Office of Research & Innovation
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Research Security

Research Security and Regulatory Background

What is Research Security? 

Research security is a broad term that refers primarily to national security concerns surrounding research involving certain types of sensitive data, intellectual property, export controlled information, and other risks. An area which the federal government has focused on as critical to protecting the security of U.S. research is the disclosure of conflicts of interest and commitment, including relationships or affiliations with foreign entities, and research support provided by those entities. 

Regulatory Background 

The U.S. Government has expressed serious growing concerns regarding inappropriate influence and exploitation by foreign entities over federally funded research and the open university research environment. One issue that has moved to the forefront is the failure of federally-funded researchers at U.S. institutions to disclose their relationships and activities with foreign institutions and funding agencies. Several Federal agencies have indicated that failure to disclose foreign relationships and activities may jeopardize eligibility for future funding. The U.S. Government recently enacted the following federal directives and legislation regarding disclosures, research security program requirements, and research security training: