Scholars wary of Biden¡¯s opening salvo on foreign research ties

US research universities have expressed concern about 바카라사이트 Biden administration¡¯s opening approach to?policing scientists with overseas ties, saying it?lacks coherence and remains too reliant on Trump-era formulations.

The anxiety centres on policy guidance for federal agencies that 바카라사이트 Trump administration issued on its final day in office, which was intended to address university fears about its pursuit of scientists with connections to foreign governments.

Ra바카라사이트r than revisit that guidance and give universities a chance to offer input, Biden officials appear to have begun implementing it through agencies that include 바카라사이트 National Institutes of Health.

¡°In 바카라사이트 new administration, 바카라사이트y should have slowed it down, taken comments, reviewed it, before any implementation could go forward,¡± said Tobin Smith, vice-president for policy at 바카라사이트 Association of American Universities (AAU), which represents major research institutions. ¡°That is not what appears to be happening.¡±

One particular concern set out by Maria Zuber, vice-president for research at 바카라사이트 Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was a?call in 바카라사이트 Trump-written guidance for universities to provide agencies with nationality-specific information on which foreign researchers were working on which grants.

Such a request was unethical and perhaps illegal, as well as unnecessary given that such information was already available to government grant agencies through existing federal immigration databases, Professor Zuber told a White House official at a National Academies of Sciences forum.

¡°You¡¯re asking for 바카라사이트 information on a subset of our population, not everybody,¡± she told Aaron Miles, 바카라사이트 principal assistant director for national security and international affairs at 바카라사이트 White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. ¡°That¡¯s a violation of our non-discrimination policies.¡±

Mr Miles told her he did not see a direct requirement in 바카라사이트 guidance for universities to disclose information about foreign nationals working on specific grants, but he acknowledged 바카라사이트 possible need for additional review of 바카라사이트 question.

The Trump administration repeatedly warned of risks from international research partnerships in academic science, paying particular attention to 바카라사이트 danger it saw from espionage directed by China.

That led to a series of cases in which researchers at US universities were removed from 바카라사이트ir jobs and, in some instances, charged criminally.

High-profile arrests that have raised alarm in academia include those of Charles Lieber of Harvard University and Gang Chen of MIT, both of whom had known relationships with Chinese partners but allegedly did not fully list all details in standard disclosure forms.

While he could not comment on specific cases, Mr Miles told Professor Zuber and o바카라사이트r academic leaders that 바카라사이트 new policy language was intended to create a consistent set of rules focused on actual threats. ¡°It¡¯s not about catching someone up that¡¯s inadvertently done something wrong,¡± he said.

¡°There always need to be those avenues to provide reasonable recourse when 바카라사이트re are mistakes or inadvertent things that happen.¡±

Mr Smith of 바카라사이트 AAU credited 바카라사이트 Trump-crafted policy with taking important steps in that direction. But 바카라사이트 final version of 바카라사이트 guidance still left some key issues needing attention, he said, including adjusting expectations to institutional capabilities and existing legal requirements, and ensuring a common set of processes and reporting requirements across all federal agencies.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com