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This guide gives researchers at Ambrose an introduction to research security concerns and developments, and provides resources to support policy compliance and best practices.
Research security is the safeguarding of research against unauthorized or unwanted interference, theft, and misappropriation, with the goal of protecting research integrity, as well as national and economic interests. It involves identifying risks and taking steps to minimize these risks in order to protect research processes and outcomes. The responsibility for research security is shared by stakeholders and includes measures taken by governments, funding agencies, research institutions, and universities to establish policies, guidelines, and supports to safeguard the research ecosystem while preserving academic freedom, innovation and collaboration.
Canadian research is a valuable asset due to its excellent reputation for innovation and high standards. It is therefore an appealing target for others to appropriate for their own advantage or gain. According to CSIS Canadian researchers are not alone in facing such risks. As governments around the world work to reinforce security safeguards around research, Canada has put in place a support structure with policies and guidelines to help universities and researchers navigate risk assessment and mitigation.
Exposure to research security risk can compromise the ethical standards, societal benefit, and commercial viability of your research, and may have the potential to pose a threat to national security. Following research security best practices can help you in making informed decisions and in safeguarding your research from potential risk. And when applying for federally funded research grants, you may need to perform and submit a risk assessment.
Factors that have the potential to increase research security risk include travelling with data, sharing research, handling sensitive data, using emerging technologies, and engaging in research partnerships. Examples of specific impacts:
It is good practice to assess the security risks of your research project in order to decide whether risk mitigation measures should be put in place. You can safeguard your work by knowing your partners, employing effective data management, strengthening cybersecurity measures, and protecting your intellectual property and research spaces.
The risk assessment review process instituted by the Government of Canada for federal research grant opportunities involves the submission of a Risk Assessment Form together with the grant application which are then reviewed by the granting agency and Public Safety Canada. The form is used as a tool to identify and assess potential risks that partnerships may pose in your research. Anyone can use this form to conduct due diligence when establishing and/or continuing partnerships with national, international and multinational partners and it may be required for specified federal research funding opportunities.
Visit Safeguarding Your Research for more information on research security risk and mitigation in Canada.
Canada's approach to research security has been informed by ongoing dialogue and collaboration with Canada's research community and it aligns with international best practices such as the G7 Common Values and Principles of Research Security and Integrity. Following these best practices, it is the shared responsibility of researchers, research institutions, federal research funding organizations, and the Government of Canada to safeguard the integrity of our research ecosystem from activities that undermine its foundational principles of openness, transparency, merit, academic freedom, and reciprocity.
On January 16, 2024 the Government of Canada published the Policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern (STRAC). In response, the federal granting agencies are implementing the STRAC Policy in a harmonized manner, to funding opportunities that launch as of May 1, 2024. Following the STRAC Policy, grant applications submitted by a university or affiliated research institution to the federal granting agencies and the Canada Foundation for Innovation involving research that aims to advance a Sensitive Technology Research Area will not be funded if any of the researchers involved in activities supported by the grant are currently affiliated with, or in receipt of funding or in-kind support, from a Named Research Organization. Accordingly, researchers will need to undertake a two-step process when applying for a federally-funded grant:
Additional requirements may apply for the duration of a federally-funded research project.
Information taken from Information taken from Research Security and Tri-agency guidance on the Policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern