In Canada, the CBRN Research & Technology Initiative (CRTI) represents the federal commitment to providing science and technology (S&T) solutions for national security and CBRN preparedness. It is a joint, interdepartmental initiative between 15 science based departments and agencies, security based departments and central agencies to strengthen Canada's preparedness for, prevention of, and response to a CBRN attack by fostering new investments in research and technology. Three significant innovations were built into the development and implementation of the CRTI. These are the use of a Consolidated Risk Assessment to assess CBRN events and derive S&T programme targets; the establishment of laboratory clusters to address capacity requirements for response; and the formulation of a project model that values collaboration and that is open to all sectors of the national innovation system (government, academic and industrial). Within Canada, these have changed how the federal S&T community responds to a national priority and represent a significant shift in roles for federal science and technology from supporting the development of government policy to a more active role leading the nation's innovation system to address a national priority. Underpinning each of these elements is a strong, community building approach to ensure the broadest possible response to the public security and safety S&T objective.