1. Research Administration Forum COGR Committee Hot Topic
Foreign Influence
COGR Committee Hot Topic
March 12, 2019

2. Foreign Influence / Entanglements
Diversion of intellectual property (IP) …
to other entities, including other countries;
Sharing of confidential information on grant applications by NIH peer reviewers with others, including foreign entities, or otherwise attempting to influence funding decisions; and
3. Failure by some researchers working at NIH-funded institutions in the U.S. to disclose substantial resources from other organizations, including foreign governments, which threatens to distort decisions about the appropriate use of NIH funds.
August 2018
August 23, 2018 – NIH Statement on Protecting the Integrity of U.S. Biomedical Research

3. Chronology of Events
4/11/18: Congressional Testimony – “Scholars or Spies: Foreign - Plots Targeting America’s R&D”
6/20/18: Congress directs Devos to investigate Chinese partnerships (Huawei) 6/22/18: Bloomberg Article – “Unprecedented Threat”
8/20/18: Foreign Influence Letter to Grantees
8/23/18: Dr. Collins - Statement on Protecting the Integrity of US Biomedical Research; Congressional Testimony & ACD
October: NIH sends individual letters to faculty; Grassley letter to NIH
December: NIH Advisory Committee To Director (ACD) Report
NIH Notices:
12/22/17: Maintaining Integrity in NIH Peer Review: Responsibilities and Consequences
3/30/18: FCOI: Investigator Disclosures of Foreign Financial Interests

4. China – Foreign Threats to Our Universities
In 2008 China began a program called “Thousand Talents” which leverages its citizens that were educated or employed in the U.S. as conduits for the transfer of U.S. technology, intellectual property, and know-how back to China.
The current pool of recruits in the program is thought to be 2,629 (44 percent of whom specialize in medicine, life or health sciences…
The undersecretary for research and engineering (DoD) stated “We have seen the Chinese target top talent in American Universities and research labs of the private sector,including defense contractors and the U.S. government,”
Bloomberg article U.S. Faces “Unprecedented Threat” From China on Tech Takeover, 6/22/2018 by Anthony Capaccio

5. Senator Grassley: Letter Requesting
October 2018
Senator Grassley: Letter Requesting
Background checks of researchers and institutions prior to awarding NIH grants
Investigations of potential violations of rules concerning foreign affiliations and financial contributions
Any instances within the past five years 1) where foreign actors mounted systematic programs to influence NIH researchers and peer reviewers; (2) foreign actors worked to divert intellectual property produced by NIH-supported research to other countries; (3) foreign actors contributed resources to NIH-funded researchers in ways which could impact the integrity of the research.

6. Foreign Component
The performance of any significant scientific element or segment of a project outside of the United States…whether or not grant funds are expended. Activities that would meet this definition include, but are not limited to,
(1) the involvement of human subjects or animals,
(2) extensive foreign travel by recipient project staff for the purpose of data collection, surveying, sampling, and similar activities, or
(3) any activity of the recipient that may have an impact on U.S. foreign policy….

7. Foreign Component (Cont.)
Examples of other grant-related activities that may be significant are:
Collaborations with investigators at a foreign site anticipated to result in co-authorship;
Use of facilities or instrumentation at a foreign site; or
Receipt of financial support or resources from a foreign entity.

8. NIH Advisory Committee to the Director Report on Foreign Influences
The “should considers” to universities:
Implementing a broad education campaign about the need to disclose other foreign support as part of disclosure processes…
Develop guidelines for securely hosting visiting scholars or students
Always proactively notify NIH about peer review violations and inaccurate or undisclosed foreign support or affiliations with outside organization

9. Research Administration Forum Grants and Contracts Administration
March 12, 2019

10. AGENDA Sponsored Compensation Verification Reports – Gina Cofield
“Go Tigers”
AGENDA
Sponsored Compensation Verification Reports – Gina Cofield
Subawards:
Commitment Forms
Adding New Subawards after the Award

11. Sponsored Compensation Verification
Approved Unapproved Total % Apprvd
PI %
Projects , , %
Deadline: March 18, 2019 at 5pm
Reminders:
Please encourage your investigators to approve.
List of PI’s (not yet Approved) are provided daily on GCA’s Web Site.
Unapproved Reports will be inactivated

12. Sponsored Compensation Verification
GCA Web-Site:

13. Subaward Processing New Subrecipient Commitment Form
Adding New Subawards after Award is Received
Principal Investigators (PI’s) seeking to add a subrecipient to an existing award will work with their Departmental/College Post- Award Grant Administrators to perform the following tasks:
Contact the Subaward Administrator in Grants and Contracts Administration to seek assistance in determining if Sponsor approval is required and to seek completion of the Subrecipient Commitment Form from the Subrecipients Pre-Award office.
Obtain the subrecipients Scope of Work specifying the tasks that will be performed under the agreement,
Obtain a subrecipient Budget and Budget Justification.

14. QUESTIONS