Institutional Research Effectiveness & Assessment (IREA)

Research Security

To protect U.S. Government-supported research and development from foreign interference and misappropriation and ensure the proper handling of academic and/or research data and information resources from unauthorized modification, deletion, or disclosure, the 91ÉçÇø is required to implement a research security program that conforms to the minimum standards outlined in the National Security Presidential Memorandum 33 (NSPM-33) and CHIPS and Science Act of 2022. Specifically, these directives require that the university protect digital information and systems from cyber threats, ensure the security of researchers and their work when they travel abroad, provide training to researchers on how to protect their work from various threats and on the regulations that control the export of certain types of information and technology, and ensure appropriate disclosure of outside activity and potential conflicts of interest or conflicts of commitment.

Research Security is a collaborative effort among several USF offices. Compliance, Analytics, Risk & Ethics (CARE) coordinates USF’s research security program, and the Export Control Officer, Fred Pflueger, exportcontrol@usf.edu, serves as the Research Security Program point of contact for questions related to this program.

USF's Research Security Program

research security graph

Research Security Training

Federal agencies require that covered individuals on a research and development award complete training on research security. Covered individual, as defined in the Definitions section of the , means anyone who:

  • contributes in a substantive, meaningful way to the scientific development or execution of a research and development project proposed to be carried out with a research and development award from a Federal agency; and
  • is designated as a covered individual by the Federal research agency concerned. 

As part of an application for a research and development award from the agency:

  • Each covered individual listed on the application for a research and development award must certify that he or she has completed research security training within one year of such application.
  • USF must certify that each covered individual who is employed by the university and listed on the application has completed such training.

How to Meet Research Security Training Requirements

Through USF’s CITI institutional account, three course options are available, all of which will satisfy the training requirement:

  1. ** Preferred Method: Research Security Training (Combined) – Stage 1 Basic Course
    A condensed and combined single-module course based on the NSF’s Research Security Training. Course is recognized by federal agencies as compliant with their respective Research Security Training requirements. This will take approximately one hours to complete.
  2. Research Security Training – Stage 1 Basic Course
    These are the four modules developed by NSF. This will take approximately three to four hours to complete.
  3. Research Security Advanced Refresher - Stage 1 Basic Course
    This course comprises eight modules, each of which takes approximately 30 minutes to complete. 

If you have any difficulty logging into CITI or accessing the courses, please contact Export Control Officer, Fred Pflueger, at exportcontrol@usf.edu for assistance.

Export Controls Training

USF's Research Security training provides a general overview of export controls and sanctions regulations. Researchers involved in projects with export-controlled content, must complete additional Export Compliance Training through the CITI program as well as project specific training. Contact the Export Control office for guidance and questions at exportcontrol@usf.edu.

Foreign Travel Security

Federal research agencies shall require institutions to:

  • Provide Foreign Travel Security training. This requirement will be instituted in the future.
  • Implement an international travel reporting program. USF has a reporting program in place and is part of USF’s official travel system, Archivum.

Cybersecurity

New basic cybersecurity safeguards will be instituted for federally funded research in the future. In the interim, be sure to review cybersecurity requirements in proposal guidance and award agreements.

Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Programs

U.S. federal law and policy restrict participation in Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Programs (MFTRPs) that pose risks to national security and the integrity of federally funded research. The CHIPS and Science Act directs federal research sponsors to maintain policies that:

  • require covered individuals to disclose all participation in FTRPs, and
  • prohibit recipients of federal support from participating in any MFTRPs.

USF has a MFTRP Policy:

The National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Department of Energy, Department of Defense, and other federal funding agencies are prohibiting sponsored research personnel from participating in Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Programs (MFTRPs), as required by the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022.

Review the MFTRP proposal’s guidance for the requirements and their steps to take to meet the requirements. Here are documents to help meet MFTRP certification requirements: