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 government’s 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 security measures.

The White House memo provides updates on the steps taken to get to this point, including the many engagement sessions with various stakeholders from across the U.S. research community to incorporate their feedback. In addition, the memo states that the NSTC Subcommittee on Research Security will be releasing a public report in the Fall to include recommendations and findings from these engagement sessions and that more sessions will be scheduled in the future. The memo also provides updates on other research security items including the development of standardized disclosure requirements across the Federal research enterprise, the use of virtual identification to verify research applications, and guidelines for institutional research security programs as required by the newly passed CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 (see COSSA’s analysis).

Stakeholder feedback on the research security provisions is now being accepted and coordinated between the White House and the National Science Foundation (NSF). Comments will be accepted through October 31, 2022 through the Federal Register. More information is available on the White House website.