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  1. U of G Homepage
  2. Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance
  3. Places
  4. Access to Research Centres and Personnel (Tier 2, 4)

Access to Research Centres and Personnel (Tier 2, 4)

The Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance Research and Innovation Program invests in research that aligns with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness (OMAFA) priorities of supporting strong rural communities, keeping our food safe, and developing a prosperous, environmentally sustainable agri-food sector in Ontario.

Call status

  • OPEN

Explore the research centres

  • Ontario's agri-food research centres

Researchers and industry partners may access OMAFA-supported research centres and technicians by applying for either Tier 2 or Tier 4 research funding.

Please note: It is the responsibility of the Lead Applicant to ensure the work is covered by a Ministry-approved, fully awarded Tier 2 or Tier 4 project before research centre usage begins to avoid being charged the unsubsidized rate. The Research Centre Manager will confirm the award status of your project before research centre access is permitted. Approved projects will have an Award Agreement signed by both the Lead Applicant and Department Chair or designate. A PDF of the signed Award Agreement can be located within the RMS project record under the ‘Agreement’ Tab.

Tier 2: Subsidized access to OMAFA-funded resources

Tier 2 research funding provides subsidized access to OMAFA-supported technicians and research centres. Tier 2 projects must address OMAFA research priorities. OMAFA subsidizes 85 per cent of the applicable Research Centre Fees for Tier 2 projects. The remaining eight percent must be covered by external partner funding.

See below under "How to apply" for the Tier 2 program guide.

Tier 4: Non-subsidized access to OMAFA-funded resources

Tier 4 provides non-subsidized access to OMAFA-supported technicians and research centres.

Research priorities

There are 11 research priorities aligned with the Ministry's three core businesses: Protection and Risk Resilience, Environmental Stewardship, and Productivity and Growth. Review the document detailing the 2025-26 OMAFA Research Priorities below for more information. Research proposals must address a specific research question identified in the priorities document.

For more details on OMAFA priorities and research questions, please reach out to the appropriate Research Analyst identified in the OMAFA Research Priorities document.

How to apply

The Alliance Research Program uses the Research Management System (RMS) for receiving and adjudicating research proposals.

RMS is available at: https://omafra2.smartsimple.ca. Please contact rescoord@uoguelph.ca if you experience any difficulties logging in.

A Word version of the Full Proposal application, as well as an Excel version of the application budget, are also available for applicants to create and edit their proposals outside of the RMS. However, this information must be entered into the fields in the RMS to be submitted. See 'File attachments' at the bottom of this page for the program documents and additional documents such as the Value Assessment Plan, which is required for projects involving product development. Please contact rescoord@uoguelph.ca if you require these materials in an alternate format.

University of Guelph faculty members are eligible to be the Lead Applicant and/or a Co-Applicant on any Alliance Tier 1 Research Program project. Adjunct faculty members may also apply if they are eligible to hold research funding at the University of Guelph and are not employed by or have a financial interest in any of the collaborating organizations or co-funders. Consult the program guide for more details.

Applicants must be fully compliant with all reporting requirements prior to a new proposal being reviewed under any Alliance Research Program. The Lead Applicant and the Co-Applicant will have 30 days from the submission deadline to complete any outstanding compliance requirements, including reporting, Data Management Plan submissions, recovery of outstanding Research Centre fees and other financial obligations. If applicants are not compliant at that time the submitted proposal will be withdrawn from the review process and declined.

Researchers proposing to use the research centres must include the appropriate Research Centre Fees in their proposal budget.

New for the 2024/25 funding year (2023/24 call): For Tier 1 projects starting on or after May 1, 2024, the subsidy rate is changing from 92% to 89%. External (non-Alliance) partner funding is required to cover 11% of the total annual cost of research centre usage for the approved project.

See our Research Station Fees Price List for more information.

  • Tier 2 Program Guide (March 2026)
  • Tier 2 Research Program Excel Budget Template (2025-26)

Questions?

Contact: Research Coordinators in the Agri-Food Partnership Office at rescoord@uoguelph.ca.

Additional resources

Explore Previously Funded Tier 2 Projects
Resources for Researchers
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