Penn State is working to support its researchers, protect project funding and enable international research collaborations in an ever-evolving federal and geopolitical landscape, Andrew Read, senior vice president for research, said in a town hall for the research community on July 23.
Read was joined by Debra Thurley, associate vice president for research; Clint Schmidt, assistant vice president for research, who oversees the Research Security Program; Tara Wood, director of export compliance and other members of Penn State's research security and compliance teams, who worked together to facilitate a live Q&A session with more than 600 members of the Penn State community.
Updates on institutional response to proposed changes to the Uniform Guidance
Read began by updating attendees on Penn State's response to the federal Office of Management and Budget's proposed changes to the Uniform Guidance, a framework that standardizes the administration of federal funds for research. Penn State recently submitted a formal response to the proposed changes, joining peer institutions, higher education associations and research organizations in raising concern on how these changes would affect research at both Penn State and the U.S. more broadly.
Read explained that although Penn State strongly supports research security, export controls and appropriate oversight of high-risk foreign collaborations, the proposal to require federal review and approval of essentially all elements of research projects could negatively affect the output of U.S. scientists.
"These broad approval requirements would slow the formation of low-risk collaborations and delay the pace of scientific discovery and innovation," Read said. "This would be particularly damaging for highly competitive fields, but I would argue that slowing discovery and innovation harms patients, farmers, warfighters and businesses, anybody benefiting from U.S. research."
Read said oversight should prioritize high-risk activities, entities and relationships, while allowing lower-risk collaborations to continue with proper safeguards.
"We believe it is possible to simultaneously protect national security, while maintaining America's global leadership in research and innovation," Read said.
Adjusting to regulations in a shifting federal and geopolitical landscape
Read noted that federal regulations and policies on research security have increased 172% in the last decade.
"There is growing scrutiny of international collaborations by federal funding agencies, with some implementing prohibitions related to certain international partnerships, as well as increased disclosure, reporting and compliance requirements," Read said.
Institutions are now experiencing direct consequences of not disclosing or reviewing foreign collaborations - impacts that can disrupt entire research operations.
"Activities that seem harmless may not always be so in our current regulatory landscape," Read emphasized. "Relationships developed years ago can also become relevant today, as a former postdoc or grad student that is now affiliated with a foreign institution may create questions that did not exist when the relationship began."
According to Read, faculty shouldn't avoid international collaboration but recognize that work that once seemed routine may now require added review, disclosure, preapproval and planning.
