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Please read below for more information on research security efforts over the last several years. Research Integrity and Compliance is closely following research security developments and legislation, and will update this page as new guidance is released. Send questions to ric@vanderbilt.edu.
Government Legislation and Guidance
National Security Decision Directive 189 is a 1985 directive that defines fundamental research as a national policy. It is often referenced in research security documents to cite the importance and need for open research.
National Security Presidential Memorandum 33 (NSPM-33) is a January 2021 presidential memorandum issued under the Trump Administration and subsequently endorsed by the Biden Administration in August 2021. It is one of the main directives organizing research security today.
January 2022 NSPM-33 Implementation Guidance and February 2023 NSPM-33 Implementation Guidance
NSPM-33 Guidance has been issued twice in by the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). The OSTP is expected to release final guidance for NSPM-33 implementation (including guidance on travel and training) in 2024.
The CHIPS and Science Act (often referred to as CHIPS) is bipartisan piece of legislation meant to spur the growth of a domestic semiconductor industry. It contains a number of provisions regarding research security.
Government Reports
Fundamental Research Security 2019 (JASON)
This unclassified report was commissioned by the National Science Foundation and addresses how to balance openness and security in the US research ecosystem. It is a useful place to start to understand the research security efforts of the past few years.
Research Program on Research Security 2023 (JASON)
NSF commissioned a second unclassified report addressing questions about a potential research program on research security, which is currently under development.
Safeguarding International Science 2023 (NIST)
The National Institute of Standards of Technology provided guidelines to help organizations mitigate research security related risks and to implement recommendations stemming form NSPM-33.
Safeguarding the Research Enterprise 2024 (JASON)
NSF commissioned a third report from JASON that addresses the how research security has changed since the 2019 report as well as best practices for identifying and securing sensitive research.
Guidance at Federal Funding Agencies
National Science Foundation
NSF Research Security Homepage
Research Security efforts are currently being led by the NSF’s Office of the Chief of Research Security Strategy and Policy (OCRSSP). As a result, the NSF Research Security website contains a number of useful resources to understand research security efforts.
Guidelines for Research Security Analytics
NSF has developed a new data analytics tool called “NSF-77 Data Analytics Application Suite.” This tool allows NSF to compare information disclosed in proposals to publicly available databases like Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, Google Scholar, the US Patent Office, and others. Read more at the above link.
NSF is the steward for the Common Disclosure forms, including a new Biographical Sketch form and a new Current and Pending (Other) Support Information form that is being adopted by federal funding agencies. You can find those forms and more information at the above link.
National Institutes of Health
NIH Foreign Interference Homepage
NIH maintains a page on foreign interference, which provides information on disclosing international collaborations, case studies of foreign interference, and other information about NIH’s approach to research security.
NIH publishes data on foreign interference cases at the agency at the above link.
Department of Defense
Department of Defense Academic Research Security Homepage
The Department of Defense has a page on Academic Research Security, which provides information and resources about DoDs approach to research security.
Department of Defense Risk Matrix
In June 2023, the Department of Defense published a memorandum detailing its approach to risk based security reviews for proposals submitted to the agency. The decision matrix at the above link details prohibited factors, discouraged factors, and mitigation measures as outlined by the DOD.
International Research Security
Please see below for research security efforts in the following countries:
United Kingdom: UKRI Trusted Research and Innovation
Canada: Safeguarding Your Research
Australia: Australian Research Council Countering Foreign Interference