NSF to bar research collaborations with restricted foreign entities The National Science Foundation announced last week that it plans to introduce a new policy prohibiting the use of NSF funds for research in collaboration with entities that the Department of Defense and other agencies have flagged as national security risks. The policy refers to lists of entities that include many Chinese companies, such as telecommunications giant Huawei, and some Chinese universities. The forthcoming policy, which NSF plans to implement in fiscal year 2027, alongside the agency’s new financial assistance guidance, would also prohibit leading researchers on NSF awards from holding appointments with, or receiving research support from, any restricted entities. When the policy goes into effect, institutions submitting NSF proposals will be required to certify compliance with the new requirements and will be responsible for ensuring researchers are informed of the changes. NSF’s current research security risk mitigation measures are “not sufficient,” the agency said in the Dear Colleague Letter announcing the policy. The agency also said that aligning its approach with the Department of Defense’s research collaboration rules (which were introduced earlier this year) would promote consistency and reduce administrative burden. Republicans on the House Committee on the CCP, who have pushed for tighter restrictions on research collaboration, welcomed NSF’s announcement, with Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI) describing the changes as “commendable and commonsense” policy reforms. “Prohibiting federal funding from being used to collaborate with Chinese entities that are national security risks or human rights abusers is straightforward and all federal agencies should follow the lead of the Pentagon and NSF,” Moolenaar said. In his statement, Moolenaar called on Congress to pass the Securing Innovation and Research from Adversaries Act – a bill he introduced in May that would codify similar rules and apply them across the federal government. The