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  1. U of G Homepage
  2. Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance
  3. Programs
  4. Research & Innovation

Project Operating Funding (Tier 1)

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

Call Status - OPEN
Application details below
Call Timeline
Intent information due:

Wednesday, August 12, 2026, by 11:59 p.m. (see below for more information)

Full proposal deadline:

Thursday, September 24, 2026, by 1 p.m.

Resources

  • OMAFA Research Priorities
  • Resources for Researchers
  • Research Centres and Fees
  • Preparing Your Tier 1 Proposal
  • KTT Support
  • Data Management Plans

Eligible U of G researchers interested in applying for research project operating funding may do so through the Alliance Tier 1 Research Program Call for Proposals.

Please see the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance Tier 1 Program Guide for complete details on the 2027 Call, including program changes and application instructions.

Project Specifications

  • Duration: up to 36 months (3 years)
  • Maximum funding request: up to $240,000
  • Project start date: on or after May 1, 2027

Research Priorities

Research priorities for the Alliance Research and Innovation Program are aligned within the Ministry’s core businesses and objectives: Protection and Risk Resilience, Environmental Stewardship, and Productivity and Growth. Each research priority has a set of goals and research focus areas, in addition to eight cross-cutting focus areas.

The 11 established Research Priority Areas are unchanged for 2027. Focus areas have been added and or revised for the Strong rural communities, Soil health, Water quality and quantity, Sustainable production, and Productive land capacity priorities.

As was the case for the 2026 call, Tier 1 research proposals no longer need to address a specific research question.

Applicants must clearly demonstrate that their proposal is within scope of one of the Ministry’s research priorities and a related focus area or cross-cutting focus area. The need for the research and the benefits to the sector should also be clearly demonstrated in the proposal, including through leverage, letters of support, alignment with industry/sector priorities or relevant government policy frameworks and strategies, or other evidence of end user demand.

OMAFA's Research Priorities for 2026-2027

Town Hall Information Session

Join the town hall information session on Thursday, June 25, 2026, at 11 a.m. in Room UC 442 or virtually through Microsoft Teams.

Presentation materials will be posted afterward on this webpage.

How to Apply

Submit proposals through the Research Management System (RMS): https://omafra2.smartsimple.ca.

Contact rescoord@uoguelph.ca for login assistance.

Templates (Word proposal template and Excel budget) are available for offline drafting, but all content must be entered into RMS for submission. A Value Assessment Plan is required for projects involving product or service development.

See 'Program Guide and Downloadable Documents' below for the program documents.

An intent process is employed as part of the single-stage call to support peer review and committee planning in advance of proposal submission.

By August 12, 2026, 11: 59pm applicants must start a proposal in RMS, complete the General and Peer Review tabs, and ensure Co-Applicants (if applicable) have accepted their team invitation. No formal submission is required at this stage.

University of Guelph faculty members are eligible to be the Lead Applicant and/or a Co-Applicant. 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.

Lead Applicants and Co-Applicants must be fully compliant with existing Alliance requirements (e.g., reporting, financial obligations, Research Centre fee recovery) before proposal review. Applicants have 30 days after the submission deadline to address outstanding items. Proposals from applicants who remain non-compliant after this period will be withdrawn from review.

Research centre usage, if applicable, is identified on the General and Budget tabs in RMS.

Research Centre access for Tier 1 projects is subsidized at a rate of 89%. External (non-Alliance) funding is required to cover the 11% unsubsidized portion of the fees.

Projects must be fully awarded before using Research Centres. Fees recovered are based on actual usage.

See our Research Centre Fees Price List for more information.

  • Alliance Tier 1 Program Guide
  • OMAFA Research Priorities 2026-2027
  • Text-based Application for Tier 1 Research Program (Word 99KB)
  • Value Assessment Plan Template (Word 210KB)
  • Budget Template for Alliance Tier 1 Research Program Applications (Excel 23KB)
  • Sub-Award and CRA Budget Template (Excel 31KB)
  • Tip Sheet: How to Apply for Tier 1 Funding Using RMS

Questions?

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

Additional Resources

Previously Funded Tier 1 Projects
Resources for Researchers
Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance wordmark

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This website is managed by the University of Guelph. Views expressed here are the views of the University and do not necessarily reflect those of the Government of Ontario.