The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) released the latest report by JASON, an independent science advisory group, "Safeguarding the Research Enterprise". Building on the Fundamental Research Security report released in 2019, NSF commissioned this new study to satisfy legislative requirements in Section 10339 of the "CHIPS and Science Act of 2022" and the Fiscal Year 2023 Appropriations bill. JASON was asked to comment on specific steps NSF might take to identify sensitive areas of research and describe processes to address security in those areas.
Safeguarding the Research Enterprise has eight findings and provides six recommendations for NSF to consider. The findings underscore the value of international collaboration while recognizing the spectrum of risks and the need for differentiation between sensitive and nonsensitive research.
JASON recommendations highlight the importance of fostering a culture of research security awareness within the scientific community by providing substantive information to researchers about real risks, making resources available and encouraging continuous engagement with researchers and their institutions about the efficacy of research risk mitigation and control efforts.
