Partnerships

Partnering with the Canadian Bioinformatics Hub

Community Partners are organizations that facilitate Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, and Data Science (BCBDS) knowledge and resource sharing within local, regional, and national communities. Structured in four tiers, our Community Partnerships offer access to event sponsorship funds, marketing, and event management support.

• Contributors: For individuals organizing events in their community and seeking advertising support. For example, a Principal Investigator organizing a special seminar.
• Active Partners: For organizations that engage with a community that includes individuals interested in BCBDS. 
• Established Partners: For established organizations that focus on building BCBDS capacity through a variety of technical and/or professional development activities designed for a post-bachelor audience.
• Affiliate Partners: For CBH chapters such as BUGs (Bioinformatics User Groups) and other organizations that are affiliated with CBH.

Interested in becoming a CBH partner?
Take a look at Becoming a CBH Partner to learn more.

Eligibility

To be eligible for a partnership with CBH, regardless of the tier, individual contributors and organizations must:

• Have a physical presence in Canada.
• Offer in-person and/or virtual events open to post-bachelor trainees and early career researchers in Canada. In-person events must be delivered in Canada.
• Offer quality programming relevant for bioinformatics, computational biology, and data science (BCBDS).
• Use open access materials and tools, and make content freely available from in-person and/or virtual events.
• Align with CBH’s commitment to fostering safe and welcoming environments through Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) principles.

Organizations applying for partnership tiers beyond the Contributor level are also required to meet the following tier-specific criteria:

Partner Benefits

According to the tier, partners are eligible for the following:

*Additional eligibility requirements exist for event sponsorship.

Event Sponsorship Fund Details

The Event Sponsorship Program of the Canadian Bioinformatics Hub (CBH) provides funding to Canadian-based organizations to support Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, and Data Science (BCBDS) community-building events across Canada, with a particular emphasis on supporting events that centre IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility) and/or Indigenous priorities. This initiative aims to foster growth of collaborative environments which encourage engagement and knowledge sharing within the Canadian BCBDS community. 

The CBH Event Sponsorship program supports a range of events, including but not limited to: career days, conference sessions, hackathons, networking events, panel discussions, seminars, and symposiums. Event formats may vary, provided they are pertinent to the fields of BCBDS. Funds can be used to cover event expenses, including venue rental, catering, speaker travel, audiovisual needs, and any necessary materials or supplies. Training events are not eligible for event sponsorship through CBH.

The range of funding accessible per event depends on the type of event being organized and the partnership tier (see table above). The final awarded amount will vary based on the size and impact of the event, the demonstrated financial requirements for hosting the event, and the funds available at CBH. Each partner may receive sponsorship for up to three applications per fiscal year (Apr 1 – Mar 31) to ensure all partners have access to funds.

To apply, partners must submit their completed application form to community@bioinformatics.ca at minimum by the 14th of the month prior to the proposed event start date. Applications will be accepted from the 1st of the month until the 14th of the month, for review and notification by the end of the month. We recommend submitting your application at least 6 weeks before your event date. Applications submitted after the 14th for an event happening the following month will not be processed. No applications will be reviewed in December – for January events, please submit your application by Nov 14. 

Event sponsorship applications must meet additional criteria laid out in our application form. Not all partners will be eligible for event sponsorship funding, and funding is limited per year and per region.

Partner Expectations

In return, CBH community partners are expected to: