International Collaboration With Foreign Influence Risk

An article excerpt from the National Council of University Research Administrators' (NCURA's) publication: Sponsored Research Administration: A Guide to Effective Strategies and Recommended Practices

International research is more important than ever today — yet it’s also undergoing immense scrutiny. With the increasing number of foreign influence threats at colleges and universities, U.S. intellectual property is at an elevated risk of interference, in addition to the general state of collaboration between countries.

While many higher education institutions have led efforts to manage foreign influence and respond to federal disclosure requirements, some are still struggling to develop formal risk management efforts related to foreign activities. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Science Foundation (NSF) have laid out guidance that helps to clarify reporting and disclosure requirements related to foreign influence.

Striking the right balance between collaboration and precaution when it comes to international research requires taking a careful approach. American higher education institutions must keep working with foreign countries on research and development in the name of global improvement. Yet to continue to safely do so, colleges and universities can take certain steps and precautions to ensure data and sensitive information are protected.

Learn more about higher education compliance requirements, and how institutions can improve their administrative structures, by downloading the PDF of the full NCURA article. The piece outlines the steps that some institutions have taken to further strengthen their risk management and compliance programs and mitigate foreign influence risk.