The Office of the Vice-President, Research (OVPR) is pleased to announce that Jessie Cumming has joined the OVPR as Director, Research Security Risk.

The Director will provide strategic guidance and leadership to ensure that research security risks at McMaster are proactively managed, says vice-president, research, Karen Mossman.

“Security is of the utmost importance to McMaster’s research enterprise. Jessie’s expertise in security best practices and risk management will be extremely valuable as we work with groups across campus to ensure that our researchers can conduct, commercialize and collaborate with international partners on their research in a safe and secure manner,” she says.

Cumming previously worked for the Government of Canada in national security and has over ten years of experience liaising with key stakeholders on issues related to security vulnerabilities and threats; leading security investigations at the regional and national level; and educating stakeholders on research security best practices to ensure safe collaborations and integrity of work.

“I am looking forward to collaborating with members of the McMaster community – especially the University’s incredible researchers – to support their important work and advance research security at the institutional and national level,” says Cumming.

As Director, Research Security Risk, Cumming will lead the VPR’s efforts to examine, promote and advance security in research and innovation, international partnerships, and commercialization activities at the University by engaging with all levels of the University and Divisions, including the Digital Research Commons and leaders in IT Security, Risk Management, and Research Administration. She will provide advice to the VPR and senior leadership team on research security threats at a national level.

Cumming will work closely with groups across campus to lead the development of resources, tools, and guidelines for McMaster’s research community that are designed to mitigate security risks and meet institutional and national security objectives. The Director will serve as a resource to senior leadership for best practices regarding research security, including data governance, policies, and external factors.