First Nations Environmental Contaminants Program (FNECP)
FNECP
MANDATE OF THE FNECP
The First Nations Environmental Contaminants Program (FNECP) is helping First Nations improve their health and well-being by supporting their capacity to identify, investigate, and whenever possible, reduce the impact of exposure to environmental contaminants through community-based monitoring, research, risk assessment and risk communication.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
Community-based participatory research
- Multi-disciplinary approach: Western science and Traditional Knowledge
Equity (gender equity and social, political and economic fairness)
FNECP
HISTORY
The First Nations Environmental Contaminants Program (FNECP) was established in 1999 to support the engagement of First Nations in assessing the extent of their exposure to environmental contaminants and the potential for associated risks to the health and well-being of First Nations communities south of the 60th parallel. The FNECP was designed to address issues of environmental health impacts that are common to First Nations across Canada.
From 1999 to 2014, the FNECP consisted of two components: national and regional. The National First Nations Environmental Contaminants Program (NFNECP) was national in scope and co-administered by the First Nations University (FNUniv) of Canada. The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) participated in the NFNECP as a member of the Steering Committee and as champion of the program.
The Regional First Nations Environmental Contaminants Program (RFNECP) was administered by the Regional Environmental Health Managers and was designed to address local and regional environmental contaminants issues.
Starting from 2015, the FNECP has been coordinated by the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch (FNIHB) within Indigenous Services Canada (formerly Health Canada), in collaboration with regional First Nations organizations across Canada.
The program is focused on assisting First Nations communities with the investigation and, whenever necessary and possible, the mitigation of the impacts of chemical and radiological contaminants on the health and well-being of First Nations. Projects require community participation in all phases of the research, from concept development to planning, implementation, and reporting. The projects enable communities to identify potential human health risks, to make informed decisions, and to initiate risk mitigation and/or remediation actions.
Since 2000, the FNECP has funded over 200 projects across Canada, facilitating collaboration and the building of trustful relationships between scientifically trained researchers and First Nations communities.
FUNDING OPPORTUNITY
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
Indigenous Services Canada provides funding through the FNECP to support First Nations communities improve their health. The program supports these communities in identifying, investigating and characterizing the impact of exposure to environmental contaminants.
Its activities include community-based:
research
monitoring
risk assessment
risk communication
knowledge integration
FUNDING OPPORTUNITY
SPECIAL REQUIREMENT FOR FUNDING
- primary research projects be carried out in partnership with academically trained scientists (at the MSc or PhD-level) with a strong background in chemical or radiological exposure assessment, environmental epidemiology and human biomonitoring, and with a track record of peer-reviewed publications in the field of the proposed project
- knowledge integration projects be carried out in partnership with a project lead with at least a Bachelor’s degree in environmental sciences, health sciences or education
- risk communication projects be carried out in partnership with academically trained experts (at least a BSc or MSc-level) with proven experience in conducting risk communication in the field of the proposed project
FUNDING OPPORTUNITY
WHO CAN APPLY
The groups that can apply for funding include:
- First Nations communities (on reserve) and First Nations organizations south of the 60° parallel from: Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and the Atlantic Provinces
bands
- districts
- councils
- tribal councils and associations
- governments of self-governing First Nations communities and regions
First Nations non-government and voluntary associations and organizations (these include non-profit corporations that work on behalf of, or in partnership with, a First Nations community)
* In order to be eligible for funding, First Nation communities must be recognised under the Indian Act.
* First Nations in British Columbia should apply for funding under the First Nations Health Authority Environmental Contaminants Program.
Contact Information
Contact Information and Calls for Proposals (PDF file) can be accessed throughthe ISC website:
FNECP
WHAT ARE THE RESEARCH STREAMS?
RESEARCH STREAM
PRIMARY RESEARCH PROPOSALS
This funding stream should:
- Focus on an environmental contaminant identification, investigation, and characterization
- Collect sufficient information on:
- the level(s) of the environmental contaminant(s) of concern in different media (food, water, soil or air)
- human exposure routes
- Be achievable within two years
Selected primary research proposals can receive up to $125,000 per project in funding over two years.
RESEARCH STREAM
KNOWLEDGE INTEGRATION PROPOSALS
- This funding stream can be used to support secondary research that integrates existing scientific data and community-based knowledge on risk assessment and risk communication of chemical and radiological exposure in First Nations communities.
This research must be submitted in preparation for future primary research, if needed
- Projects must be achievable within one year.
Selected knowledge integration proposals can receive up to $25,000 per project in funding over one year.
RESEARCH STREAM
RISK COMMUNICATION PROPOSALS
This funding stream can be used for extensive and sophisticated risk communication of the results of previously completed primary research to increase First Nations’ awareness of the new knowledge and its implications for human health.
- Projects must be achievable within one year.
Selected risk communication proposals can receive up to $25,000 per project in funding over one year.
