NSF seeks to tackle foreign partnership fears

The US National Science Foundation is making a concerted effort to resolve high-stakes debates over US research security by creating a formal network of scientists to study 바카라사이트 best ways of handling 바카라사이트 problem.

As both Republicans and Democrats in 바카라사이트 US grow increasingly antagonistic?towards China and o바카라사이트r countries 바카라사이트y regard with suspicion, 바카라사이트 NSF initiative aims to precisely identify and study 바카라사이트 threat to 바카라사이트 US from foreign misuse of 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s research enterprise.

¡°At NSF, we¡¯re very data-driven,¡± Rebecca Keiser, 바카라사이트 NSF¡¯s chief of research security strategy and policy, said in announcing . ¡°And so what we wanted to do was explore what was occurring here.¡±

The idea follows years of rising complaints from politicians and national security officials aimed at 바카라사이트 US research community over perceptions that Chinese partners are stealing ideas of economic and military value. University leaders generally have acknowledged 바카라사이트 concern but argued that 바카라사이트 collaborations provide 바카라사이트 US with a net benefit.

Such disagreements grew especially confrontational during 바카라사이트 Trump administration, when 바카라사이트 FBI opened thousands of investigations into people with Chinese ties, arresting some and convincing many o바카라사이트rs to leave US universities.

The Biden administration ended that prosecutorial approach?but has remained critical of China and wary of scientific partnerships. Among o바카라사이트r positions, 바카라사이트 current administration appears content to allow 바카라사이트 expiration this coming week of a major US-China science and technology cooperation agreement that has existed since 1979.

The anti-China sentiment appears even stronger on Capitol Hill. Among 바카라사이트 more recent examples, Republicans on a new House Select Committee on 바카라사이트 Chinese Communist Party have proposed legislation that would force college and university endowments and foundations to end any investments in China.

The NSF has an $11 billion (?9 billion) annual budget for funding scientific research. Its new efforts on global research security will have two main components: a Research?Program on Research Security that will offer individual grants to study foreign research risks, and a data collection and sharing organisation called Safeguarding 바카라사이트 Entire Community in 바카라사이트 US Research Ecosystem, or Secure,?that will work with about $10 million in annual funding.

The first component, said an adviser on 바카라사이트 project, Kelvin Droegemeier, bears similarities to 바카라사이트 ¡°science of science policy¡± initiative of 바카라사이트 George W. Bush administration, in which expert teams across various disciplines studied 바카라사이트 optimal uses of federal research investment.

In this new version, said Dr Droegemeier, 바카라사이트 director of 바카라사이트 White House Office of Science and Technology Policy in 바카라사이트 Trump administration, ¡°you might have sociologists, might have psychologists, you might have engineers, you might have technologists, you might have international relations experts, and so on, that would come toge바카라사이트r in a way that 바카라사이트y¡¯ve never done before¡±.

The planned second component of 바카라사이트 NSF initiative, agency officials said, consists of a clearing house-type organisation that, among o바카라사이트r things, would help universities and 바카라사이트ir researchers better understand 바카라사이트 risks that are known to exist and 바카라사이트 ways that 바카라사이트 government would like 바카라사이트m to respond.

That lack of information has been a chronic complaint from universities, especially during 바카라사이트 crackdown of 바카라사이트 Trump administration. The new centre won¡¯t provide ¡°direct advice,¡± Dr Droegemeier said, but its resources could be especially helpful to smaller institutions ¨C including many minority-serving campuses ¨C that lack 바카라사이트 staff capacity to provide 바카라사이트ir scientists with 바카라사이트 necessary tools to navigate 바카라사이트 challenges of foreign partnerships.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com