Research Security
Research Security
White House Proposes Sweeping Changes to Federal Grant Rules â Comments Due July 13
At the end of May, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a proposed rule, Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance, that would make major changes to the Uniform Guidance governing federal financial assistance, including federal research grants. The rule would implement proposals made by the Trump Administration through various executive orders over the last year, including the Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking order and Restoring Gold Standard Science order, among others. Among the changes are, but not limited to: Proposed changes to the Uniform Guidance have been anticipated for several months. Still the sweeping nature of the changes, if implemented, would fundamentally alter the…
NSF to Host Webinar on Funding Opportunities for Research Security Practices
On April 29, the National Science Foundation (NSF) will host a webinar on the different funding opportunities offered across the foundationâs directorates related to research security practices. The following NSF programs will participate: Research on Research Security; Growing Research Access for Nationally Transformative Economic Development; Law & Science; Security and Preparedness; Security, Privacy, and Trust in Cyberspace; Science of Science: Discovery, Communication and Impact; and Cybersecurity Innovation for Cyberinfrastructure. Register here. Â
Congress Requests Briefings from Scientific Research Agencies on Safeguarding Against Foreign-Linked Compromised Research
On February 5, House Science, Space, and Technology Committee Chairman Brian Babin (R-TX) and Investigations and Oversight Subcommittee Chairman Rich McCormick (R-GA) sent letters to several agencies, including the National Science Foundation (NSF), Department of Energy (DOE), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), raising concerns about âfalsified researchâ published from âpaper millsâ funded by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). In their letter to NSF, the Chairmen wrote: âSuch false research can negatively impact the scientific community and set back fundamental and critical research for years before it is identified. As a…
ICYMI: House Investigations and Oversight Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Research Security
On December 18, the House Science, Space, and Technology (SST) Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight held a hearing titled, Research Security: Examining the Implementation of the CHIPS and Science Act and NSPM-33. Witnesses included Dr. Rebecca Keiser, Acting Chief of Staff, National Science Foundation (NSF); Dr. Daniel Evans, Assistant Deputy Associate Administrator for Research, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); Dr. Patricia Valdez, Chief Extramural Research Integrity Officer, National Institutes of Health (NIH); and Mr. Jay Tilden, Director of the Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Subcommittee Chairman Rich McCormick (R-GA), joined by House SST Chairman Brian…
Appropriations Bills Stalled; Congress to Consider NDAA
As the year approaches its end, Congress is still working to finish the fiscal year (FY) 2026 appropriations bills. Most of the federal government is currently funded under a continuing resolution (CR) that gives lawmakers until January 30, 2026 to complete their work (reminder: the new fiscal year began on October 1). With the upcoming two-week recess for the holidays, Congress is on a tight deadline. As previously reported by COSSA, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has reiterated that the Senate has plans to consider the Defense, Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (LHHS), Commerce, Justice, and Science (CJS),…
Request for Information: Accelerating the American Scientific Enterprise
Before the Thanksgiving break, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) released a request for information (RFI) on Accelerating the American Scientific Enterprise. The RFI states that advances in scientific opportunity, like artificial intelligence and quantum computing, coupled with intensified global competition âcall for a comprehensive assessment of how the federal government prioritizes and structures scientific research.â The RFI is asking stakeholders to respond to 13 questions that âwill inform the formulation of Executive branch efforts to advance and maintain U.S. S&T leadership.â Questions cover topics such as funding mechanisms that could improve public-private collaborations, ways to support…
ICYMI: Research Community Responds to SAFE Research Act
In August, House Republicans passed their National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year (FY) 2026 along party lines. In an amendment, the House attached the SAFE Research Act, which would create extensive national security barriers to how the Department of Defense can fund research at universities. Among the billsâ provisions is a requirement for funding to be terminated for higher institutions and researchers that partner with âhostile foreign entities,â requiring these connections to be severed for at least five years before they become eligible for federal funding. A list of âhostile foreign entitiesâ would be kept by the Department of…
House Science Committee Addresses Threats to Federally Funded Research in Hearing
On March 5, the House Science, Space, and Technology (SST) Committeeâs Investigations and Oversight Subcommittee held a hearing on Assessing the Threat to U.S. Funded Research. Witnesses included Mr. Jeffrey Stoff, President, Center for Research Security & Integrity; Mr. John F. Sargent Jr., Retired, Specialist in Science and Technology Policy, Congressional Research Service; and Dr. Maria Zuber, E.A. Griswold Professor of Geophysics and Presidential Advisor for Science and Technology Policy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). In his opening remarks, Chairman Rich McCormick (R-GA) highlighted the importance of remaining a global leader in scientific research while protecting U.S. research from foreign competitors….
