Reminder: Contact SECURE to Screen NSF Collaborations

As we previously announced on August 4, the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) issued a Dear Colleague Letter (NSF 26-022) signaling a forthcoming NSF policy that would prohibit NSF-funded collaboration with entities on various U.S. government-restricted parties lists (including lists maintained by the Departments of Commerce, Treasury, State and War). The restricted entity lists may be found on Appendix A of the Dear Colleague Letter. 

Under the anticipated policy, senior/key personnel on NSF awards will be prohibited from collaborating with these restricted entities or their employees, holding appointments or positions with them or receiving research support from them for the duration of an award. NSF has indicated this may have implications for co-authorship and other forms of research collaboration and appears to be taking a broad interpretation of collaboration, though the agency has not yet defined precisely what activities will count as collaboration under the policy.

Given that these changes may be implemented as early as October 1, please reach out now to SECURE at UK-SECURE@uky.edu if international collaborations are included in your current or prospective NSF-sponsored projects. The SECURE team will screen foreign entities against the lists referred to in Appendix A and help you prepare for the forthcoming policy.