The Government of Canada Invests in Canada’s Safety and Security

Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC), in partnership with Public Safety Canada (PS), has selected 26 new science and technology projects for negotiations. Project proposals have been selected following the May 2016 Call for proposals for the Canadian Safety and Security Program (CSSP). Approximately $20 million has been earmarked for these projects.

Selected Projects 

Below is the list of projects selected. Details on the projects will be made available following successful completion of negotiations between project proponents and the Government of Canada.

1. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada will lead a project to link data from various governmental and non-governmental laboratories on plant and pest species with risk assessment information generated by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).
2. Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL), through Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, will lead a project to determine the feasibility of adapting newly-developed mass spectrometer technology to develop a mobile, faster, and less expensive device for detecting illicit materials for nuclear forensics and emergency response.
3. AECL, through Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, will lead a project to investigate different methods and technologies to detect anomalies in industrial control systems, in order to identify intrusions and cyberattacks.
4. BC Housing will lead the development of a damage and safety assessment process that will allow communities to rapidly assess the safety of buildings damaged during major emergencies.
5. Ocean Networks Canada will lead a project to create an early earthquake warning alert system.
6. CFIA will lead a project to enhance the speed and efficiency of data and information sharing among experts involved in responding to plant health emergencies, in order to better prevent and mitigate outbreaks.
7. Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission will lead a project to further develop Canada’s ability to assess the provenance of nuclear materials to support the mitigation and prevention of their use in criminal activities.
8. Communications Research Centre Canada will lead a project to provide local agencies with immediate access to advanced broadband wireless technologies that are compatible with industry standards and interoperable with nationwide roaming.
9. The Communications Security Establishment will combine its expertise in information technology with the expertise of Hydro-Québec in operational technology to develop cyber defence methods for power grids.
10. County of Frontenac - Paramedic Service will lead a project to develop a Canadian standard pertaining to ambulance design, equipment, and supplies.
11. County of Lambton - Emergency Medical Services will lead a project aiming to identify vulnerable populations during emergencies and crises, and create a map-based database, including individuals’ location and needs.
12. DRDC will lead a project to further develop the Rapid City Planner, a tool used to predict the impact of explosions in urban settings using blast modelling.
13. Employment and Social Development will lead a project to enhance existing tools and processes used by fire departments to recruit and retain fire fighter and first responder volunteers from currently underutlized groups. 
14. Government of Yukon Emergency Measures Organization will lead a project to test, develop, and analyze modern public safety broadband network (high-speed internet) technology, that will enhance the way first responders communicate during emergencies.
15. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada will lead a project applying new knowledge and technologies to develop a prototype for privacy-respecting collaborative risk assessment and early screening in air travel.
16. Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada will lead a project to develop a strategy to enhance resilience in Indigenous communities in the creation of a strategy for societal resilience by involving emergency management stakeholders.
17. Municipality of Kincardine Fire and Emergency Services will conduct a collaborative study with rural partners to develop a toolbox to optimize their communications interoperability and assist the region in becoming more resilient.
18. Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) will lead a project to create a web application in the form of a visual map illustrating seismic and flood risk analyses to advance knowledge and understanding of vulnerability to natural hazards.
19. NRCan will lead a project to develop a series of Canada-wide maps illustrating fire risk and characteristics, as well as fuel resources to help fire management agencies identify and prioritize at-risk areas.
20. Nova Scotia Emergency Management Office will lead a project to develop a prototype game-based tactical decision tool to train emergency managers on how to better handle coastal city evacuation processes.
21. NRCan will lead a project to develop a tool that provides alerts and warnings for ice jams at the regional level.
22. Canadian Coast Guard will lead a project to enhance Canada’s ability to monitor small and large vessel activity on the Great Lakes.
23. Prime Corp from the Province of B.C. will lead a project to integrate a new system of credential management into existing applications in B.C.’s police force to cut down on time spent logging in multiple user accounts.
24. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) will lead a project to improve ship detection, particularly that of smaller, radio-silent ships.
25. The RCMP will lead a project to advance researchers’ understanding of the relationships between youth recruitment strategies on-line and off-line, and how these contribute to the formation of communities.
26. Windsor Police Services will lead a study examining advanced analytics and data visualization software that caters to law enforcement.