NSF Establishes Research Security Center
Last month, the National Science Foundation (NSF) announced the establishment of the Safeguarding the Entire Community of the U.S. Research Ecosystem (SECURE) center. According to an NSF press release, the new entity, led by the University of Washington in collaboration with several institutions, âwill serve as a clearinghouse for information to empower the research community to identify and mitigate foreign interference that poses risks to the U.S. research enterprise. The SECURE Center will share information and reports on research security risks, provide training on research security to the science and engineering community and serve as a bridge between the research community and…
White House Issues Research Security Guidelines to Agencies and âCovered Institutionsâ
On July 9, the Biden Administration issued a memorandum on Guidelines for Research Security Programs at Covered Institutions. The document provides guidance to federal research agencies as they implement research security certification requirements set by National Security Presidential Memorandum (NSPM)-33, the hallmark research security policy that has been in development since early 2021, and the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022. Under these acts, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) is responsible for âdeveloping a âstandardized requirementâ for âuniform implementationâ across federal research agencies.â This latest memo serves as that standardized requirement. Informed by input received from inside and outside the…
New JASON Report Advocates for Project-by-Project Approach to Sensitive Research Security
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has commissioned a new report from JASON, an independent scientific advisory group, on the implications of imposing broad controls on sensitive research security. The report reaffirms a longstanding policy that fundamental research should remain largely unrestricted unless specific sensitivities require classification. JASON suggests the need for updated research security measures in ways that do not stifle innovation and openness. The report evaluates international collaborations, especially highlighting concerns with the Chinese government’s approach to fundamental research for military needs and restrictions on information flow. The report recommends a nuanced method where the NSF collaborates with Principal Investigators and…
Science Committee Discuss Federal Agency Research Security Measures
On February 15, Congress held a Full Committee hearing on “Examining Federal Science Agency Actions to Secure the U.S. Science and Technology Enterprise,” which addressed the balance between protecting the university research community from foreign interference while finding ways to ensure an environment free from bias and discrimination. The session brought together high-ranking officials and experts including Arati Prabhakar, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, Dr. Rebecca Keiser, Chief of Research Security Strategy and Policy (NSF), Geri Richmond, Under Secretary for Science and Innovation (DOE), and Dr. Michael Lauer, Deputy Director for Extramural Research (NIH)….
Lawmakers Author a Congressional Letter Addressing Foreign Influence in U.S. Research
In a notable move addressing concerns over foreign influence in federally funded research, U.S. lawmakers, including Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28) and Ranking Member Rep. Jamie Raskin (MD-08), have urged the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to scrutinize the impartiality of current investigations. This request, highlighted in a detailed letter, emphasizes the need for adopting a bias-free and nondiscriminatory attitude towards investment from foreign institutions. The spotlight falls on agencies like the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which have been actively investigating researchers with alleged foreign ties. The lawmakers’ request to the GAO includes critical questions about due…
NSF Announces the Establishment of a New Research Security and Integrity Information Sharing Analysis Organization
The National Science Foundation (NSF), via the Office of the Chief of Research Security Strategy and Policy (OCRSSP), announced the establishment of an independent Research Security and Integrity Information Sharing Analysis Organization (RSI-ISAO). This initiative aims to bolster the U.S. research community, which encompasses institutions of higher education, non-profit research institutions, and small to medium-sized for-profit organizations. Its objective is to address foreign government interference, champion security-informed decision-making, and bridge the research community with U.S. government agencies. The NSF is inviting proposals that detail an actionable strategy for the RSI-ISAO. Anyone interested in submitting a proposal is encouraged to present…
NSF to Launch New Program on Research Security
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has disclosed its plans to introduce a program centered around the critical domain of research security. Named the Research on Research Security Program (RRSP), the objective is to review the nuances, breadth, challenges, and potential of research security. Key focus areas under this initiative include cybersecurity, security concerning foreign travel, training on research security, and instruction on export controls. The program will aim to fund initiatives that evaluate methodologies to pinpoint research security hazards and the tactics to prevent and minimize threats. This will equip researchers with key insights on safeguarding their work, amplifying transparency and cooperation,…
NSF Releases New Guidelines on Research Security
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has released the Research Security Analytics Guidelines, a public document outlining the agency’s research security data-related practices. Developed in response to extensive feedback from community stakeholders, the guidelines serve as a strategic blueprint to safeguard the integrity and security of science, while promoting an open and collaborative research environment. The guidelines specify that: “These new Guidelines for Research Security Analytics are intended to ensure the responsible use of taxpayer funding, enabling NSF to continue building an open research ecosystem that preserves U.S. innovation leadership,” said Rebecca Keiser, NSF’s Chief of Research Security Strategy and Policy. The…
JASON Releases Report on NSFâs Pending Research on Research Security Program
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has commissioned a report by JASON, the independent scientific and national security advisory body, on NSFâs proposed âResearch on Research Securityâ program. This program has been in development as part of the push towards securing the U.S. research enterprise over the past few years, and is intended to provide funding to scientifically examine aspects of research security (see previous coverage). The JASON report aims to consider what this program might look like at NSF and how it would impact research security policy throughout the federal government. Notably, the JASON report states that the âsocial sciences…
White House Releases Update on Research Security Measures, Calls for Public Feedback
On August 31, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) released a memo providing updates on the Federal governmentâs progress in implementing National Security Presidential Memorandum (NSPM)-33, the hallmark research security policy that has been in development since early 2021 (see previous COSSA coverage). According to the memo, the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Subcommittee on Research Security within OSTP has been coordinating across the Federal science agencies to develop standardized research security rules (for example, guidelines for researchers to disclose potential conflicts of interest) and is now ready for public comment on the draft research…
NSF Announces Research Security Activities for 2022-23
As part of its budget request for fiscal year (FY) 2023 (see related article), the National Science Foundation (NSF) announced its intent to commission a JASON study this year, during FY 2022, âto provide guidance on the establishment of a Research on Research Security funding programâ that would begin in FY 2023. According to the budget materials, NSF would conduct several activities related to research security in 2023, including: Work with other federal research agencies âto establish uniform mechanisms for research investigators to provide agencies with consistent information on their appointments, activities, and sources of financial support.â Stand up the…
OSTP Releases Guidance for NSPM-33, Long Awaited Research Security Roadmap
On January 4, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) announced the publication of the implementation guidance for National Security Presidential Memorandum (NSPM)-33, the guidelines released in early 2021 intended to improve research security efforts at federal agencies (see previous COSSA coverage for more details). This long-awaited guidance, which was released as a report by OSTPâs National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Joint Committee on the Research Environment (JCORE), aims to clarify requirements for federally funded researchers and set best practices at federal agencies to strengthen research security. The guidance offers direction on five major areas of…