The COGR Virtual Meeting held from February 27 to March 1, 2024, featured a research security update delivered by Dr. Rebecca Keiser, Chief of Research Security Strategy & Policy at the National Science Foundation (NSF). Dr. Keiser detailed ongoing efforts to bolster research security in response to mandates from the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022. Key provisions of this legislation include prohibitions on participation in malign foreign government talent recruitment programs, the establishment of a Research Security and Integrity Information Sharing and Analysis Organization (the SECURE Center), expanded research security training requirements, enhanced integration of security training into responsible conduct programs, stricter reporting on foreign financial transactions and gifts, and the prohibition of Confucius Institutes.
Dr. Keiser highlighted forthcoming requirements for higher education institutions to report contracts and gifts from countries of concern over $50,000, with the first reports due by July 31, 2024. The SECURE Center will serve to empower a broad array of U.S. research community stakeholders—including universities, non-profits, and small businesses—by providing resources, tools, and services to inform security-related decisions. Additionally, the NSF seeks to fund research examining the boundaries and risks related to research security, aiming to better distinguish it from research integrity and to develop effective risk assessment and mitigation methodologies. As part of these efforts, interdisciplinary teams are developing comprehensive training modules, co-funded with NIH, DOE, and DOD, covering fundamental topics such as the definition of research security, disclosure practices, international collaboration, and risk management. These measures represent a coordinated, multi-agency approach to safeguarding the integrity and competitiveness of the U.S. research ecosystem.
