Dear University of Oregon community members,
As has been
widely communicated, the University of Oregon is deeply committed to the free and open flow of ideas and research partnerships. As a university community, we strive to ensure a welcoming environment for students and faculty from everywhere, and open opportunities for our students and staff to discover the world.
At the same time, over the past several years, numerous federal agencies and Congress have raised concerns regarding inappropriate foreign state influence on research conducted at U.S. universities, including the potential for theft of intellectual property. As news outlets
have reported, the consequences of non-compliance
may be serious. While we remain steadfast in our commitment to the international collaboration and engagement intrinsic to academic excellence, we also must comply with a changing landscape of federal regulations.
We want to help members of our community stay on the right side of these rules. For example, it is critically important that UO investigators be transparent about their relationships and activities with overseas partners, whether funded by a foreign entity or not, as several funding agencies have indicated that failure to disclose such connections may jeopardize an individual PI’s and an institution’s eligibility for future funding, or result in harsher penalties.
A special concern is sources of funding involving Chinese entities such as the “Thousand Talents” program. If you have undisclosed funding arrangements or are approached in the future by any foreign entity, you should reach out to us as soon as possible.
We have launched an
International Research Relationships and Activities web page to provide guidance and resources reminding researchers of their compliance obligations. This web page serves as a clearinghouse for federal requirements and other information on international research collaboration. The web page:
- Contains detailed best practices for disclosing foreign relationships and activities.
- Links to tools and timely updates – including recent memos and notices from federal funding agencies.
- Has links to related resources such as the UO’s laptop loaner program and our guidance on export controls.
All faculty members who engage with international scholars or institutions need to understand the guidance described on this web page.
The Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation, Government Relations, the Office of the General Counsel, and the Division of Global Engagement continue to monitor new restrictions, new regulations, best practices, and guidance provided by funding agencies regarding overseas collaborations. We will inform the university community of relevant changes and provide updates and new information on the
International Relationships and Activities web page.
Even in light of these emerging requirements and exposure to security risks, we hope that you will continue to engage in open and multi-national research activity, which has long been a vital component of research and scholarship excellence. Our longstanding commitment to collaborative research has enabled the University of Oregon to remain globally competitive and provided us with continued opportunities to advance science for the benefit of society.
Sincerely,
Dennis Galvan, Dean and Vice Provost for the Division of Global Engagement,
intl@uoregon.edu
