There’s a lot happening, legislatively in Ontario. One item worth highlighting concerns the requirement for Ontario colleges and universities to develop security research plans.
The federal government has been warning that Canadian academic research is at risk of exfiltration or theft by foreign actors, including by foreign-influenced professors or students who work in Canadian research environments, or by way of electronic and trade-based espionage. In response, the federal government has established a series of guidance documents that Canadian researchers and universities are expected to adhere to where seeking certain kinds of federal funding.
The Ontario government introduced Bill 33, Supporting Children and Students Act, 2025 on May 29, 2025. Notably, Schedule 3 introduces requirements for security plans for Ontario college of applied arts and technology and publicly funded university.
The relevant text from the legislation states as follows:
Research security plan
Application
20.1 (1) This section applies to every college of applied arts and technology and to every publicly-assisted university.
Development and implementation of plan
(2) Every college or university described in subsection (1) shall develop and implement a research security plan to safeguard, and mitigate the risk of harm to or interference with, its research activities.
Minister’s directive
(3) The Minister may, from time to time, in a directive issued to one or more colleges or universities described in subsection (1),
(a) specify the date by which a college or university’s research security plan must be developed and implemented under subsection (2);
(b) specify the date by which a plan must be provided to the Minister under subsection (4) and any requirements relating to updating or revising a plan; and
(c) specify topics to be addressed or elements to be included in a plan and the date by which they must be addressed.
Review by Minister
(4) Every college or university described in subsection (1) shall provide the Minister with a copy of its research security plan and any other information or reports requested by the Minister in respect of research security.
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