The Department of Defense (DOD) on Aug. 17 ordered 30 U.S. academic institutions to immediately review their academic, financial, and research collaborations with foreign entities of concern and report their findings and actions by Aug. 31.
The reviews focus on institutional ties and collaborations with foreign entities identified under Section 1286 of the fiscal year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act, as well as “organizations associated with rebranded Confucius Institutes,” which were China-affiliated public educational and cultural programs.
On July 23, DOD published an updated list of 130 academic and research institutions in China, Russia, and Iran that it identified under Section 1286 as engaging in activities that increase the likelihood of U.S. government-funded research and development being misappropriated. The department said at the time that such misappropriation enables adversarial government interference that threatens U.S. national security and scientific integrity.
“The Department of War has zero tolerance for academic partnerships that compromise our national security,” said Emil Michael, under secretary of defense for research and engineering.
The Trump administration has rebranded the DOD as the Department of War.
“Institutions that receive funding from American taxpayers must uphold the highest standards of research security, and these mandated audits will ensure accountability across the board,” Michael said.
A U.S. official told MeriTalk the following institutions would be required to submit reviews:
- Georgetown University
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- University of California, Berkeley
- University of California, San Diego
- University of Texas at Austin
- Emory University
- Harvard University
- Oklahoma State University
- Penn State University
- University of California, Los Angeles
- University of Cincinnati
- University of Minnesota
- University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
- University of South Carolina
- University of Southern California
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
- Worcester Polytechnic Institute
- Bryant University
- Cornell University
- Drake University
- Duke University
- Illinois Institute of Technology
- Johns Hopkins University
- New York University
- Northeastern State University, Tahlequah (Oklahoma)
- Portland State University
- Southern Illinois University, Carbondale
- Stony Brook University
- University of Delaware
- University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
DOD officials said the institutions must complete the audits to remain eligible for future federal research funding. The reviews must assess foreign collaborations and the exposure of sensitive or export-controlled research and result in mitigation plans that include terminating problematic partnerships.
“Universities are critical partners in executing a wide range of Department of War research programs, and the Department must therefore ensure that our research investments are well protected from foreign exploitation,” said Joseph Jewell, assistant secretary of War for science and technology.
The Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering is carrying out the reviews. The department said the audits are intended to protect taxpayer-funded research from unauthorized technology transfer, intellectual property theft, and adversarial exploitation.