There is an increasing need to protect U.S. federally funded scientific research from undue foreign influence, including exploitation of the open university research environment and intellectual property theft. Federal initiatives around research compliance including NSPM-33, the CHIPS (Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors) and Science Act, and CMMC (Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification) are working to address this need.

Research is led by principal investigators (PIs). Their ideas engage students and other researchers, and the PIs secure grants to help fund and support their research. Collaborations can also be established with institutions outside of Georgia Tech and the United States.

The centrality of PIs to the research enterprise places them most at risk of foreign interference or influence as well as U.S. government investigation, and their role in risk assessment and management is central.

PIs are responsible for continuously ensuring that all members of their research groups understand the norms and expectations regarding the sharing of information outside the group.

To support researchers in this work, Georgia Tech aims to:

• Maintain an open environment to foster research discoveries and innovation while providing guidelines for protecting your research
• Provide the information needed for compliance
• Minimize risks