Department of Defense (DoD)

Countering Unwanted Foreign Influence in Department-Funded Research at Institutions of Higher Education (Department of Defense, June 29, 2023)

Includes policy and guidance on the following: 

• A Policy on Risk-based Security Reviews of Fundamental Research; 
• An associated Decision Matrix to Inform Fundamental Research Proposal Mitigation;
• A list of foreign institutions identified by DoD as engaging in problematic activity; and
• A list of foreign talent recruitment programs identified by DoD as posing a threat to U.S. national security interests.

Risk-based Security Reviews of Fundamental Research assesses four factors for prinicipal investigators and other key personnel:

1. Participation in foreign talent recruitment programs
2. Current or prior funding from “foreign countries of concern” (FCOCs).  FCOCs are currently defined as China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran per section 10612 of the CHIPS Act of 2022.
3. Filing a patent in an FCOC or on behalf of an FCOC-connected entity, or in a non-FCOC country without disclosure, and
4. Associations or affiliations with organizations on U.S. Entity (trade restriction) and other indicated lists.

Note: Under DOD’s risk matrix, participation in an Foreign Talent Recruitment Program (FTRP) that meets one or more of the criteria in Part A of the CHIPS Act definition of “malign foreign talent recruitment program” (see MFTRP) requires mitigation and, if no mitigation is possible, rejection of the proposal.

ARMY RESEARCH RISK ASSESSMENT PROGRAM (ARRP)

Risk assessments are completed where identified in the solicitation for Army-sponsored grants and cooperative agreements. The Army’s rubric is applied to all Senior/Key Personnel identified.