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Foreign Influence

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LEADERSHIP

Theodore Taraschi, PhD
Senior Associate Provost, Research Integrity, Conduct & Compliance

Office Staff

Larry Harshyne, PhD
Assistant Provost, Research Integrity, Conduct & Compliance
Jessica Gutierrez
Director, Research Integrity, Conduct & Compliance
Alisha Clark
Project Manager, Research Integrity, Conduct & Compliance

Research Security Program

The U.S. Government has expressed growing concerns about the inappropriate influence and exploitation by foreign entities in federally funded research and the open university research environment. A critical issue that has emerged is the failure of federally-funded researchers in U.S. institutions to disclose their relationships and activities with foreign institutions and funding agencies. Federal agencies have indicated that failure to disclose foreign relationships and activities may put eligibility for future funding at risk. As a result, the U.S. Government recently enacted federal directives and legislation to ensure that disclosures are made, research security programs are implemented, and research security training is provided.

What are the components of the Research Security Program?

The components of the Research Security Program addresses topics around intellectual property, export control, cybersecurity, and other risks. Jefferson has implemented a centralized program, including multiple offices, in effort to address the federal government’s concerns and to mitigate risks. This program serves as a centralized depository for research security matters to ensure research integrity. If you have any questions about our program, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at research2@jefferson.edu.

Program Elements

Research taking place under government contracts may be subject to additional security controls based on the data type, access, or storage.

For more information about cybersecurity, see Security Awareness on ONE. 

Researchers must regularly disclose financial interests (COI) and outside professional activities (COC) to protect U.S. research security, including relationships with foreign entities and research support.

For more policies and resources for both internal and external disclosures visit the Office of Research Integrity, Conduct & Compliance Sharepoint Site.

 Digital Persistent Identifiers (DPIs) and Digital CVs help streamline the grant proposal process. Some federal agencies require investigators to use DPI services like ORCID and submit via SciENcv.

All personnel working on behalf of Jefferson must comply with all applicable U.S. government export regulations.

  • Export Control Guidance 
  • Resource: To aid Personnel in complying with U.S. export controls laws and regulations, Jefferson maintains an export control SharePoint site and an Export Compliance Manual ("Manual") that provides a comprehensive program of internal controls, safeguards, and measures to minimize risk of potential violations of applicable export control regulations. For access to the Manual, please visit our Export Control SharePoint site.

Thomas Jefferson University (“Jefferson”) encourages research collaboration and welcomes individuals from outside of the United States of America (“U.S.”) to participate in certain research activities. The onboarding process involves a multidisciplinary team from various departments, which has a primary goal to ensure standardize processes and enhance awareness of key policies impacting foreign individuals involved in research.

This includes physical and cyber travel guidance for international research, conferences, and internships.                 

All TJU employees are to comply with the Travel Policy and refer to the International Travel Guidance for international research, conference, and internships. For all grant funded research Jefferson employees are obligated to complete the UPAS form.

  • Jefferson's Travel Policy
  • Travel Registry & UPAS: Register upcoming sponsored international travel in Jefferson’s Travel Registry and contact your assigned Grant Administrator for the University Prior Approval System (UPAS). Jefferson’s Export Control Officer will review all international travel to review compliance requirements prior to travel. The Travel Registry can be accessed on the International Travel SharePoint.
  • Government Travel Advisories 

Prohibition on Participation in Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Programs

Effective August 9, 2024, federal law mandates Covered Individuals to disclose involvement in any Foreign Talent Recruitment Program (FTRP) and prohibits participation in Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Programs (MFTRP). Review our MFTRP Guidelines for more information.

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