Research Security Program

What is research security and why does it matter?

Research security is technology protection in action. It provides a localized first line of defense, employing balanced risk management protocols that safeguard science and innovation by mitigating foreign threats to critical and emerging technologies and the underlying scientific research ecosystem.

While international collaboration is critical to the scientific enterprise, it also creates potential risks to economic and national security. Research security encompasses a balanced approach that seeks to minimize the risks and maximize the rewards of collaborative science. 

Research security comprises a set of safeguards intended to protect scientific research and the products that flow from that research. It allows scientists to benefit from international partnerships while ensuring the protection of intellectual property.

Simply put, research security involves protecting the means, know-how, and results of research until they are ready to be shared.

Who needs to worry about research security?

Per National Security Presidential Memorandum-33, any institution receiving more than $50 million per year in federal science and engineering funding must have a research security plan and program in place. Such a plan establishes an integrated, mission-focused, risk-based approach toward international science and technology collaborations that protects against undue foreign interference while preserving the openness and integrity of the research enterprise.

Even if you are at an institution that does not meet the $50-million threshold, if you are engaging in international research collaborations, you should take steps to ensure that your research and any technology resulting from it is secure.

Why now?

In recent years, foreign economic and industrial espionage targeting fundamental science and research outputs has increasingly replaced the effort to steal defense- and intelligence-related secrets as a primary national security concern. Competitor nations are increasingly seeking technical advantages through the theft of intellectual property. 

Through focused programs that implement new intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities, competitor nations are targeting unclassified proprietary information and intellectual property. 

To safely conduct research and engage in international collaborations in this complex environment, scientific institutions must adopt new approaches. NIST’s research security framework aims to help institutions develop robust research security programs that enable their researchers to balance the risks and benefits of conducting research with international partners. Proper research security implementation treats everyone equally, without xenophobia, prejudice or discrimination.

What is NIST’s role?

The NIST research security team has developed a robust research security program that provides tools to help balance the risks of international engagement with the benefits for both internal NIST research projects and external, NIST-funded research projects.

In 2023, NIST published a report, Safeguarding International Science: Research Security Framework, outlining a research security framework that may be used by any research institution.

NIST’s research security team

• Gregory Strouse, NIST Research Security Team Lead
• Magdalena Navarro, International and Academic Affairs 
• Timothy Wood, Export Control
• Blair Heiserman, Chief Information Security Officer
• Philip Bennett, Research and Technology Protection