The Department of War announced Aug. 18 that it is ordering security audits at 30 academic institutions conducting defense-related research, targeting foreign influence in university research programs.
The simultaneous targeting of 30 universities is the most sweeping federal action against foreign influence in academic settings since the China Initiative-era reviews. The audits focus on technology transfer risks to adversaries through university research programs funded by the Defense Department.
The 30 institutions were not publicly identified in the initial announcement. The department said the audits will evaluate compliance with security requirements governing classified and controlled unclassified research, foreign talent recruitment programs, and disclosure requirements for international funding and affiliations.
American universities receive billions of dollars annually in Defense Department research funding. The Pentagon has expressed persistent concern that adversaries, particularly China, exploit open academic research environments to access sensitive military and dual-use technologies.
The audits follow prior executive actions expanding scrutiny of federally funded research with national security implications. Previous administrations have also pursued enforcement actions against individual researchers who failed to disclose foreign affiliations, with mixed results in court.
University groups, including the Association of American Universities, have generally supported transparency requirements while cautioning against measures that could chill international research collaboration or create a hostile environment for foreign-born researchers who make up a significant share of U.S. STEM faculty.
The Defense Department funds research across a wide range of disciplines including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, advanced materials, hypersonics, and cybersecurity. These are areas where foreign intelligence services have been most active in seeking unauthorized technology transfer, according to FBI assessments.
The department said audits will be conducted in coordination with the FBI and the research institutions themselves.