OVPR Research Security Update: October 11, 2023

Dear Members of the McMaster Research Community,

As federal and provincial governments increase their efforts to safeguard research in universities and other research institutions, I’m writing to inform you about the steps McMaster is taking to support our research community in this current geopolitical climate.

The Office of the Vice-President, Research (OVPR) is committed to supporting your research endeavours and academic freedom, while meeting the requirements of our government funding agencies. Our primary goal is to maximize your funding success by providing guidance and working with you to mitigate any perceived research security risk.

To that end, our Director, Research Security Risk, has been working with colleagues in the Research Office of Administration, Development and Support (ROADS), the McMaster Industry Liaison Office (MILO), Health Research Services (HRS) and the Associate/Vice Deans of Research to comply with the research security requirements pertaining to grant applications as required by both levels of government.

Externally, we continue to consult with our federal and provincial funding partners, seek advice from Public Safety Canada – Research Security Centre, and work with our institutional colleagues at U15 and the Ontario Council on University Research (OCUR) to identify best practices and ensure consistency across the sector as we all learn to navigate this new and evolving research landscape. Indeed, this is not unique to McMaster, rather all Canadian universities are working to respond to the same requirements, and research security implications are being considered in the US and abroad.

Additionally, we have created a Research Security landing page where you’ll find relevant research security information, resources and tools to assist you in broadening your understanding of the topic and identifying and assessing potential risk.

We expect the anticipated federal policy guidelines will further inform our processes and protocols. We will notify you when these become available and encourage you to visit our website for the latest information and contact us any time at ressec@mcmaster.ca.

McMaster recognizes the value of international research collaborations in advancing our individual and collective research discoveries. The OVPR team is here to support your efforts and ensure McMaster’s research remains secure and competitive on the global stage.

Sincerely,

Andy Knights
Acting Vice-President, Research