House Committee's Urgent Demand
The House Select Committee on China has called on the National Science Foundation (NSF) to pause a $67 million research security initiative known as SECURE, which aims to develop tools and infrastructure for assessing research-security risks. In a letter to NSF Interim Director Brian Stone, Chairman John Moolenaar highlighted problematic collaborations between lead universities and Chinese military-linked institutions. The committee urges a comprehensive review of participating institutions before funding proceeds.
Spotlight on University of Washington and Texas A&M
The University of Washington, designated for $50 million from the grant, has engaged in joint research with PRC defense entities, including PLA-linked organizations, China's Academy of Military Medical Sciences, and the Seven Sons of National Defense universities. These collaborations cover AI, advanced materials, and dual-use technologies, involving institutions on US government national security lists.
Texas A&M University, slated for $17 million, has partnered with the PLA's National University of Defense Technology and Harbin Institute of Technology. The committee views these ties, some involving federally funded research, as raising national security issues and potential conflicts with US research security and export control laws.
Institutions entrusted with U.S. taxpayer dollars to safeguard the nation’s research enterprise should not simultaneously enable foreign adversaries to access and exploit sensitive research and taxpayer-funded scientific advances.
Broader Compliance and Policy Concerns
Moolenaar raises questions about adherence to National Security Presidential Memorandum 33 (NSPM-33), Section 117 of the Higher Education Act, US export control laws, and the Wolf Amendment, which restricts NASA cooperation with Chinese government-affiliated entities. The letter emphasizes that universities collaborating with China's defense research base, nuclear programs, and mass surveillance infrastructure should not lead national research security frameworks.
Key Requests to NSF by March 31
- Pause SECURE funding for a full review and provide review results to the committee.
- Supply award and contract details for the initiative.
- Confirm if taxpayer funds should support research with Chinese defense entities or those implicated in human rights violations.
- Update terms to prohibit award funds for research with or benefiting US government entity list appearances, or explain why not.
SECURE is a dynamic program that is not prescriptive but can assist universities of all sizes and other research entities to address research security concerns. The University of Washington takes research security and integrity very seriously.
Responses and Context
NSF stated it will respond directly to the committee's letter. Fox News Digital reached out to Texas A&M and Stanford University, also a participant, for comment. The issue aligns with ongoing reports of CCP infiltration in US higher education, including partnerships with Chinese surveillance-linked AI labs.
