish research will help guide proposal development and decision making. These priorities are discussed at the National ACRDP Annual Meeting, and developed with input from government management and science representatives, as well as industry and academia. Priorities are reviewed and approved by the ACRDP National Steering Committee and will be revisited and updated on an annual basis prior to issuance of the Call for Proposals.

This practice focuses research efforts where they are most needed, by encouraging the submission of project proposals in the research areas which have been identified as up-to-date priorities, by the aquaculture industry and Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

The priorities will be used as one of the grading criteria during the project review process. Although it is not a requirement, those project proposals that align with priorities may receive a higher ranking.

2012 - 2013 Priorities

Finfish

1. Wild-Farmed Interactions
   Goal: Increasing our understanding of the interactions between farmed finfish species and wild species.
   Examples:
   • Interaction between wild salmon and farmed salmon
   • Influence of salmon farming operations on wild lobster
   • Impacts of cultured fish escapees
   • Co-culture research


2. Environmental Impacts - from aquaculture to the environment
   Goal: Increasing our knowledge and understanding of how aquaculture finfish operations interact with the environment.
   Examples:
   • Impact of discharge of finfish waste to hard bottom substrates
   • Impacts of discharge on biodiversity
   • Reducing environmental footprint


3. Environmental Impacts  -  from the environment to aquaculture
   Goal: Increasing our knowledge and understanding of how aquaculture finfish operations interact with the environment.
   Examples:
   • Biotoxin impacts (algal monitoring)


4. Management & Control of Pests and Pathogens 
   Goal: Increasing our knowledge and understanding of how pests and pathogens can affect the environment and cultured species and to manage their impact.
   Examples:
   • Improvement of anti-foulants
   • Non-chemical measures to manage sea lice


5. Health Management
   Goal: Increasing our knowledge, understanding and developing better management practices with respect to disease impacts on finfish cultured species.
   Examples:
   • Development of Bay Management strategies
   • Vaccine development and drug treatments
   • Assessing how to manage the effects of stress on cultured organisms.

Shellfish

1. Management of Pests
   Goal: Developing means of understanding and controlling the impacts of pests on cultured stocks and ecological impacts. .
   Examples:
   • Invasive species research
   • Introductions and transfers research
   • Predator management


2. Environmental Impacts - from aquaculture to the environment
   Goal: Increasing our knowledge and understanding of how aquaculture shellfish operations interact with the environment.
   Examples:
   • Research to support the use of emerging technologies to identify or alleviate associated environmental concerns, and to create more environmentally sustainable operations - e.g. new seeding technologies.
   • Impacts of organic release on biodiversity


3. Environmental Impacts  -  from the environment to aquaculture
   Goal: Increasing our knowledge and understanding of how aquaculture shellfish operations are impacted by the environment in which they exist.
   Examples:
   • Ocean acidification, biotoxin impacts (algal monitoring)
   • Climate change impacts on culture
   • Modernizing and updating the Canadian Shellfish Sanitation Program


4. Maintaining Healthy Populations
   Goal: To be proactive in development of approaches to manage health issues that may arise for cultured shellfish species.
   Examples:
   • Understanding the causes and effects of stress in cultured shellfish
   • Understanding the biology of disease causing agents, including parasitic lifecycles.
   • Promoting the use and development of stocks resilient or resistant to diseases.


5. Wild-Farmed Interactions
   Goal: Increasing our knowledge and understanding of the interactions between cultured shellfish and wild species in the surrounding environment.
   Examples:
   • Understanding the relationships between cultured and wild species, as well as further understanding relationships between co-cultures species with respect to fish health and environmental performance issues.

3. ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

Eligible industry applicants are marine aquaculture producers operating within Canada who are directly involved in producing marine aquatic species for pre-commercial or commercial purposes. Aquaculture production is defined as growing an aquatic species and further, that the aquaculture producer has ownership of the product or has an aquaculture license or lease to culture the product. Producers undertaking commercial or developmental production activities on existing or new aquaculture species or aquaculture companies or associations involved with sea ranching mariculture operations are eligible to apply. Industry producer associations or consortia of producers are also eligible to apply. Other aquaculture sector stakeholders are eligible to participate as a partner with an industry producer.

4. REVIEW PROCESS

Proposals will be made by applicants based on a standard Application Form and Proposal Format. The Application Form and Proposal will contain information used to evaluate project eligibility and merit. Proposals will be reviewed by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) officials to ensure completeness, accuracy and eligibility under ACRDP criteria. All eligible projects will then undergo a two part peer-review: first, a technical review by internal DFO and (or) when appropriate, external scientists, followed by a comprehensive review by the ACRDP Technical Review Committee, comprised of representatives from DFO, provinces, industry and others. The Committee will make recommendations to the Director General of the Strategic and Regulatory Science Directorate, who has the authority for project approvals.

