June 17, 2021

University of Calgary receives substantial funding from Department of National Defence

Funds will support newly created Canadian Network on Information and Security Project
UCalgary downtown campus
UCalgary's downtown campus Ewan Nicholson

The University of Calgary Centre for Military, Security and Strategic Studies and The School of Public Policy have received substantial funding from the Department of National Defence. The Canadian Network on Information and Security (CANIS) project will be co-led by Dr. Erin Gibbs Van Brunschot, PhD, from the Centre for Military, Security and Strategic Studies and Dr. Jean-Christophe Boucher, PhD, from the School of Public Policy.

The CANIS project is funded through the Department of National Defence’s Mobilizing Insights in Defence and Security program (MINDS) as part of their Collaborative Network initiative. MINDS networks, like CANIS, are established to increase and diversify research on defence and security issues in Canada, as well as strengthen the defence team’s policy and decision-making by challenging assumptions. These networks bring together multi-disciplinary and diverse groups of experts from across Canada and the world to address key defence policy challenges.

Over a three-year period, the CANIS project will examine the impact of the domestic and international information environments on Canadian national defence and security through four nodes: political/military, cognitive/behavioural, technological, and legal/ethical. Each node will be supported by a research lead and team. In addition, the network will hire postdoctoral scholars who will develop their expertise in the field and provide scientific support to the project.

Throughout the duration of the project, there will be multiple occasions for young and emerging scholars to attend conferences, participate in summer schools and other events where they will be offered an opportunity to meet with relevant members of the defence and security community and publish work related to information and security.

According to Boucher, “CANIS endeavours to address security challenges within the information environment and will contribute to practical applications to counter nefarious use of information by a range of actors, as well as identify opportunities to better address the domestic defence/security information space.”

About the School of Public Policy

The School of Public Policy is Canada’s leading policy school. The school was founded with a vision to drive policy discourse with relevant research, outreach and teaching. Its faculty is composed of scholars with exceptional academic credentials and experienced practitioners in business, government and the non-profit sector. The school’s research is renowned for its independence, credibility and fact-based analysis. The school’s influence is reflected by its wide dissemination among policy-makers, business leaders and the media; it is Canada’s most-cited policy school, by both traditional media and academic publications.

About the Centre for Military, Security and Strategic Studies

The Centre for Military, Security and Strategic Studies at the University of Calgary is committed to promoting and developing excellence in understanding military, security and defence issues through pioneering interdisciplinary research, innovative academic programs and community engagement. Established in 1999, the CMSS draws from a variety of disciplines, including anthropology, engineering, political science, history, sociology, law and computer science. The centre is a leading institution regarding defence and security issues in Canada, North America and internationally.