Research Security Training
Introduction
Research security training is one of four elements of a Research Security Program required by National Security Presidential Memorandum 33 to safeguard our research ecosystem. The CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 (“CHIPS Act”) codifies this requirement for research security training for federal research award personnel into law.
The U.S. National Science Foundation, in partnership with the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Defense, developed a four-part, four-hour-long research security training for the research community. The University of Michigan, in collaboration with Duke, Ohio State and Stanford, developed a condensed one-hour version of the NSF training modules. Rockefeller University has adopted this condensed version.
The Research Security training provides information about risks and threats to the global research ecosystem and the knowledge and tools necessary to protect against these risks. More information about the training is available below. The training is available in CITI (citiprogram.org), and instructions for accessing training can be located HERE.
Training must be completed by all Covered Individuals on all federal applications, including progress reports and instances where RU is the subrecipient, prior to submission for applications due on or after October 1, 2025. Completion of this training will also meet the requirements for NIH-required training on Other Support Disclosure. Current federal requirements indicate that this training must be completed on an annual basis.
Who must complete the training?
Per the CHIPS Act, “Covered Individuals” are required to take the training within one year prior to submission of a research and development (R&D) application. Completing this training will satisfy the research security training requirement for covered individuals on federally funded research projects.
Who is a Covered Individual?
Per the CHIPS Act, Covered Individual is defined as “an individual 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 research agency; AND
- Is designated as a Covered Individual by the Federal research agency concerned.”
Covered Individuals include all Senior/Key personnel, but may also include post-doctoral fellows and graduate students depending on their roles. If you have questions as to whether someone is a “covered individual” with respect to a specific federal agency, please contact your Sponsored Programs Officer.
Training is strongly recommended for all research-related staff, regardless of grant participation.
Course Outline
- Research Security Introduction – learn the definition of research security, key federal regulations, core values of academic research, and your responsibilities in managing research security.
- The Importance of Disclosure – learn key definitions, the benefits of disclosure, how to disclosure, and the consequences of non-disclosure.
- Risk Mitigation and Management – learn how to navigate common scenarios that arise, and how to manage and mitigate research security risks.
- International Collaboration – learn about transparency and reciprocity in international scientific collaborations, how to assess potential risks associated with international collaborations, and explore hypothetical scenarios that could arise when collaborating with international partners.
