The GAO presented updates on its Research Integrity & Foreign Influence Project, emphasizing the dual imperatives of safeguarding U.S. research from undue foreign influence while fostering the benefits brought by foreign students and scholars. The report, prompted by congressional requests, assessed federal agency and university practices regarding export controls and conflicts of interest in research. It outlined substantial contributions made by foreign researchers to U.S. innovation, particularly in critical civilian and defense-related technologies, but also detailed national security risks—especially the potential transfer of sensitive information to countries such as China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, as reinforced by FBI and intelligence community warning. The GAO also reviewed the implementation of export controls (including “deemed exports”) and the effectiveness of agency guidance provided to universities, noting that guidance often lacks the specificity needed for the academic environment.
The evaluations revealed systemic challenges: universities find federal export control guidance insufficiently tailored to academia, enforcement agency briefings of limited utility, inconsistent interpretation of regulations by Department of Defense (DOD) officials, and disparate reporting requirements. Moreover, while federal grant agencies generally require universities to have conflict of interest (COI) policies, oversight is decentralized, with universities largely responsible for identifying and mitigating conflicts—particularly financial conflicts—with less attention given to non-financial (commitment) conflicts and inconsistent enforcement procedures. High-profile examples illustrated foreign influence concerns, such as researchers’ undisclosed affiliations with foreign talent programs or companies. The GAO recommended several measures: enhanced federal guidance and outreach, uniform and comprehensive agency policies addressing both financial and non-financial COIs, periodic risk assessments, consistent interpretation of export controls, and documentation of enforcement procedures for disclosure failures. These steps are essential for maintaining U.S. research integrity and national security without impeding the collaborative and open nature of academic research.
