Expert panel report examines security risk and resilience in Canada’s research enterprise

In a moment defined by shifting geopolitics, intense global competition for talent and technology, and rapid investments in national infrastructure critical to sovereignty, Canada must protect sensitive research and the benefits it creates—without closing the doors on the relationships that make Canadian science thrive. A new report from the Council of Canadian Academies (CCA), Balancing Research Security and Open Science, offers an independent assessment of national and foreign efforts to promote research security, highlighting potential strategies to safeguard national interests while preserving the openness that drives discovery, innovation, and prosperity.

Balancing Research Security and Open Science was commissioned by Defence Research and Development Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada, with support from other government departments and agencies. The report explores measures for identifying and safeguarding sensitive research of concern and highlights the need for their continuous application and reassessment throughout the research process, fostering a modern research mindset. It also describes the importance of:

  • Increased training and capacity-building, especially for smaller universities, colleges, and polytechnics with limited research-security resources;
  • Greater integration of the private sector, which plays a critical role in Canada’s research ecosystem but frequently lacks oversight; and
  • Recognition of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples’ right to govern research about them and their lands.

Balancing Research Security and Open Science recognizes the critical importance of coordinated, collaborative research security efforts. The consequences for misuse of sensitive research can be severe, imperiling national and economic security, health, and well-being. With adequate training, resources, and capacity, Canada can encourage a modern research mindset, strengthening the research community and encouraging ethical and open science against an uncertain future.

Balancing Research Security and Open Science is available at cca-reports.ca.

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