Washington DC [US], August 18 : The US Department of War has issued formal notifications to 30 domestic academic institutions, directing them to immediately conduct comprehensive reviews of their academic, financial and research collaborations with foreign entities of concern.
According to the Department, the notifications cover active institutional ties and collaborations with foreign entities identified under Section 1286 of the Fiscal Year 2019 National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA), as well as organisations associated with rebranded Confucius Institutes.
The action, led by the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering, is aimed at protecting American taxpayer-funded research investments from unauthorised technology transfer, intellectual property theft and adversarial exploitation.
"The Department of War has zero tolerance for academic partnerships that compromise our national security," said Emil Michael, Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering.
"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.
The Department said the reviews are intended to identify potential vulnerabilities in academic partnerships and ensure that taxpayer-funded research is not exposed to foreign exploitation.
Under the directive, the notified universities must conduct a comprehensive audit of all identified foreign collaborations and assess their potential exposure of sensitive or export-controlled research.
The institutions have also been directed to implement "strict mitigation plans", including the termination of problematic partnerships where necessary.
The Department said the universities must report their findings and actions directly to it no later than August 31. It added that compliance would be necessary to maintain eligibility for future federal research funding.
"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 for War for Science and Technology.
The Department said the audits would help it "better anticipate emerging threats, adapt to evolving adversarial tactics and maintain America's position as a global leader in innovation."
It said the initiative is being pursued alongside partners in Congress to build a stronger research security framework.
"Together with the House and Senate Armed Services Committees, the House and Senate Appropriations Committees and the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, the Department continues to build a robust research ecosystem that protects critical discoveries from exploitation," the Department said.
The Department of War said the initiative would strengthen oversight of foreign academic collaborations while safeguarding critical US research and innovation from potential unauthorised access or exploitation.