Program agenda:

• How universities can comply with the added security measures being required by federal agencies
• Identify red flags and subtle clues of inappropriate foreign influence so universities can protect their research
• What is “Foreign Influence” and who are foreign collaborators?
• Best practices in mitigating risks associated with foreign research collaborators
• History behind the recently identified risks and actions including the NIH letter and related investigations, DOE Memo, HR 3038, and others
• How to identify areas of concern related to foreign research collaborators and spot red flags
• Policy and compliance measures to enact now to mitigate risk
• Understanding the areas where Foreign Influence can occur
• Best practices in mitigating risks related to foreign research collaborations

In light of recent security threats and allegations of IP theft, foreign research collaborators, industry partners, students, and even faculty have been placed in the crosshairs of international disputes that have sparked intense scrutiny among administrators and restrictive action by the U.S. government. Heightened concern about foreign scholars exploiting the research environment for their own or their nations’ benefit has caused government agencies — and in turn university leaders — to act strongly, and their actions have shaken the academic research community.

Headlines are filled with allegations and geopolitical sparring over trade as well as IP, with research managers and leaders now caught up in matters that go far beyond their labs to the highest reaches of government

In light of these growing concerns, the National Institutes of Health last year distributed letters to more than 10,000 institutions that receive NIH grants, raising concerns of inappropriate influence by foreign entities — and more than 50 universities have now been asked to investigate specific threats. Several labs have fired researchers over failure to disclose foreign relationships and funding, and the U.S. Department of Justice and other federal agencies are looking into potential security risks associated with foreign talent recruitment programs.

Export control and trade compliance expert Wendy Epley, President of Epley Consulting LLC, will discuss how universities can comply with the added security measures being required by federal agencies, identify red flags and subtle clues of inappropriate foreign influence so universities can protect their research, and offer best practices in mitigating risks associated with foreign research collaborators.