Many of these scientists retain the knowledge to design and build weapons of mass destruction. The possibility that some of them could be tempted to sell their expertise to terrorist organizations or countries of proliferation concern is a serious

threat to Canadian and international security. To reduce the proliferation risk, it is critical to find ways to redirect these scientists by providing them with opportunities to apply their knowledge to peaceful scientific pursuits, while providing them with sustainable employment.

Slide Show

Redirecting former weapons scientists

In-Depth

Background

With the collapse of the Soviet Union, the demand for weapons scientists with knowledge and skills related to weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and their delivery systems decreased significantly. As a result, tens of thousands of weapons scientists were left without full-time employment. More than a decade later, unemployment and underemployment remains a serious problem for thousands of former weaponeers in Russia and the former Soviet Union (FSU). As many of these scientists retain the knowledge to design and build nuclear, biological and chemical weapons and associated delivery vehicles, the possibility exists that they could be tempted to sell their expertise to terrorist organizations or countries of proliferation concern. This proliferation potential poses a serious threat to Canadian and international security. To reduce the proliferation risk, it is critical to find ways to redirect these scientists by providing them with opportunities to apply their knowledge to peaceful scientific pursuits, while providing them with sustainable employment.

The International Science and Technology Center (ISTC)

The most important instrument in the redirection and reemployment area is the International Science and Technology Center (ISTC). This inter-governmental non-proliferation organization, which was established in November 1992 and is based in Moscow, coordinates the efforts of numerous governments, international organizations, and private sector industries to provide weapons scientists from the FSU with new opportunities in international partnership. Over the years, the ISTC has approved over 2300 projects valued at over $710 million (US). In 2005 alone, the ISTC approved 163 projects valued at $51.3 million (US) and provided grant payments to nearly 25'000 scientists. Since March 2004, Canada has spent $20 million on 80 projects, redirecting 2050 former weapons scientists.

Canadian Accession to the ISTC

As a member of the Global Partnership, Canada is firmly committed to making a significant and sustained contribution to the employment of former weapons scientists. To this end, Canada acceded to the ISTC on 1 March 2004. As an ISTC Party, Canada occupies a seat on the Centre's Governing Board and participates in its Scientific Advisory Committee. Canada will contribute up to $18 million annually to fund ISTC projects, supplemental programs and the day-to-day operations of the Center.

ISTC Goals and Activities

In addition to giving weapons experts in Russia and the FSU the opportunity to redirect their talents to peaceful activities, the ISTC also supports fundamental and applied research, contributes to the solution of national and international technical problems, supports the transition to the market economy in Russia and the FSU and promotes the integration of Russian and FSU weapons scientists into the world scientific community.

The ISTC accomplishes these objectives through a variety of non-proliferation activities. The most significant of these is the Science Projects Program, through which the ISTC solicits scientific project proposals from institutes throughout Russia and the FSU and provides funding and logistic support to project teams. Project teams receive written concurrence from the host country on whose territory their research will be conducted, and then develop and execute their project with foreign collaborating organizations. Foreign collaborators ensure the project goals contribute to the state-of-the-art in the field, and that results will find applications in real problems in basic and applied research.

Through its Partner Program the ISTC also encourages and facilitates world industry and business to build Partner relations with Russian and FSU scientists and institutes to solve research and development needs and problems or to jointly develop and commercialize innovative technologies based on their ideas and programs. The Partner Program offers foreign participants many advantages, such as moderate cost of research and development with an exceptional level of scientific expertise involved, tax free payments made directly to scientists and researchers, exemption from customs duties for project-related imports, full transparency of financial operations and efficient in-country project management. Partners have allocated over $162 million (US) for research in FSU institutes since 1997.

The ISTC also conducts a wide variety of supporting activities, such as a Seminar and Workshops Program, a Business Management Training Program, Patenting Support Program, and a Travel Support Program.

ISTC Research and Technology Areas

The ISTC supports projects in the following technology areas:

Nuclear safety, including reactor protection, risk assessment, control systems and alarms, fuel processing, material handling, and nuclear material safeguarding
Biotechnology and life sciences, including biochemistry, cytology, genetics and molecular biology, ecology, immunology, microbiology, nutrition, pathology, pharmacology, physiology, public health, radiobiology;
Energy, including nuclear and non-nuclear systems, nuclear space systems, fissile and fossil fuels
Environment, including modeling and monitoring, waste disposal and processing, contamination clean-up, and global change
Space technologies, aeronautics, and surface transportation, including aeronautics, astronomy, extraterrestrial exploration, manned spacecraft, space launch vehicles and support equipment, space safety, spacecraft trajectories and flight mechanics, surface transportation, unmanned spacecraft
Chemistry, general physics and other basic sciences, including agriculture, building industry technology, electrotechnology, geology, natural resources and earth sciences
Information and communications, including data storage and peripherals, high-definition imaging and displays, high performance computing and networking, microelectronics and optoelectronics, sensors and signal processing, software
Materials, including ceramics, composites, electronic and photonic materials, explosives, high performance metals and alloys, materials synthesis and processing
Instrumentation, including detection devices and measuring instruments

To view a breakdown of ISTC funding by technology area and geography, click here.

List of Canadian-funded ISTC projects needing Canadian collaborators in HTML / PDF

List of Canadian-funded ISTC projects

Regular ISTC Projects funded by Canada

Canadian organizations interested in potentially acquiring the results of this research are encouraged to contact Rana Pudifin.

A Role for Canadians

Canada's Global Partnership Program is keen to assist Canadian individuals, institutes, organizations or companies that wish to collaborate or partner with Russian or FSU entities through the ISTC. In this regard, extensive information about collaboration and partnering, is available on the ISTC website, including an explanation of the difference between Collaboration and Partnering and detailed information on How to Become a Partner. If you have specific enquiries, you may contact the ISTC directly or write to the Global Partnership Program.