As new federally mandated research security requirements are implemented, additional information will be disseminated to the research community. If you have questions about any research security topics, please contact researchsecurity@brown.edu.
Division of Research
Research Security
The Importance of Research Security
Open national and international scientific and scholarly research and collaborations are critical to furthering Brown’s mission to serve the community, the nation and the world by discovering, communicating and preserving knowledge. In support of this mission, Brown continues to be firmly committed to fostering international collaborations.
The term “research security” broadly includes requirements that aim to safeguard the research enterprise against misappropriation of research to the detriment of U.S. national and economic security. Over the last several years, the federal government and federal funding agencies have started to take an interest in research security. Many new federal policies and directives focus on mitigating security risks that may arise in research, and particularly research involving international collaborations.
To meet the requirements of the new policies and directives, Brown and its researchers must maintain practices dedicated to securing sensitive research data and intellectual property, disclosing potential conflicts of interest and conflicts of commitment, and adhering to export control regulations.
Regulatory Background
In January 2021, National Security Presidential Memorandum 33 (NSPM-33) was published and directed federal agencies (e.g., National Science Foundation (NSF), National Institutes of Health, Department of Energy) to embark on a coordinated effort to improve research security and streamline operations to ease administrative burden on recipients of federal research funding.
NSPM-33 identified five key areas that federal agencies are required to address:
- Disclosure Requirements and Standardization
- Digital Persistent Identifiers
- Consequences for Violation of Disclosure Requirements
- Information Sharing
- Research Security Programs
Since then, the federal government has issued guidance to agencies regarding implementation of NSPM-33 directives. Many federal agencies have started the implementation process and have issued policies and instructions effectuating research security requirements.
Additional Federal Directives, Policies and Regulations
In January 2022, one year after NSPM-33 was published, the Joint Committee on the Research Environment (JCORE) published additional guidance for U.S. government-supported research and development. In this report, JCORE provided guidance primarily intended to aid federal research agencies in harmonizing processes.
Signed in August 2022, the CHIPS and Science Act focuses on advancing U.S. global leadership in the technologies of the future, including semiconductors and advanced computing, and, in part, prohibits federally funded researchers from participating in Malign Foreign Talent Programs. The NSF is leading the effort to implement the act.
In July 2024, the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) published this memorandum for heads of federal research agencies. Brown has begun implementation of the requirements.
In August 2023, the NSF published a request for comments on the draft Common Disclosure Forms that all federal funding agencies will likely use. Use of common forms is expected to simplify disclosure of relevant activities for senior/key personnel on grant applications. NSF reviewed comments and is implementing the new forms in the 2024 PAPPG, effective May 20, 2024.
Brown’s Implementation of Research Security Requirements
Brown has created a working group with representation from a number of different offices, including the University Compliance Office, the Office of General Counsel, Global Travel Operations, Risk and Resilience, the Office of Information Security, the Office of the Vice President for Research, the Office of the Provost, the Office of Global Partnerships and the Office of the Dean of Faculty, to develop policies, procedure and infrastructure to effectuate new research security requirements. If you have any questions or would like to get involved with the working group, please email researchsecurity@brown.edu.
Related Information and Resources at Brown
Contact Research Integrity if you have questions about traveling with devices or equipment and traveling to embargoed countries (Export Control), outside professional engagements, international collaboration or participation in Foreign Talent Recruitment Programs.
Email your department’s contact in Sponsored Projects if you have questions about disclosure requirements or international collaborations involving federal funding.
Consistent with its mission, Brown University is deeply committed to and invested in international collaboration and scholarship. The University welcomes scholars and students from around the world into its research labs and classrooms, valuing each of these individuals as members of the Brown community.
Brown University is highly committed to protecting openness in research while also complying with U.S. export control laws and sanctions regulations.