# Government of Canada Invests $2 Million to Bolster Canada’s Safety and Security



## Nfld Sapper (6 Apr 2009)

News Release
Government of Canada Invests $2 Million to Bolster Canada’s Safety and Security
NR - 09.DRDC02 - April 6, 2009

OTTAWA – The Honourable Peter Gordon MacKay, Minister of National Defence and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway, and the Honourable Peter Van Loan, Minister of Public Safety, today announced that the Government of Canada is investing $2 million for 10 new research projects to advance Canada’s capability to prevent and prepare for safety and security threats, whether caused by terrorist or criminal activity, accident, or natural disaster.

A public Call for Proposals took place in November 2008.  Private sector and academic recipients were chosen to receive funding based on how their project responds to science and technology priorities for public safety and security.  These research projects are funded under the Public Security Technical Program (PSTP) managed by Defence Research and Development Canada, an agency of the Department of National Defence. 

“These projects will provide DND’s partners in the public security community with the necessary tools to fight threats to the safety of Canadians,” said the Honourable Peter MacKay.  “This funding will also act as a catalyst for innovations in cutting edge technology.”

“Keeping Canadians safe is a priority for the Government of Canada,” stated the Honourable Peter Van Loan. “Through these research projects, we seek to augment Canada’s resilience to disruptions and disasters – whether they are naturally occurring or deliberate acts. This funding initiative, and the opportunities it presents to partner with the private sector, supports Canada’s goals in the areas of national public safety and security.”

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See backgrounder for list of projects and partners.

Government of Canada Invests  $2 Million to Bolster Canada’s Safety and Security
[ Backgrounder - 6 April 2009 ]

For more information, visit www.css.drdc-rddc.gc.ca or contact:

Martin Champoux, DRDC
(613) 992-7237


Backgrounder
Government of Canada Invests $2 Million to Bolster Canada’s Safety and Security
BG-DRDC02 - April 6, 2009

List of new projects being funded through PSTP

A Government of Canada lead department has been identified, for each PSTP project, to work with other federal departments, as well as municipal and provincial governments, academia, and industry partners.

Surveillance, Intelligence and Interdiction: The focus of SI2 is to help Canada understand the threats to its national security and to identify the capabilities required to prevent, respond or mitigate those threats. The two communities of practice in this domain are Biometrics for National Security and Border and Transportation Security.

The two Biometrics projects are:

1. IBG Canada will lead the evaluation of various biometric technologies and provide recommendations for enhanced surveillance during major events (08-0109BIO). Partners: AOptix Technologies Inc. (US), Canada Border Services Agency, Defence Research and Development Canada, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Digital Signal Corporation (US), Honeywell International Inc., Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario, L-1 Identity Solutions (US), Retica Systems (US), Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Sarnoff Corporation (US) and the University of Toronto. 

2. IBG Canada will lead the development of guidelines for evaluating current and emerging biometric technologies that could mitigate surveillance and intelligence gaps and be used to enhance border security (08-0110BIO). Partners: AOptix Technologies Inc. (US), Canada Border Services Agency, Defence Research and Development Canada, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Digital Signal Corporation (US), Honeywell International Inc., Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario, L-1 Identity Solutions (US), Retica Systems (US), Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Sarnoff Corporation (US) and the University of Toronto. 

The two Border and Transportation Security projects are:

3. Accipiter Radar Technologies Inc. will lead a study to examine the feasibility of using radar networks for surveillance on the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes (08-0103BTS). Partners: Royal Canadian Mounted Police. 
4. Defence Research and Development Canada will lead the evaluation of the current state of technology and implementation of new maritime information and sensor systems to enhance northern situational awareness (08-0119BTS). Partners: Canadian Coast Guard, C-CORE, ICAN Technologies, Rutter Technologies and Transport Canada. 

Critical Infrastructure Protection: This domain focuses on the robustness, reliability and protection of physical and IT facilities, networks, services and strategic public and private sector assets from damage, disruption or destruction by acts of terrorism, natural disasters, accidents or criminal cyber attacks. The two clusters in this domain are CIP Vulnerability, Resiliency and Interoperability and E-Security

The two CIP Vulnerability, Resiliency and Interoperability projects are:

5. L’Ecole polytechnique de Montréal will lead the development of a methodology to evaluate interdependencies between critical infrastructures when planning major events (08-0100CIP). Partners: Public Safety Canada. 
6. CAE Professional Services Inc. will lead a scenario-based approach to protect and ensure business continuity and develop guidelines for integrated response teams to protect telecommunications critical infrastructure when faced with chemical and biological threats (08-0120CI). Partners: BC Hazmat Management Inc., Bell Canada, Industry Canada - Pacific Region and Telus. 

The two E-Security projects are:

7. Bell Canada will lead the study of existing and emerging techniques used to counter cyber threats using botnets against infrastructure (08-0107eSec). Partners: Defence Research and Development Canada and the University of Ottawa. 
8. Bell Canada will study the development of intelligent automated risk management and modelling of complex interconnected IT networks (08-0115eSec).  Partners: Royal Canadian Mounted Police. 
Emergency Management and Systems Integration: EMSI focuses on the performance, integration and interoperability of national and international public security and emergency management capabilities and supporting systems. This domain currently manages one cluster for Integrated Emergency Management Systems, Interoperability and Standards.


