International Risk & Compliance
For guidance, updates and relevant links for the UC San Diego community regarding international research and engagement including research security and compliance, the Research Compliance and Integrity Office has extensive information regarding research security, best practices, federal guidance, regulations, policies and procedures, and more.
International Risk and
Compliance Resources
Export Control
The Export Control Office, one of the four core offices of the Research Compliance and Integrity Program, helps the UC San Diego community identify and manage export risks and provides export licenses in support of the research activities of university faculty, staff, and students.
Compliance/ Conflict of Interest
It is important that the UC San Diego research community understand how to structure the opportunities to work with their foreign colleagues in compliance with federal policy for the purposes of receiving and retaining federal grant monies.
International Travel Guidance
Review important travel guidance before you start to planning Official Travel outside of the U.S.
Tritons Impacted by Events Abroad
Unexpected events occurring around the globe can have a direct or indirect impact on our campus community. Global Initiatives has compiled a robust list of resources for those experiencing hardship due to events abroad.
Travel for International Community
If you are international faculty, scholar or student and hold a visa, make sure that you are prepared before you travel outside of the United States by connecting with the International Services and Engagement Office (ISEO).
Additional Risk and Compliance Information
Restricted Party Screening for MOUs, Agreements and Visits
The U.S. government restricts collaborating with or shipping to certain individuals or organizations. These restricted entities include terrorists, weapons proliferators, and denied or debarred parties. Certain transactions with restricted entities are prohibited, require an export license or require further review.
Global Initiatives conducts Restricted Party Screening (RPS) for all international partnerships (MOUs, agreements, etc.) and international visits to campus to ensure compliance with federal export control regulations.
Enhanced Review for International Collaborations
To comply with University of California, state and federal policies and procedures, collaborations as well as gifts of $50,000 USD or more may be subject to an enhanced review. This is an evolving and dynamic decision-making process, but enhanced review may required based on the country or countries involved and whether the collaboration involves "emerging technologies." Emerging technologies include the following areas of research:
- Additive manufacturing
- Advanced computing
- Advanced materials
- Advanced surveillance
- Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning
- Biotechnology (Note: currently, the government has identified the following areas of biotechnology as emerging technology: Nanobiology, Synthetic biology, Genomic and genetic engineering, Neurotech).
- Brain-computer interfaces
- Data analytics technology
- Hypersonics
- Microelectronics or Semiconductors
- Positioning and navigational technology
- Quantum information and sensing
- Robotics and autonomous systems
If your proposed collaboration or engagement involves one of the countries of concern and touches an emerging technology, enhanced review may be required. If you suspect, or are unsure, that your international collaboration might be subject to enhanced review, email Elizabeth Langridge-Noti.
Policy Resources
- UCOP Letter from President Drake Regarding Comprehensive Framework for International Affiliations and Agreements: Emerging Technologies and Countries of Concern (August 28, 2023)
- University of California: Policies on International Activities
- SEC 10339B of the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022
- Institutional Compliance with SEC 117 of the Higher Education Act
- SEC 1758 of the Export Control Reform Act
- Research Security at the National Science Foundation - NSF has taken the lead in developing research security practices for federal agencies that sponsor research. NSF created a webspace dedicated to communicating requirements, guidance, and expectations.
- Foreign Interference, the National Institutes of Health- NIH created this website dedicated to foreign interference (i.e., influence), where the agency shares news, guidance and requirements to better educate the extramural research community on these issues.
- Department of Commerce, Export Administration Regulations, Supplement 3 to Part 732 “Know Your Customer.” The Department of Commerce uses this concept as a foundational tenet of an export control program. Beyond export controls, the concept also has utility for conducting research security or other types of international Engagement reviews performed at the location.
- Academic Research Security, Department of Defense. Like NSF and NIH, the Department of Defense (DOD) created its own resource website with guidance and resources on research security, as well as new requirements that DoD is implementing related to research security. DoD takes a risk-based approach and does not allow researchers to participate in malign foreign talent recruitment programs. Review any DoD-sponsored research.
- The National Science and Technology Council Recommended Practices for Strengthening the Security and Integrity of America’s Science and Technology Research Enterprise - This document is meant as a supplement to the NSPM-33 guidance for universities to use during research security reviews.
- The National Science Foundation commissioned JASON report (See page 37, 7.3 Assessment Tools.) NSF commissioned this academic think tank to consider the issues around foreign influence and best practices to address them.
- NIST: Safeguarding International Science: Research Security Framework (See page 44, 7.5 Review Category 5: Extramural Funding Opportunities).