Important Research Security updates (May 2025)
[Message to WFU Research Google Group]
May 12, 2025
Hi everyone,
I hope that you’re enjoying the end of the semester and are ready for a fun and productive summer!
I’m writing with several updates, so I apologize for the rather long email but encourage you to read to the end. These updates can also be found in the announcements for the College faculty meeting scheduled for this afternoon.
First, today we are launching a new Research Security Program in response to two laws passed several years ago. This is not in response to any of the new federal directives and has been in process for over a year.
The National Security Presidential Memorandum – 33 (NSPM-33), issued on January 14, 2021, directs actions by federal funding agencies and covered participants to strengthen protections of U.S. government-supported research against foreign government influence, interference, and exploitation.
NSPM-33 final guidance was issued on July 9, 2024 under the Biden administration, and directs that academic research institutions implement and certify a research security program that includes the following elements:
- Cybersecurity
- Foreign travel security
- Research security training
- Export control training for individuals who perform research involving export-controlled technologies and processes for reviewing foreign sponsors, collaborators, and partnerships
It also requires strengthened disclosure requirements related to conflicts of interest and commitment, as well as “other support” reporting and requires researchers to register with a service that provides a digital persistent identifier, like ORCID, that uniquely identifies an investigator and their related publications. It allows researchers to see a complete list of an investigator’s works and distinguishes an investigator from other authors with similar names or initials.
The related CHIPS and Science Act requires, among other things, that:
- Researchers on federal research awards to complete annual research security training.
- Researchers to certify at the time of proposal submission and annually during the duration of an award that they are not part of a malign foreign talent recruitment program.
- Institutions to certify that researchers are aware of the prohibition of participating in malign foreign talent recruitment programs.
Although everyone is already required to take cybersecurity training, these new laws and guidelines require new training modules. This training will be rolled out later this week. Faculty who are PIs on active grants will be assigned training (that should take only about 1-1.5 hours for 3 modules) to be completed by July 1, 2025.
By May 13, 2025, a new website will be launched where you can find more information: https://research.wfu.edu/
Second, in addition to the training modules, we have also updated several questions on the foreign travel registration form. As a reminder, all faculty, staff, students, and other participants undertaking university-sponsored international travel should review the International Travel policy and complete the required travel authorization form, which are intended to address the risks of international travel in a manner that promotes the health, safety, and security of all members of the university community. The four new questions added to the form will help us to identify if travelers will be taking any sensitive or export-controlled data with them on their travels; if so, travelers will be connected with our Export Control and/or our research security consultant so that appropriate protective measures can be put in place prior to travel. Even inadvertent violations of export control or research security laws can have serious repercussions for both the individuals and institutions involved and we want to make sure you are protected. We are here to help. So, please remember to register your travel 30 days ahead of your trip and timely and accurately complete your travel authorization form.
Third, ORSP has worked with our finance group to make university-wide corrections to how we talk about IDC return. Indirect costs are reimbursements to the university to cover a portion of the expenses required to support research. There are clear restrictions on what expenses IDC can, and cannot, be used to reimburse. WFU recognizes the effort it takes to conduct research by providing discretionary funds to units, departments, and faculty who conduct and support research. Those discretionary funds are calculated by the percent of IDC their research brings into WFU, which is basically an investment based on the amount of research conducted. In the past, we have called those discretionary accounts indirect accounts, and many of you may talk about the IDC you directly receive. This is inaccurate. So, we are making a couple of changes:
- The names of accounts will be changed so that ID means Institutional Discretionary Account. Please try to use the accurate name of these accounts moving forward.
- Finance is also adjusting the funds flow to make the distinction between IDC and discretionary accounts more clear. In that process, the timing of your distribution will change from daily to monthly, as a part of the month-end close process. This process typically is finished by the 5th business day and will start in July 2025. Your GCM will monitor your accounts to ensure there is a seamless transition to this new procedure.
Please rest assured that the current percent distribution calculation will not change during this process.
Fourth, there has been a continuous stream of news from federal agencies, including NIH and NSF, and a small number of additional grant terminations so far. Please reach out to ORSP or myself if you receive a notification from your agency. We are working with individual PIs to determine the best way to support them. We understand that this is an anxiety-filled time, and so if any department or group would like to meet to discuss any of these issues, please contact me.
Finally, AP Mary Muchane is working on developing a new grant-support program called CULTIVATE to expand and replace CRADLE. We will announce details about this exciting program in the coming weeks.
Wishing you all a good summer,
Kim
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A. Kimberley McAllister, Ph.D.Vice Provost for Research, Scholarly Inquiry and Creative ActivityWake Forest University