Implication of Ontario Research Security Guidelines
November 12, 2024
As of June 2024, the Province of Ontario’s Ministry of Colleges and Universities (MCU) has implemented that are aligned with but more encompassing than that of federal government’s policy on . While the requirement for completing an attestation form is common to both, the Ontario research security guidelines provide a much broader scope in terms of research security considerations. For example, the STRAC policy contemplates on active affiliations with research organizations of concern at the time of the grant application and for the duration of the grant. On the other hand, Ontario research security guidelines consider collaborations within the previous 2 years from proposal submission and for the duration of the project. Moreover, such collaborations include but not limited to collaborations involving co-authorship, co-publication, co-hosting of international conferences, joint research, joint funding recipients, joint degree/exchange program, graduate student supervision, visiting scholar, or participation in a foreign funded talent program. These differences are an important consideration for researchers when participating in projects that will leverage both federal government and Ontario funding. It is possible that the researcher’s status could pass through the lens of the STRAC policy but may be considered high risk from Ontario’s MCU funding requirements. If you need support in navigating these policies, please contact the Research Security Unit.