NIH has issued communications to the research community at large and to its grantee institutions (PDF) to convey NIH’s concerns about the integrity of the biomedical research it funds and the risk that foreign influence poses to that integrity. Specifically, NIH is troubled by:
As a result, NIH is working with various government agencies and universities to better define the problem(s) and identify steps that can be taken to mitigate any risk. In the interim, NIH is reminding researchers that all forms of support, financial interests, and relevant affiliations must be fully disclosed; NIH’s reporting mechanisms include the proposal process, a response to a Just-In-Time request, annual progress reports, and through the disclosure of a significant financial interest (conflict of interest).
The FY 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) directs the DoD to work with academic institutions to limit the undue influence of foreign talent programs and support protection of intellectual property. It further calls for the DoD to develop regulations in this area and limit or prohibit funding for institutions or individual researchers who violate them. Additionally, the NDAA directs the DoD to prioritize funding of academic institutions that have a record of excellence in industrial security.
In response, the DoD has announced that key personnel supported by DoD sponsored research and research-related educational activities will be required to disclose information about all sources of their research support, regardless of whether those individuals’ efforts are to be funded by the DoD. The memo specifies that the information to be collected will be “used to support protection of intellectual property…[and]limit undue influence, including foreign talent programs, by countries that desire to exploit United States' technology.”
While NSF has not yet issued its own guidance on foreign influence or a reminder to report all forms of support, researchers should remember that the “Current and Pending Support” section of a NSF grant proposal requires that all “projects or activities requiring a portion of time of the PI and other senior personnel” must be disclosed. NSF proposals also require that researchers disclose all of their organizational affiliations for the previous 12 months and all co-authors/collaborators and their affiliations for the previous 48 months.
NSF 18-1, Proposal & Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PDF)
Those researchers who submit grant proposals to—or receive research or other sponsored funding from—federal agencies such as NIH and NSF should review and update their relevant documents and disclosures as needed:
Additional information about relevant University of Missouri System policies and NIH and NSF requirements is provided below. Other federal agencies may have other, specific reporting requirements; the Sponsored Programs Office or the research administrators housed locally in schools, colleges, and departments can assist with the application of those requirements.