Question Period Note: FOREIGN INTERFERENCE IN RESEARCH

Does the Government of Canada have concerns about potential foreign collaborations or interference with federally funded research at Canada’s universities?

• To build a strong economy and improve the lives of all Canadians, Canada needs an open and collaborative research environment.

• Canada also needs to collaborate with the rest of the world strategically to ensure Canadians continuously benefit from our significant investments in science.

• That is why the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, and the Minister of Public Safety are mandated to protect Canada’s world-leading research ecosystems and IP-intensive businesses.

• As part of this work, the government released the National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships, integrating national security considerations into the development, evaluation and funding of research partnerships.

If pressed on what the government is doing to safeguard research?

• The government recognizes domestic and international partnerships are essential for advancing Canada’s open and collaborative research.

• The government also recognizes espionage and foreign interference by hostile actors pose real risks to Canada’s research, intellectual property, and national interests.

• That is why national security considerations were integrated into the evaluation and funding of research partnerships to ensure others do not take advantage of Canada’s open and collaborative research networks.

• These National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships will better position researchers, research organizations and federal granting agencies to identify and mitigate potential national security risks to research.

If pressed on why the government funds projects involving partners, such as Huawei, who may be subject to foreign government influence?

• Granting agency funding is awarded through competitive and impartial processes of independent merit review – managed at arm’s length from the government – that are designed to ensure the highest standards of excellence.

• All granting agency-funded projects must demonstrate benefits to Canada and to Canadians by supporting knowledge discovery and the application of knowledge in Canada.

• With the new National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships, all research projects applying to NSERC’s Alliance Program involving a private sector partner will be assessed for potential national security risks.

• In cases where the risks to Canadian interests cannot be sufficiently mitigated or when those risks don’t outweigh the potential benefits, research funding will be declined.

On September 14, 2020, the government released a Policy Statement instructing all organizations, in particular those involved in COVID-19 research, to remain vigilant and alert to potential security threats. It also launched the online Safeguarding Your Research portal. The portal serves as a public resource to raise awareness and to provide guidance and best practices for identifying and mitigating potential security risks.

On February 9, 2021, CSIS Director David Vigneault cited Canada’s biopharma and health sector, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, ocean technology, and aerospace sectors as facing particularly severe threats. Emerging technologies in these sectors were identified as being among the most vulnerable to state-sponsored espionage because they are largely developed within academia and small start-ups. They’re attractive targets because they may have less security awareness or protections in place, and are also more likely to pursue financial and collaborative opportunities abroad.

On March 24, 2021, the government released a new policy statement on research security outlining the next steps the government will take to balance openness and collaboration with appropriate safeguards for Canadian researchers’ knowledge, data, and intellectual property. The government asked members of the joint Government of Canada–Universities Working Group to develop specific risk guidelines to integrate national security considerations into the evaluation and funding of research projects and partnerships.

These National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships were publicly launched July 12, 2021. These guidelines will better position researchers, research organizations and government funders to undertake consistent, risk-targeted due diligence of potential risks to research security. The guidelines will also complement the work already under way by the granting agencies and the Canada Foundation for Innovation.

All researchers are encouraged to use the guidelines, but as a phased, risk-based implementation process, the guidelines currently only apply to the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council’s (NSERC) Alliance Grants.

ISED, national security agencies, and granting agencies will collaborate with the research community to operationalize the national security assessment process and the structure necessary to implement these guidelines. Additionally, a consultation process will evaluate ease of use and identify additional resources required to support further implementation of the guidelines.