Policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern (STRAC)
Information on new federal policy and how it will impact UCalgary researchers
On January 16, 2024 the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, the Honourable Mark Holland, Minister of Health, and the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs released additional federal guidance on research security, Tri-Agency funding, and restricted entities. The new policy is called the Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern (STRAC) and includes a list of restricted entities and areas of sensitive technology.
The policy will apply to all grant applications submitted to the federal granting agencies (CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC) and the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) that involve work in advancing a sensitive technology research area.
- Researchers named on grant applications will be expected to attest that they are not affiliated with, or receiving funding or in-kind support, from any entity on the list of named research organizations.
- The policy will apply to all federal granting calls announced on or after May 1, 2024.
- The list of named research organizations includes entities from China, Iran, and Russia with connections to military, national defence, and state security.
The Research Security Division is assessing the impacts of the new guidance on UCalgary and will continue to work with the Tri-Agencies and CFI to gain additional insights into how the guidance will be applied going forward.
The requirements of this policy will impact the UCalgary research community. The Office of the Vice-President (Research) and Research Security Division, in collaboration with affected campus units, will develop an implementation plan to ensure that all researchers on campus can comply with the policy requirements, with minimal disruption to their research programs.
UCalgary is committed to enabling continued international collaboration and partnerships with appropriate mitigations in place. The Research Security Division will support researchers as they navigate the requirements of STRAC.
Read the Government of Canada FAQ
Read sensitive technology list
Read the named organization list
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UPDATE: April 2, 2024
On March 28, 2024, the federal granting agencies (NSERC, SSHRC, CIHR) and the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) released additional guidance on how they will be implementing the Policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern (STRAC) and the National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships (NSGRP). This update includes clarification on which funding competitions the policies will apply to, and how the requirements of the policies will be applied. The update also included links to the new attestation forms that applicants will need to sign when applying for a grant that will advance a sensitive research area.
Is My Research Affected By STRAC?
This policy uses a two-step process to assess risk prior to applying to a federal grant:
Step 1: Does the grant application involve work in a sensitive technology research area? If yes, then step two applies. If no, an attestation is not required.
Step 2: Are any researchers involved in the project affiliated with or receive funding/in-kind support from a named research organization? If yes, then the application is ineligible in its current form. If no, then an attestation is required.
Next steps for affected researchers
If you have reviewed the policy and are concerned that that STRAC might apply to your research program, please reach out to the Research Security Division at researchsecurity@ucalgary.ca. Guidance will be provided on a case-by-case basis.