Research Security Approaches - Canada, Australia, the U.K.
Canada
In January 2024, the Canadian government announced a new "Policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern" and released two associated lists. The first, a list of sensitive technology research areas that support the development and advancement of new technologies. The second, a list of named research organizations (NRO) connected to military, national defence or state security entities that may pose a risk to Canada’s national security.
In announcing the new policy, Canadian officials stated, “research grant and funding applications submitted to the federal granting councils and the CFI that fall within research that advances a sensitive technology research area will not be funded if any of the researchers involved in activities supported by the grant are affiliated with, or in receipt of funding or in-kind support from, a university, research institute or laboratory connected to military, national defence or state security entities that pose a risk to Canada’s national security.”
The Canadian government developed case studies in collaboration with academia to illustrate how a breach in the security of research could impact the researcher, the researcher’s institution, and future prospects in Canada.
Australia
The Australian Research Council (ARC) maintains the ARC Countering Foreign Interference Framework, released in December 2023, to manage national security risks within the National Competitive Grants Program. In May 2023, the Australian Government released the Critical Technologies Statement and the List of Critical Technologies in the National Interest.
United Kingdom
The National Protective Security Authority released, in October 2023, updated Trusted Research Guidance for Academia. In March 2022, the U.K. government launched the Research Collaboration Advice Team (RCAT), a collaboration between the government and academic, to provide advice to research institutions on the potential national security risks linked to international research.