What Contaminants Are Included
Any chemical contaminants that are of concern to First Nations communities can be included in the proposal, based on potential human health risk due to exposure.
This risk must be articulated and justified in the proposal. More details are provided in the FAQs below and in the Call for Proposals.
How to Apply
- Review the FNECP Call for Proposal that is released every year
- Develop relationship with academic partners
- Apply for the funding before the deadline
FUNDING OPPORTUNITY
FNECP PROJECT CYCLE
FUNDING OPPORTUNITY
FNECP SELECTION PROCESS
FNECP
FAQs
Contaminants Covered by the FNECP
A1 A community can work with a scientist to frame a research question, design a research project, and develop an appropriate methodology to address the community’s specific issues and concerns regarding food contamination.
A2 A community could start with a knowledge integration project to identify their concerns about potential environmental contaminants that could impact their health and well-being. This type of project would collect and integrate existing scientific data and community-based knowledge about environmental contamination within or in the vicinity of the community to identify potential local exposure sources. Based on the results from this knowledge integration project, the community could then work with a scientist to develop a primary research project to assess contamination levels.
A3 A wide variety of substances that represent a risk to human health can be included in a research project. For example, persistent organic pollutants monitored under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (2004-2020), heavy metals monitored under the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution Protocol on Heavy Metals (1998–2012) (cadmium, lead and mercury) as well as arsenic can be included in research. Also, the research can include agricultural chemicals, pharmaceutical residues, and naturally occurring toxins (e.g., marine biotoxins). Other environmental contaminants of potential health concern to First Nations communities may also be included in FNECP research projects if there is documented evidence of these substances being a risk to human health. A full list of all chemical contaminants that can be included in FNECP research projects can be found in the Call for Proposals.
A4 The FNECP supports radon assessment and monitoring projects under its primary research stream, with a maximum funding allocation of $125,000. These research projects must be designed as public health intervention initiatives and should include mitigation efforts for a limited number of houses with radon exceedances (approximately 10-20% affected homes, depending on the scope of work and number of exceedances). In such cases, mitigation activities should be incorporated into the project proposal.
Additionally, the proposal must include a letter of support from the Director of Housing of the First Nations community supporting the project. This letter must include also a commitment to request and allocate funds for radon remediation in homes with radon levels exceeding the Health Canada radon guideline (200bq/m3). Radon research proposals cannot be combined with any other types of research proposals submitted to FNECP.
Eligible Communities for FNECP Funding
A5 No, the FNECP supports only First Nations south of the 60th parallel. First Nations north of the 60th parallel, including those in the Yukon and Northwest Territories, as well as Métis and Inuit communities, can apply to the Northern Contaminants Program for funding.
Evaluation of Proposals
A6 The FNECP involves a competitive selection process. As a result, not all eligible proposals that meet mandatory criteria will receive funding. All research proposals undergo a mandatory criteria review, a science peer review, and a community-based merit review. Evaluation of proposals is based on both a quantitative and qualitative assessment. The quantitative assessment will serve as an approximate indicator of the quality of the formal elements of the submitted proposals, while the qualitative assessment will be based on further internal discussion on the projected benefit of the project to the community. Quantitative elements of the assessment may permit ranking of the proposal. Details of the evaluation criteria used to assess proposals are outlined in the FNECP Call for Proposals.
Project Teams and Principal Investigators
A7 Yes, a principal investigator can work with multiple communities participating in one project. One of the communities will be the lead community for the project and will receive the funding. The other community(ies) will participate or partner in the same project.
A8 A principal investigator or research team can be part of a maximum of two research proposals in a given year.
A9 Yes, the principal investigator for any research project can be from a First Nations community or organization applying for the FNECP funds as long as they meet the degree requirements and have relevant expertise and experience in chemical or radiological exposure assessment, environmental epidemiology, or human biomonitoring. Also, they must have peer-reviewed publications in the field of the proposed project (as per the program requirements).
A10 Yes, a First Nations organization representing multiple communities can apply with one application on behalf of those communities. This organization will serve as the project lead and will receive the FNECP funding. Letters of support from a mandated authority (i.e., Chiefs, Chief Executive Officer) of each participating community must be included in the submission.
A11 No, only one proposal from one First Nations community or First Nations organization can be submitted in a given fiscal year.
A12 Each project is eligible for a maximum FNECP funding of $125,000, regardless of the number of communities participating. The funding will be allocated to the lead community and participating communities will not receive separate funding. Instead, they will share the awarded amount based on the work plan outlined in the proposal.
Use of Project Funds
A13 The FNECP does not generally accept proposals focusing on drinking water quality, because it is monitored systematically and on an ongoing basis in all First Nations communities by the communities themselves and by Indigenous Services Canada. However, very novel and innovative state-of-the-art research projects may be considered for funding if they contribute to the publishable body of knowledge on water quality, which cannot be achieved through the existing surveillance structure.