In 2022-23 Lakehead University received $39,415 for Research Security.  This amount was added to our RSF grant of $2,054,886.  For this initial year, the Office of Research Services, in collaboration with the University’s central IT department, with the support of an external consultant, developed comprehensive research data guidelines and a classification standard.  The role of the external consultant was to help to determine baseline security controls for the protection and use of research data.  

The goal for 2023-24 was the creation of a training program for our researchers, Research Ethics Board and other related internal committees. This objective was undertaken through $50,432 in RSF research security funding received for the 2023-24 fiscal year.  This overall goal was undertaken through the seeking of feedback on the newly developed draft comprehensive research data guidelines from internal committees such as the Research Ethics Board, Animal Care Committee and Senate Research Committee. Resources related to the comprehensive research data guidelines were also developed (workshops, website content).

The goal for 2024-25, using $58,012 in RSF funding received for the new fiscal year plus an additional $3,500 in Lakehead University funds, was the hiring of a Research Security and Data Management Specialist in the Office of Research Services.  The primary role of this individual was (and is) to aid Lakehead University's faculty members, graduate students, research staff and research administrators identify, assess and mitigate potential risks to research security.  These tasks were undertaken in support of the implementation of federal and provincial research security policies and guidelines.

The goal for 2025-26 using $59,696 in RSF funding for the new fiscal year and led by our Research Security and Data Management Specialist is as follows: Lakehead University will implement a comprehensive Research Security and Data Management Framework.  The proposed framework will align with both institutional priorities and federal requirements, including the Policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern (STRAC), National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships, and Tri-Agency Research Data Management Policy. The overall goal of the project will be to systematically address identified vulnerabilities within Lakehead’s research ecosystem while ensuring researchers maintain academic freedom and capacity for innovation. The framework implementation will also provide researchers with the infrastructure, guidance, policies, and technical resources necessary to conduct secure research across disciplines.

The goal for 2026-27, using $61,016 in RSF funding for the new fiscal year and led by our Research Security and Data Management Specialist, is to advance the institutional research security priorities. The primary deliverable for this fiscal year is Lakehead University's Institutional Research Security Plan, developed in alignment with the research security priorities of the Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security (MCURES). Development of this plan — coordinated through the Research Security Plan Working Group and the Office of Vice-President Research & Innovation — addresses all five pillars of the MCURES research security framework: institutional governance, researcher awareness, due diligence processes, research data security, and research security incident response.

Concurrent activities supported by this funding include formal institutional adoption of the University's Research Travel Security Program, and the launch of two browser-based institutional toolkits providing researchers with verified, secure environments for common research data management tasks and for navigating the federal and provincial policies that apply to their work. Throughout the fiscal year, the Research Security and Data Management Specialist will continue to provide direct advisory services to faculty members, graduate students, and research administrators in support of federal research security requirements, including the Policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern (STRAC) and the National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships (NSGRP).