Research and Partnerships
ISROP works closely with desk officers in the International Security Bureau to identify research requirements relevant to Canadian policy development and related international initiatives. ISROP's reseach requirements are updated annually and posted on the web. They can be found under Research Competition below.
Past ISROP research publications can be found below.
- Regional and Global Security
- Canadian Security Policy
- Peace Support Operations
- Humanitarian Law
- Verification of and Compliance with of Weapons Regimes
- Non-Proliferation and Export Controls
- Nuclear Weapons and Radiological Weapons
- Chemical and Biological Weapons
- Conventional Weapons
- Space Security
- Missiles and Missile Defence
Partnerships
Each year, we hold one to two research competitions for the International Security Research and Outreach Programme (ISROP), for which researchers submit proposals to address research requirements identified by the International Security Bureau.
The ISROP posts its current research priorities annually and researchers are invited to submit proposals which address research requirements identified by the International Security Bureau.
As well, research partnerships such as Fast Talk invite experts to quickly, efficiently explore a range of research perspectives on specific research questions or sets of questions, using teleconferencing or videoconferencing.
Research Competition - Proposal Submissions
ISROP annually invites researchers and experts from Canada and abroad, to submit proposals to conduct contract research relevant to the Government's international security priorities and policies. The following list will be ISROP's research priorities for 2012-2013 (to March 31st, 2013). While not intended to be an exhaustive list of international security issues, proposals for ISROP contract research are assessed for policy relevance as defined by this list of topics, across a range of international security themes. It should be noted that, if a proposal is accepted, contractors will be paid for their services upon completion of their work in accordance with Treasury Board Guidelines.
Below you will find ISROP's research priorities for 2012-2013. Should you have any questions, please contact the Program Research Officer at 613-996-0407.
The deadline for applications to this year's International Security Research and Outreach Programme (ISROP) competition has now passed (September 20, 2012).
ISROP Research Priorities: 2012-2013
Regional security issues and architecture
- Africa:What are regional African organizations, such as the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), doing to examine, and address the emerging security threats (terrorism, and crime)?
- Americas:
- How can North American partners best respond to emerging security issues such as natural disasters, migrant smuggling, illicit networks, and protection of critical infrastructure, in and outside of North American borders, and through which mechanisms?
- To what extent is there a shift in the region’s approach to countering organized crime, away from a focus on law enforcement responses by police and militaries? What will the impact of any shift be on hemispheric security and defence cooperation in areas such as illicit trafficking, and for regional and sub-regional organizations?
- Asia:
- What are the factors which define China’s role and influence on the world stage, and what are the implications for international peace and security? What are China’s strategic and security interests in the region, including in Burma and North Korea?
- What are the likely implications for the region of developments in Burma? How will Burma’s choices affect prospects for cooperation or competition among the region’s powers, and in regional bodies like ASEAN and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF)?
- MENA:What will be the implications of Egypt’s foreign policy for regional security, other countries in transition in the region, and for broader international peace and security issues?
- North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO):How can NATO continue to evolve and modernize as an Alliance that meets its core tasks (collective defence, crisis management, cooperative security) and allows Canada to leverage its interests? What are the implications of NATO partnerships and/or prospects for enlargement, in this regard?
- Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE): What are the current and emerging security threats and challenges in the OSCE region and what impact can these have on Canada's security interests? What practical tools and mechanisms can be used, reinforced or developed through cooperation among OSCE members, so as to meet those threats and challenges?
Non-proliferation, Arms Control and Disarmament (NACD)
- Nuclear:In what practical ways could key elements of the nuclear non-proliferation regime and the UN disarmament machinery be strengthened to improve their relevance, effectiveness, accountability and value? What are the policy options for states to advance the non-proliferation and disarmament agenda in this context, in particular a Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty?
- Space security: What are the strategic implications, regionally and internationally, of the emergence of new space powers, such as China, India, Brazil, South Africa, and Nigeria? What are the implications for existing and future international cooperation on space security-related efforts?
Emerging Issues
- Cyber safety and security: What are the roles of government to prevent illicit uses of the internet, including by criminals and terrorists? How can governments respond to, and harness, the networked capacity of non-state actors in this regard, and what are the risks, opportunities, and challenges of doing so?
Fast Talk Teams
These research partnerships engage small, nimble teams of three to five researchers/experts, and integrate writing and conference calls to speedily address specific issues or sets of issues. We ask each participant to produce a two to four page discussion paper on a policy question(s) that we distribute one to two weeks before a conference call. We then circulate finished papers among the Fast Talk Team about 48 hours before the conference call.
Fast Talk Team conference calls take two to three hours, often during which team members and Foreign Affairs officials work together on the issues. Team members introduce their papers with five-minute presentations, then hold a general debate, of which a rapporteur keeps an unattributed record. Discussion papers, participant lists, and debate records are distributed to relevant officials and researchers as ISROP research products.
ISROP forms Fast Talk Teams by invitation only. Compensation for each member covers about two days' work. Please let us know if you wish to be considered for participation in one of our Fast Talk Teams.