Proposals will be evaluated against the following criteria:

• The project has scientific merit.
• The project is original.
• The problem and objectives are well defined.
• There is a clear and sufficient description of the experimental methodology.
• The scientific approach is valid.
• The project team is qualified to conduct the work in a thorough and professional manner.

• The project is consistent with the program objectives and research priorities.
• The project addresses a significant constraint to the Canadian aquaculture sector.
• The project contributes significantly to the sustainable development of aquaculture in Canada.
• The project has sufficient industry input to generate potential practical benefits. This can include input from other funding partners, which is desirable and encouraged.
• The project facilitates technology transfer and (or) research commercialization through closer collaboration with the Canadian aquaculture industry.
• The project is cost effective.
• The overall project objective and methodology are described in a clear manner.

It is imperative that proposal applications be submitted before the annual deadline (February 1) with as much required information supplied as possible. Doing so will help avoid problems with the proposal review process. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that a completed application is submitted. Incomplete applications will not be considered and may or may not be returned to the applicant for completion, and / or reconsidered at the discretion of the National Program Co-ordinator.

5. COLLABORATIVE ARRANGEMENT

The collaborative arrangement will consist of a formal agreement between Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and the industry partner, and in some instances other funding partners. A schedule to the agreement will contain a detailed description of the Project (activities, deliverables, timeframes to be carried out by DFO and the industry partner under the agreement or by a third party under contract agreement to DFO and the industry partner), with estimated amounts to be expended on each activity. The agreement will set out the method and schedule of payment to DFO and reporting requirements. DFO will be authorized to transfer funding between budget items in consultation with the partner. A schedule listing categories of eligible expense including sources of funding from other than the program, will also be included as part of the agreement. If appropriate an Intellectual Property agreement will be negotiated.

6. CONTRIBUTIONS

A formula will be negotiated for each project, taking into account in-cash and in-kind contributions of both parties to the agreement. Industry cash contributions to a project will be managed through a DFO Specified Purpose Account (SPA). The minimum industry contribution is 30% of the ACRDP amount requested, at least 7.5% of which must be a cash contribution.

Criteria for exceptions to Industry Cash contribution.

7. ELIGIBLE PROJECT EXPENSES

Expenses covered by ACRDP include:

• Wages and salaries plus associated required payroll benefits of project personnel (scientific and technical) or post-doctoral or graduate student support;
• Equipment directly related to the work. (It is important to note that the equipment purchased using ACRDP funding remains the property of Fisheries and Oceans Canada);
• Laboratory and field supplies;
• Travel costs directly related to the goals of the project;
• Other expenses agreed to be necessary to the success of the project.

8. REPORTING

Industry and DFO partners will be required to provide progress reports at 6 months, annually, and a final report.

9. OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

• All applications must conform to the application form and proposal guideline format.
• Budgets should be broken down into fiscal year increments. Details of budget line items need to be explained on a separate sheet.
• Applicants must declare other direct sources of funding for the project, whether in place, requested or anticipated to be requested, including sources from other government programs.
• The ACRDP will only be used to fund research and development projects, or aquaculture workshops meeting the ACRDP guidelines for workshops.
• The ACRDP will not support projects on transgenic aquatic organisms, projects related to improving fish production, or projects relating to freshwater aquaculture.
• Although the validity and merit of an application will be the primary consideration in its review, the ACRDP Technical Review Committee may also consider amounts requested and the anticipated schedule of money flowing to the project in order to ensure that accepted projects do not exceed available funds.
• The ACRDP Technical Review Committee will rank all applications according to research and development priorities and national program objectives.
• The ACRDP Technical Review Committee will categorize applications as fully recommended, recommended with changes or conditions, or not recommended.

10. DEADLINES TO SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION ARE:

There will be one annual deadline date for project proposal submission: February 1. Subsequent rounds may be established, if required. Notification will be provided at that time. The ACRDP Technical Review Committee will review and evaluate proposals in a timely manner and final notification of the project assessment will be provided no later than 60 days after the deadline date.

11. PLEASE SEND THE APPLICATION TO:

Download Application Form (PDF)

NOTE: The PDF form can be completed by inputting the information and then printing the form (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader). Adobe Acrobat Reader does not save the data you enter into the form fields. In order to save this form as a working copy Adobe Acrobat must be installed on your computer.

Alternate Formats:
MS Word | .rtf

Applications and proposals should be submitted electronically to the National ACRDP Co-ordinator, as listed below.

Applicants wanting information or assistance on the ACRDP should direct their inquiries to the DFO Regional Advisors or to the National ACRDP Co-ordinator.

National ACRDP Co-ordinator

Newfoundland Region

Maritime & Gulf Regions

Québec Region

Pacific Region