Safeguarding Science Initiative
Canada is a leader in innovation, research and development, thanks to the research community’s commitment to open science and international collaboration. However, this commitment has the potential to be exploited, leading to loss of expertise and trade secrets, damage to the integrity of Canadian academic and research institutions, and lost publication and patent opportunities. This loss has national and economic security implications, particularly if the knowledge is sensitive or has potential military applications.
The Government of Canada recognizes the immense short and long-term value of the research conducted in Canada and wants to keep it as open as possible while ensuring security measures are in place.
Workshop
To raise awareness of research security issues, Public Safety’s Research Security Centre offers Safeguarding Science, a 90-minute workshop. The workshop focuses on:
- best practices in maintaining a security-conscious research organization
- research security guidance and tools to help recognize and mitigate risks to Canadian researchers and institutions
- understanding of sensitive technology and how to recognize dual-use technology
This workshop is offered both virtually and in-person and is recommended as an introduction to the topic of research security. Additional modules offering a deeper dive into research security-related topics are also available.
Who should attend
The Safeguarding Science initiative is intended for researchers, research staff (including technicians, postdoctoral fellows and students), research security professionals, research administrators, information technology and information management staff, security personnel, biosafety and radiological safety officers, human resources personnel, supply chain personnel and senior management.
Learning Outcomes
The goal of the workshop is for participants to:
- Access guidance and tools to strengthen their security posture
- Understand best practices to identify and mitigate research security threats
- Pursue and maintain safe research partnerships
- Maintain institutional reputation as a safe research organization
- Protect valuable research, data or potentially patentable property
Description of training modules
Module 1: Safeguarding Science: Raising awareness of security risks and mitigation tools in the research ecosystem
The purpose of the Safeguarding Science workshop is to raise awareness within Canada's scientific and academic communities about research security-related issues. The primary objective of this workshop is to explain the potential for misuse of dual-use research, technology and materials, along with possible risk indicators and mitigation tools to protect Canadian research assets.
Additional Modules (only offered virtually)
Module 2: Dual-Use Technologies: Know Your Research – Know your Partners - Assess the Risk
The module elaborates on dual-use technologies and research with specific examples. These examples highlight the complex nature of dual-use technologies, and ways to recognize their sensitivities. The outcome of the module will enhance understanding of the dual-use nature of any research, whether in STEM or social sciences, and give frontline researchers and institutions tools to perform their due diligence and evaluate risks appropriately.
Module 3: Demystifying the International Student Immigration Process
The purpose of this presentation is to provide insight on the immigration process for international students and to explain how prospective applicants are security screened for admissibility.
The presentation will provide an overview on the immigration forms, supporting documents and requirements for a study permit. The roles and responsibilities of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and its security screening partners will be detailed. Case studies are included within the presentation to help demonstrate the process.
Module 4: Know before you Export: Canada’s Export and Brokering Controls
The presentation aims to increase knowledge about Canada’s export controls regime, what is controlled and why; explain how research institutions and academia may be subject to export controls; show how to apply for an export permit; and provide a list of resources and contacts for reference.
For more information
For additional information about the workshop or to inquire about scheduling one for your institution, please contact:
The Research Security Centre
National and Cyber Security Branch
Public Safety Canada
researchsecurity-securiteenrecherche@ps-sp.gc.ca
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