Post-Award Considerations

If the nature of the research changes at any point in the project, consider whether it could now be “aiming to advance” one of the Government of Canada’s designated sensitive technology research areas¹. Such a change would make the funded research subject to the federal Policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern (STRAC Policy) and will require attestation forms from researchers with named roles.

• Tri-Agency FAQ: "How do I know if I'm "aiming to advance" a sensitive technology research area?"

Persons with named roles on the grant are prohibited from affiliating with any of the organizations that the federal government has identified as posing a risk to Canada’s national security (called Named Research Organizations). This means the researcher(s) cannot take appointments at, employment from or conduct research at, a Named Research Organization. Persons with named roles also cannot receive funding or in-kind support from those organizations. For CFI grants, only team/project leaders and team members are subject to this requirement. The above conditions only apply for funded projects aiming to advance sensitive technology research areas.

Each research team member, regardless of whether they completed an attestation form, is individually responsible to ensure they are not affiliated with, or receiving funding or in-kind support from, Named Research Organizations. All researchers that become involved with the project at any stage, including Highly Qualified Personnel, are subject to this requirement. Potential team members holding active affiliations with Named Research Organizations would need to end those affiliations to be eligible to participate in federally funded research that is subject to the STRAC policy.

When new partners join the project, identify any potential security risks from the partner, including conflicts of interest and affiliations that could compromise the integrity of the research. For CFI-funded projects, identify each partner's contribution to the research and the names/roles of involved employees. If the risks change from those you identified in your original risk assessment form, you may have to develop a new risk mitigation plan.

If you submitted a risk mitigation plan as part of the grant application’s risk assessment form, be sure to follow and implement the plan. As the project evolves, if new risks are identified you should apply all relevant measures to ensure the integrity of your research. 

After the funding has been awarded, granting agencies can validate attestations for accuracy and compliance. Researchers found to be non-compliant could face significant repercussions, up to and including loss of funds or becoming ineligible to receive future federal funding.
In cases where inaccurate information is uncovered, the relevant granting agency will determine how best to proceed while minimizing potential impacts to the project.