Dozens of universities and research centres in China, Russia and Iran will soon be unacceptable partners for scientists seeking grants from the Canadian government for projects in strategically important technological fields, the government said. The rules came with the promise of $50 million in additional grants. (The Logic)

Talking point: The funding is much less than the $200 million that research-oriented universities in Canada had been seeking to make up for the new limitations. The government’s rules will apply in the spring, more than a year after the ministers responsible for the major academic research granting councils said they were needed (and despite a statement from Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne’s office at the time saying they kicked in immediately, with details to come). These restrictions do not apply to corporate research programs; to work with other institutions in China, Russia or Iran; or to non-sensitive fields. Enforcement will be through attestations by grant applications, which will be subject to spot checks.