Pentagon: All 30 Universities Complete Research Security Audits and Sever Ties With Foreign Entities of Concern; USC Among Seven Singled Out
WASHINGTON — The Department of War announced on October 19 that its initial research security audits of 30 universities are complete: all 30 institutions have fully mitigated identified relationships with foreign entities of concern appearing on the Section 1286 list, resulting in more than 80 termination-related actions across the 30 universities.
In August, the department formally notified 30 domestic academic institutions to initiate immediate and comprehensive reviews of their academic, financial and research collaborations with foreign entities of concern identified under Section 1286 of the fiscal 2019 National Defense Authorization Act, and with organizations associated with rebranded Confucius Institutes. To maintain eligibility for future federal research funding, the universities were required to audit all identified foreign collaborations, assess the exposure of sensitive or export-controlled research, and implement strict mitigation plans, including termination of problematic partnerships, reporting their findings and actions to the department no later than August 31, 2026. The Section 1286 list, updated in July 2026, names roughly 130 foreign academic and research institutions, most of them in China, with additional entities in Russia and Iran.
The department singled out seven institutions for going "above and beyond" by proactively identifying and mitigating additional problematic relationships: Oklahoma State University, The Pennsylvania State University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of South Carolina, University of Southern California, University of Texas at Austin and Virginia Tech. "These academic institutions that went above and beyond deserve immense credit for setting the benchmark in domestic research security," said Joseph Jewell, assistant secretary of defense for science and technology. "Rather than settling for minimum compliance, these institutions took bold, self-initiated steps to protect their labs, faculty, and intellectual property from foreign exploitation."
Some schools have already begun terminating specific programs; the University of North Carolina, for example, ended a study abroad program with Shanghai's Fudan University. The department said it will continue updating the Section 1286 list and will continue the effort with partners in Congress, including House and Senate committees.
Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., was also among the 30 institutions audited, and the university said it maintains a robust research security program that meets federal requirements while preserving openness and collaboration in research; Emil Michael, the Pentagon's chief technology officer and under secretary of defense for research and engineering, said: "Our work will continue. Institutions that fail to meet research security standards are on notice: taxpayer dollars will not support institutions whose partnerships put the American warfighter or the Nation's technological advantage at risk." (GSM, based on DefenseScoop)
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 被点名表扬的南加州大学（USC）校园（资料照片）。FASTILY 摄，CC BY-SA 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons 发布。
