Institutional Approaches to Safeguarding Research
While research security is nothing new – there have always been attempts by malign actors to gain illicit access to sensitive research – the growing importance of safeguarding research at universities and other research institutions is nevertheless a new experience for many researchers. Postsecondary institutions have an important role to play in helping researchers safeguard their work, whether it’s building awareness of new research security requirements or supporting researchers with the implementation of their risk mitigation plans.
As governments around the world roll out new and evolving research security requirements, the primary role of institutions is to ensure that researchers are aware of their responsibilities. The first step towards building the capacity of researchers to safeguard their work is ensuring that there is a baseline awareness of what research security is, why it’s important, and basic first steps that researchers can take to protect themselves and their work. Providing online research security training can be an effective first step towards shifting the culture of the institution so that research security is seen as another element of sound research practices such as research ethics. With a training program in place, researchers will have a baseline familiarity with research security when it comes to considering the potential risks to their own work, as well as a better appreciation of safeguarding research as a means to advancing their projects and partnerships, rather than a roadblock.
Remember – research security is not a box-checking exercise. Rather, it is most effective when considered holistically in the context of specific research projects. To this end, it is important for institutions to conduct outreach to faculties, host information sessions for the academic community, and offer one-on-one consultations with researchers to discuss risks that are specific to their work while supporting the development of targeted mitigation strategies. Once these mitigations have been developed, it is important for institutions to provide support for the implementation of these measures through regular touch points to protect the reputation of the institution as well as the researcher.
In addition to training and one-on-one consultations, developing resources such as fact sheets and guides for researchers are important educational components. Summaries of research security requirements from various funding agencies can be an important tool for researchers to maintain their grant funding. Likewise, a library of resources for conducting open-source due diligence can help researchers to begin the process of assessing the potential risks to their projects and partnerships. Research security is a shared responsibility – both researchers and institutions have a role to play in creating a secure research environment where knowledge and discovery can flourish.
🎧 Tune into Power Plant Sessions’ “Research Security Communities of Practice” podcast with Martha Wallace, Justin Nankivell, and Paul Jarrett to hear more about the topic:
On this episode of the Power Plant Sessions, host Jacqueline Littlewood focused on communities of practice for research security at the national, provincial, and international level and the role these play in capacity-building and safeguarding the research ecosystem. Our panel of experts for the show includes Justin Nankivell, Paul Jarrett, and Martha Wallace. Each of these expert individuals have played a critical role in establishing and advancing research security communities of practice in Canada.
