Brown's Science & Security Working GroupUniversity & Sponsor Disclosure Requirements | Policies & Resources | International Travel & Collaborations | Visitors to Brown | Guidance Document

Important Announcement

At the end of February 2022, the US government imposed new economic sanctions and export controls on Russia, Belarus, and certain regions in Ukraine. These sanctions are evolving. It is important that members of the Brown community wishing to travel to, collaborate with, or send/transfer any item, technology, material to Russia, Belarus, or Ukraine, review our guidance and contact Brown’s Export Control team.

Commitment to International Collaboration and Scholarship

Consistent with its mission, Brown University is deeply committed to and invested in international collaboration and scholarship. We welcome scholars and students from around the world into our research labs and classrooms and value each of these individuals as members of our community. As you may know, United States Government (USG) agencies and major federal sponsors of research at Brown are closely scrutinizing whether engagements with foreign entities and individuals, particularly in the form of research funding, gifts and collaboration, are in compliance with laws and regulations that govern these engagements. Their concerns focus on national security and the potential for valuable intellectual property and other research resources being inappropriately and sometimes illegally transferred to foreign nations. This is an evolving area of concern and focus for the USG.

These webpages will be updated as requirements change over the course of time and Brown’s processes subsequently evolve to facilitate compliance. We ask that you please take a moment to review these pages and familiarize yourself with its content, including Brown-specific practical guidance and resources. Brown remains dedicated to supporting our faculty, staff and students in this time of heightened interest in our global research activities. To help Brown ensure compliance with laws and regulations and support University research, we ask that you comply with University and USG disclosure requirements and policies. 

Please see below the prior communication from Brown's Vice President for Research, Jill Pipher. Note that this website replaced the prior webpage referenced in Dr. Pipher's message to the community and, therefore, some of the referenced links / pages are no longer active.

Message from the Vice President for Research - September 2019

Brown's Science and Security Working Group

The Science and Security Working Group (SSWG) is responsible for developing and assessing the University’s policies, protocols, processes and compliance efforts related to undue foreign influence. Additionally, the SSWG provides feedback on legislation to help protect national and economic security while preserving fundamental research and international collaboration. 

The SSWG’s membership includes a diverse group of campus stakeholders and currently has four subcommittees: Conflict of Interest and Conflict of Commitment; Section 117 of the Higher Education Act (HEA); Technology and telecommunications; and Campus Foreign Visitor Protocol. The SSWG is chaired by Shankar Prasad, Deputy Provost, Global Engagement & Strategic Initiatives and Steve Gerencser, Director Government Relations, and reports to Provost Locke and Vice President for Research, Jill Pipher.