About the Research Security Centre

Protecting Canadian knowledge and research is critical for Canada’s economic prosperity, resilience and national security.

In Budget 2022, the Government of Canada announced resources to enhance its ability to protect its research. As part of this announcement, Public Safety Canada was allotted $12.6 million over five years and $2.9 million ongoing to establish the Research Security Centre, which provides guidance and advice to the research community and academic institutions.

The Research Security Centre consists of regional advisors across the country and a central hub located in Ottawa.

There are currently six advisors located in:

• Victoria (covering British Columbia, Yukon, and Northwest Territories)
• Edmonton (covering Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba)
• Greater Toronto Area (covering Ontario and Nunavut)
• Quebec City (covering Quebec)
• Halifax (covering New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador)

What does the Research Security Centre do?

The Research Security Centre supports the protection of Canada’s research enterprise through three areas of focus:  

1. Implementation of the National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships and provision of advice about the Policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern (STRAC): The Centre leads the national security review process and brings together national security and technical expertise to ensure that the advice provided to inform granting councils’ funding decisions is comprehensive and keeps pace with evolving threats.
2. Network of Regional Advisors: The Research Security Centre provides advice and guidance to academic institutions and researchers through Safeguarding Science workshops, engagement, and the provision of informational tools.
3. Access to Government of Canada services: The Centre serves as the entry point for the research community to access Government of Canada services.

Together with universities and researchers across Canada, the Research Security Centre aims to build a robust research security culture, which continues to value openness and academic freedom while protecting Canada’s world-class research from illicit transfers of knowledge.

Research Security News Releases

• Ministerial statement from Minister Champagne, Minister Holland and Minister LeBlanc on new measures to protect Canadian research (January 16th, 2024)
• Ministerial statement on enhancing the research security posture (February 14th, 2023)

Research Security – Publications and Reports

• Research Security Information Update – July 2022
• Research Security Information Update – February 2022
• Research Security Information Update – May 2021

Contact us

To contact the Research Security Centre, please email: researchsecurity-securiteenrecherche@ps-sp.gc.ca