The presentation by Rebecca Keiser, Chief of Research Security Strategy and Policy at the National Science Foundation (NSF), outlines the agency’s ongoing initiatives to bolster research security in alignment with federal directives such as the NSPM-33 Implementation Guidance and the CHIPS + Science Act. Emphasis is placed on clarifying disclosure requirements, leveraging data analytics (through systems like NSF-77) to inform policy and understand risk, and fostering international collaboration while guarding against improper foreign government influence. Key aspects include establishing clear and enforceable disclosure policies, standardized oversight for compliance, and mandated research security programs at organizations receiving significant federal funding.
Additionally, the presentation addresses the integration of new CHIPS + Science Act provisions, which introduce measures like prohibiting participation in malign foreign talent recruitment programs, mandating comprehensive research security training, enhancing information sharing and reporting on foreign transactions, and banning entities such as Confucius Institutes. The guidance encourages research institutions to scrutinize international collaborations for transparency, conflicts of interest or commitment, and risk, underscoring the need for clear institutional policies and detailed participant disclosures. These efforts are part of a wider interagency initiative to safeguard the integrity and security of U.S. federally funded research while maintaining an open, collaborative global research environment.
