Relevance Assessment
Adequacy in relation to priority research and development poles; interest, scope and innovative nature of the project in response to a challenge facing the dairy industry (40 points)
- What priority research pole does the project address and how;
- Scope and significance of the challenge for the dairy industry;
- Innovative nature and interest of the proposed avenue in comparison with existing solutions and alternatives;
- Contacts and resources implemented to validate the dairy industry issue to which the project responds and the interest of the proposed approach
Importance of outcome for dairy farmers and processors (40 points)
- Identification and characterization of expected results (knowledge, product, process, technology, new practices) and specification of anticipated competitive advantages;
- Identification of immediate target users of research outcomes: 1) producers, 2) processors, 3) advisors, 4) scientific community, 5) industry suppliers (equipment manufacturers, starter culture producers, pharmaceutical companies, etc.);
- Contribution of the project to the sustainability of the dairy industry:
- Economic outcomes (qualify and quantify expected profitability improvements for production and/or processing companies, technical and economic gains and growth opportunities);
- Environmental outcomes (consumption of resources, climate change, quality of ecosystems, etc.);
- Social outcomes (impacts on human health, employment, land use, etc.)
Transfer and use of outcomes (20 points)
- Innovation horizon (specify the level of maturity of research outcomes at the time of transfer at the end of the project: short, mid or long term);
- Identification of measures required to protect intellectual property rights and the competitive edge of the dairy industry from international competition (patents, confidentiality agreements, industrial design registration, etc.);
- Planned transfer activities of research outcomes for dissemination (scientific and extension), training and upscaling purposes.
Scientific Assessment
Scientific quality of the project (35 points)
- Clarity of proposed objectives;
- Quality of the approach and status of the issue;
- Adequacy of the methodology and probability the project as designed will yield the expected outcomes;
- Availability and appropriateness of infrastructures and equipment for the completion of the project;
- Originality, innovative nature and contribution of the project to the advancement of knowledge.
Scientific quality of the team (20 points)
- Specific set of skills of research scientists and complementary nature of their expertise in relation to the proposed project;
- Quality and volume of their scientific production;
- Research grants obtained through a peer-review process, sponsorships and contracts.
Training of students and experts in the field (20 points)
- Integration and supervision of students and fellows enrolled in post-graduate studies to research activities directly related to the project;
- Ability of the team to train and support students and bring them to graduation within a reasonable amount of time;
- Participation of graduate, postgraduate and postdoctoral research fellows, Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada to internships in research facilities located outside of Quebec and relevance of such internships for their training.
Quality of the scientific dissemination and result transfer plan (15 points)
- Publications and communications (with or without peer committees) planned as part of the proposal;
- Contacts and means used for transfer activities aimed at potential users identified as part of the proposal.
Realistic completion timetable (5 points)
Realistic budget and justification (5 points)
- Validity of amounts requested under every budget line;
- Justification and details of amounts requested under every budget line.