Policies and Guidance

Purdue Policy

Purdue University maintains a research security program to protect intellectual capital, prevent research misappropriation, and ensure responsible management of U.S. taxpayer dollars while maintaining an open environment to foster research discoveries and innovation. The program promotes transparency and guards against conflicts of interest and commitment, provides training and information on research security, and implements processes to assess and manage potential risks associated with collaborations and data. The program includes elements of cybersecurity, foreign travel security, research security training, export control training, and annual reporting of foreign financial support.

• Research Security Program, Interim Policy (I.A.6): As part of the program’s compliance with applicable laws and regulations, Covered Individuals are prohibited from participating in Foreign Talent Recruitment Programs deemed malign by the Research Security Office and must complete all disclosure, training and certification requirements prescribed by the program.
• Reportable Outside Activities: see Conflicts of Commitment and Reportable Outside Activities (III.B.1) policy and requires researchers to disclose this information when research proposals are submitted. Disclosure details are available here.
• Significant Conflicts of Interests: see the Individual Financial Conflicts of Interest (III.B.2) policy which requires researchers to disclose participation in any Foreign Government Talent Recruitment Program (FGTRP) when research proposals are submitted. You can disclose to Purdue here.

Federal Guidance

The list of federal guidelines is followed by links to supplementary, in-depth resources on certain topics.

• National Security Presidential Memorandum on United States Government-Supported Research and Development National Security Policy 33 (NSPM-33) (Jan 2021)
  • Short Description: “This memorandum directs action to strengthen protections of United States Government-supported Research and Development (R&D) against foreign government interference and exploitation. The United States Government provides significant support to R&D across a broad spectrum of research institutions and programs conducted both within and outside of the United States and its territories. This R&D, including both basic and applied research, is a key contributor to American science and technology (S&T) innovation and is essential to United States economic and national security.”
• NSTC – NSPM-33 Implementation Guidance (Jan 2022)
  • Short Description: “The purpose of this document is to provide guidance to Federal departments and agencies regarding their implementation of National Security Presidential Memorandum 33 on National Security Strategy for U.S. Government-Supported Research and Development.”
• Subcommittee on Research Security National Science and Technology Council Office of Science and Technology Policy: Draft Research Security Program Standards (February 2023)
  • Short Description: Provide 3 key priorities of “research security and integrity: (1) protecting America’s security and openness; (2) being clear in our delivery of guidance and information to impacted communities, so that compliance with NSPM-33 is easy, straightforward, and minimally burdensome; and (3) ensuring that our policies do not fuel xenophobia or prejudice.”
  • Implementation guidance for disclosure requirements and standardization, digital persistent identifiers, consequences for violating disclosure requirements, agency information sharing, and research security programs. These provisions apply to all federally funded research and development, focused primarily, but not solely, on fundamental research.
• CHIPS & Science Act
• National Defense Authorization Act of 2020
  • Short Description: 2020 NDAA (Public Law 116-92), Sec. 1746. (a), states: “In general.–The Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, acting through the National Science and Technology Council, in consultation with the National Security Advisor, shall establish or designate an interagency working group to coordinate activities to protect federally funded research and development from foreign interference, cyber attacks, theft, or espionage and to develop common definitions and best practices for Federal science agencies and grantees, while accounting for the importance of the open exchange of ideas and international talent required for scientific progression and American leadership in science and technology.” See also National Defense Authorization Acts: FY 2020, FY 2021, FY 2022.
• White House Office of Science and Technology Policy 2024-02-14 Policy Regarding Use of Common Disclosure Forms
• White House Critical and Emerging Technologies List 2024
• White House Office of Science and Technology Policy 2024-02 “Guidelines for Federal Research Agencies Regarding Foreign Talent Recruitment Program”
• DoD Memo and Decision Matrix
  • JCORE Guidance for Implementing NSPM 33
• NSPM 33 Disclosure Table 2024 (Common Form)
• NSPM 33 Memo 2021
• Department of Commerce National Institute of Standards and Technology “Safeguarding International Science, Research Security Framework” 2023