Bipartisan legislation introduced to protect research from foreign espionage

A bipartisan group of U.S. representatives recently introduced legislation that addresses academic espionage at institutions of higher education.

The bipartisan Securing American Science and Technology Act of 2019 would standardize how federal agencies deal with academic espionage.

“There are serious and legitimate concerns about academic espionage at our universities,” Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ), who cosponsored the bill, said. “That’s why we’re proposing a unified approach to protect research without creating overlapping or contradictory federal requirements. We have to get this right. We must protect our innovation and research while maintaining the international engagement and demonstrated value foreign students bring to our institutions of higher learning, including our universities in New Jersey.”

Under the bill, the director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy would establish an interagency working group of science, intelligence, and security agencies that would evaluate existing policies and would develop a policy framework to address the security needs of agencies and federal grant recipients.

The group would be under the authority of the National Science and Technology Council.

The bill would also establish a roundtable to share best practices through public reports and create a dialogue between federal science and security agencies and academia. The National Academies would convene the roundtable.