The two EMSI projects are:

9.Advanced Systems Management Groups Ltd. will lead a scoping and definition study on information exchange frameworks for modeling and simulation, and decision support to crisis operations (08-0130EMSI). Partners: Defence Research and Development Canada, Department of National Defence and Public Safety Canada. 
10. CAE Professional Services Inc. will lead a scoping and definition study to assess horizontal information sharing capabilities and create an operational model to support exploration and simulation, and decision-making (08-0135EMSI). Partners: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Department of National Defence. 
Public Security Technical Program (PSTP)
The Public Security Technical Program (PSTP) is a federally funded science and technology (S&T) program led by the Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) Centre for Security Science (CSS) on behalf of the Government of Canada. 

The PSTP program consists of four theme areas: 

1) Chemical, Biological, Radiological-Nuclear and Explosives (CBRNE) Threats

2) Critical Infrastructure (CI) Protection

3) Surveillance, Intelligence, and Interdiction (SII)

4) Emergency Management and Systems Interoperability (EMSI). 

Whole-of-government, industry, and academic collaboration is promoted in each theme area through activities that are identified and prioritized by expert groups and stakeholders, defined for PSTP purposes as “Communities of Practice” (CoPs) or Science Clusters. It is anticipated that each CoP will generate collaborative project teams to reduce capability deficiencies by integrating leading-edge S&T to meet the needs of end-user clients. 

The PSTP has been designed to achieve a coordinated effort across all federal departments and agencies, and to provide guidance on the prioritization, delivery and exploitation of federal investments in security and public safety S&T. It will couple closely with similar efforts at the provincial and territorial levels, as well as with our allies, industry, and academia. It will foster collaboration between S&T providers and operational end-users to focus the most promising S&T advances on the most pressing operational challenges. As both a national program serving Canada, as well as a Canada-United States bi-national program, the PSTP provides mutual benefit to both nations. 

Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) Centre for Security Science (CSS) is a joint endeavour between DRDC and Public Safety Canada that provides S&T services and support to address national public safety and security objectives.

DRDC is an agency of the Department of National Defence, responding to the scientific and technological needs of the Canadian Forces, as well as public safety and national security communities. With a broad scientific program, DRDC actively collaborates with industry, international allies, academia, other government departments and the national security community.


PSTP Lead Partner Details

On a provincial basis, funding for PSTP is being distributed in the following manner:

Ontario: $1,577,272.00

Quebec: $198,310.00

Nova Scotia: $197,500.00



 Lead Partner
 Description of project
 Location of lead partner (city & province)
 Amount awarded to lead partner for this project

  
 IBG Canada
 Recipient will lead the evaluation of various biometric technologies and provide recommendations for enhanced surveillance during major events (08-0109BIO).
  

Toronto, ON 
  

$199,993.00

  
 IBG Canada
 Recipient will lead the development of guidelines for evaluating current and emerging biometric technologies that could mitigate surveillance and intelligence gaps and be used to enhance border security (08-0110BIO).
  

Toronto, ON 
  

$199,543.00

  
 Accipiter Radar Technologies Inc.
 Recipient will lead a study to examine the feasibility of using radar networks for surveillance on the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes (08-0103BTS).
  

Fonthill, ON 
  

$200,000.00

  
 Defence Research and Development Canada - Atlantic
 Recipient will lead the evaluation of the current state of technology and implementation of new maritime information and sensor systems to enhance northern situational awareness (08-0119BTS).
  

Darmouth, NS 
  

$197,500.00

  
 École polytechnique de Montréal
 Recipient will lead the development of a methodology to evaluate interdependencies between critical infrastructures when planning major events (08-0100CIP).
  

Montreal, QC 
  

$198,310.00

  
 CAE Professional Services Inc.
 Recipient will lead a scenario-based approach to protect and ensure business continuity and develop guidelines for integrated response teams to protect telecommunications critical infrastructure when faced with chemical and biological threats (08-0120CI).
  

Kanata, ON 
  

$200,000.00

  
 Bell Canada
 Recipient will lead the study of existing and emerging techniques used to counter cyber threats using Botnets against infrastructure (08-107eSec).
  

Ottawa, ON 
  

$178,988.00

  
 Bell Canada
 Recipient will study the development of intelligent automated risk management and modelling of complex interconnected IT networks (08-0115eSec).
  

Ottawa, ON 
  

$198,848.00

  
 Advanced Systems Management Groups Ltd.
 Recipient will lead a scoping and definition study on information exchange frameworks for modeling and simulation, and decision support to crisis operations (08-0130EMSI).
  

Ottawa, ON 
  

$199,900.00

  
 CAE Professional Services Inc.
 Recipient will lead a scoping and definition study to assess horizontal information sharing capabilities and create an operational model to support exploration and simulation, and decision-making (08-0135EMSI).
  

Ottawa, ON 
  

$200,000.00


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