NSF Announces Policy on Foreign Government Talent Recruitment Programs

On July 11, 2019, the National Science Foundation (NSF) issued a new personnel policy that outlines the obligations of NSF personnel and Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) assignees with respect to foreign government talent recruitment programs. The policy was announced in conjunction with a “Dear Colleague Letter” on research protections from NSF Director France Cordova. According to NSF, open scientific exchange is facing a challenge from foreign government talent recruitment programs, which “disregard intellectual and other proprietary rights, and reflect foreign state-sponsored attempts to acquire U.S. funded scientific research through foreign government run or funded recruitment programs that target scientists, engineers, academics, researchers, and entrepreneurs of all nationalities working or educated in the United States.” Such programs “threaten to compromise the values of openness, transparency, collaboration, and integrity of science and engineering research.” Under the policy, NSF personnel and IPAs detailed to NSF are not permitted to participate in any foreign government talent recruitment programs, because there is a risk that such participation could violate ethical conduct principles detailed in an Executive Order, which requires NSF personnel and IPAs to “place loyalty to the Constitution, the laws, and ethical principles above private gain” and prohibits them from holding “financial interests that ...
Source: Public Policy Reports - Category: Biology Authors: Source Type: news