The Office of the Vice President for Research will provide critical expertise on sensitive research, threat types, geopolitical analysis and international collaboration as part of a new U.S. National Science Foundation initiative to support research security.
The Safeguarding the Entire Community of the U.S. Research Ecosystem Center will serve as a hub for information, helping the research community recognize and reduce foreign interference that can threaten the nation’s research efforts.
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Along with distributing information and reports on research security risks, the SECURE Center will connect the research community with government funding agencies to enhance collaboration on security matters and offer tools and training to scientists and engineers.
“The landscape around research security is complex and continues to evolve, and often our researchers have questions about how best to navigate evolving policies,” said Lisa Nichols, executive director of research security at OVPR.
“The consequence of that uncertainty can mean that some researchers are less likely to collaborate with international partners. This new initiative will provide researchers and university administrators with helpful resources and clarity around security policies.”
Led by the University of Washington with support from U-M and eight other higher education institutions, the center will connect members of the U.S. research community from universities, nonprofits and businesses to share ideas, needs and information about research security and inform the collaborative development of new tools and resources.
OVPR’s role in providing expertise to the new initiative includes engaging with federal agencies, leading efforts to balance security and administrative burden and tracking and communicating the latest research security information, policies, guidance and resources.
NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan said that while NSF is committed to “principled international collaboration,” the research community must also address threats to the critical work.
“The SECURE Center is how we bring the research community together to identify risks, share information and leverage national expertise on research security to develop solutions that protect essential research being done at institutions across the nation,” Panchanathan said.
