Use of Federal Government Research and Development Grants, Funds, and Contributions by Canadian Universities and Research Institutions in Partnerships with Entities Connected to the People’s Republic of China

On Monday, September 18, 2023, the Standing Committee on Science and Research adopted the following motion:

That pursuant to Standing Order 108(3)(i), the Standing Committee on Science and Research issue a request for written briefs, specifically directed but not limited to Canadian publicly funded academic research institutes and federal research granting agencies, to solicit the following information in support of the Committee’s work regarding the study entitled, “Use of Federal Government Research and Development Grants, Funds, and Contributions by Canadian Universities and Research Institutions in Partnerships with Entities Connected to the People’s Republic of China”

• What controls does your institute have in place to limit risk exposure on issues such as influence, intellectual property theft, and potential espionage from the entities connected to the People’s Republic of China?
  • When were these controls put into effect?
  • Are these controls regularly audited for efficacy?
• If applicable, what percentage of your institution’s operating budget is dependent on funding from entities connected to the People’s Republic of China, broken down by the following categories:
  • Fund development / fundraising
  • Sponsored research revenue
  • Other categories (ie scholarships, sponsored staff or studentships, etc)
• If applicable, what percentage of your institution’s grants and contributions currently are supported by match funding from entities connected to the People’s Republic of China?
• How could the government better support your institution in limiting risk exposure on issues such as influence, intellectual property theft, and potential espionage from the entities connected to the People’s Republic of China?

That this request for written briefs be posted on the Committee’s website, and be issued no later than September 30, 2023; that these briefs be provided to the clerk of the committee within 3 weeks of the request being sent; these briefs be published on the committee’s website made available in both official languages.

Written submissions of no more than 10 pages can be submitted to the Committee.

Please contact the Committee Clerk if you require further information regarding the content of your brief, if you wish to send your brief in a format other than electronic, or if you have any further questions related to the work of the Committee, such as a request to appear in relation to the study.

For more information on how to submit a brief, please consult the Guide for Submitting Briefs to House of Commons Committees.