Safeguarding Research Activity:
Ensuring Transparency, Integrity, and Reciprocity
Note: This information and guideline portal will be updated continuously as we continue to get more information. (Last Updated June 2, 2021)
Background
Since early 2018, there has been heightened awareness and increased activity related to the issue of foreign influence in academia within the federal government and amongst our peer institutions. Federal funding agencies have issued new requirements and guidance, federal law enforcement agencies have increased prosecutorial activity, and Congress has signed new legislation and sought information on how the academic research community is responding to this evolving issue.
The U.S. Government has expressed serious growing concerns regarding inappropriate influence by foreign entities over federally funded research (see Sources below). One issue that has moved to the forefront is the failure of federally-funded researchers at U.S. institutions to disclose their relationships and activities with foreign institutions and funding agencies. Several Federal agencies have indicated that failure to disclose foreign relationships and activities may jeopardize eligibility for future funding.
UNM encourages international collaborations, but it is important for our investigators to be transparent about their foreign relationships and activities. UNM Office of the Vice President for Research ( vpr@unm.edu ) has compiled the following information to provide guidance and resources to remind UNM researchers of their compliance obligations to federal sponsors.
Our approach is detailed more fully in the FAQs and other related tabs on the side panel.
This website is the first in a series of training and awareness tools that is being developed for the UNM research community to better understand the evolving compliance landscape.
News and Updates
New NIH Guide Notice – effective date May 25, 2021
“In an effort to support strong collaboration between Federal research agencies, NIH has made every effort to align the Biographical Sketch (Biosketch), Other Support format page and Application Form Instructions with the guidance issued by the Office of Science and Technology Policy Joint Committee on the Research Environment.
As a result, this Guide Notice informs the extramural community that NIH has updated its application forms and instructions to support the need for applicants and recipients to provide full transparency and disclosure of all research activities, foreign and domestic.”
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-21-073.html
