The Pentagon has introduced new measures to strengthen research security after a House Select Committee investigation found that department-funded research was being exploited through collaborations with Chinese entities during the Biden administration.
Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar stated, "Secretary Hegseth and the leadership at the Pentagon are taking research security seriously and protecting taxpayer dollars. We cannot allow research funding to contribute to the rise of China’s military, and the Select Committee has worked tirelessly to shutter joint institutes and safeguard American research. As Chairman, I will continue this fight in Congress and keep working with the Trump administration to protect our nation."
The recent initiatives follow findings from a September 2025 investigation by the Select Committee. The investigation revealed that about 1,400 research papers published between June 2023 and June 2025 involved collaboration with entities from the People’s Republic of China (PRC). More than half of these publications—over 700—were produced in partnership with organizations connected to China’s defense research sector.
A memo from Under Secretary Emil Michael noted that the Department of Defense would begin damage assessments on specific cases highlighted in “recent reports by the House Select Committee.” These assessments are scheduled to start within 45 days of Michael's December 9 memo.
Among the recommendations from the committee's report now being implemented are: banning fundamental research assistance award funding for companies listed as Chinese military companies operating in the United States under Section 1260H; creating a Fundamental Research Risk Review repository for improved information collection and sharing across departments; and identifying automated vetting along with continuous monitoring capabilities where possible.
For further details, readers can access the full September 2025 Fox in the Henhouse investigation conducted by the committee.
