Please Note
The Policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern is effective as of May 1, 2024.
On January 16, 2024, the Government of Canada introduced the Policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern (STRAC) for funding opportunities launched after May 1, 2024.
The STRAC Policy states that to be eligible to receive new research funding in any Sensitive Technologies Research Areas (STRA) from the Tri-Agency (Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR), Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), each researcher with a named role in the grant application must submit the Attestation for Research Aiming to Advance Sensitive Technology Research Areas confirming that they do not have any affiliations with and are not in receipt of funding or in-kind support from entities on the Named Research Organizations (NRO) list.
STRAC also applies to Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) funding opportunities. For CFI applications, researchers are required to submit the Attestation for Research Advancing Sensitive Technology Research Areas.
Individuals are considered affiliated to any organization at which they are employed, appointed, or conduct research. In cases where individuals hold multiple affiliations, all must be identified and considered when ensuring compliance to this policy. Funding and in-kind support includes monetary or non-monetary contributions, that include but are not limited to the following.
- goods
- equipment
- materials and supplies
- professional services
- use of facilities (office space, lab access)
- software
- technologies
- databases
Grant applicants should ensure that all prospective research team members are aware of their individual responsibilities with regards to compliance with the STRAC Policy. Although highly qualified personnel (HQPs), such as graduate students and post-doctoral students, are not required to submit an attestation form, they are required to be compliant with the policy (see this STRAC Policy FAQ on HQPs).
Tri-Agency funding for projects on the STRA list will not be granted if a listed researcher has an affiliation with a named research organization.
Should the grant application be funded, grant recipients must inform the corresponding granting agency and their institutional officials if the nature of their research evolves (see this STRAC Policy FAQ on changes) or if the composition of the research team changes (see this STRAC Policy FAQ on team members).
All research team members involved in the activities funded by a grant that was identified as aiming to advance a STRA are individually responsible for ensuring that they do not hold an active affiliation or receive funding or in-kind support from any of the listed Named Research Organizations, following the versions of the lists that were publicly available on the date that the grant application was submitted.
-Tri-agency guidance on the Policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern (STRAC Policy)
The above requirement applies for the duration of their involvement in the activities supported by the grant, regardless of whether an attestation form was required from a research team member at the time of application.
Please see the new Tri-agency guidance on the Policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern and CFI’s Research Security page for up-to-date information on the implementation of research security measures by the federal granting agencies, including relevant definitions, the responsibilities of researchers, and information on the attestation validation process, as well as the STRAC FAQs for additional information.
For any questions about STRAC or assistance completing the attestation form, please contact the Research Security Team (RST) at the email below.
