GUIDANCE ON INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL & COLLABORATIONS

International Travel | International Collaborations 

International Travel 

Brown faculty, students and staff frequently travel abroad to conduct research, attend conferences, establish and foster international collaborations, and learn about foreign cultures. Before you travel for research purposes:

  • Visit the Office of Global Engagement's website and review its Planning Your Global Activity page.
     
  • Review cybersecurity and local laws regarding the use of encryption and VPN. Follow Brown Computing & Information Services (CIS) guidelines for international travel and consider traveling with “clean” electronic devices, such as a laptop, smart phone, electronic storage media, etc. Brown CIS offers an international device loaner program. 
     
  • Review and abide by the Office of International Program's Travel Advisory Policy and any additional policies implemented in light of the current global pandemic. Please note that the issuance of an export control license by a relevant regulatory agency does not supersede Brown’s institutional policy related to international travel.
     
  • Review Brown's Export Control International Travel page. Evaluate whether anything you intend to ship or hand-carry requires an export control license or other documentation (e.g., a carnet). The following, most comprehensively-sanctioned countries will require advance planning and coordination with our Export Control office: Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Syria, and Crimea Region of the Ukraine. Contact the Export Control Officer as soon as you anticipate travel to one of these countries. 
     
  • Consider who you will be interacting with and whether you intend to share research data. It is important to ensure that you do not accidentally export restricted information or provide any type of assistance or benefit to a sanctioned or blocked entity (Restricted Party).  You are free to take and openly discuss any data or information that is published, in the public domain, is normally taught as part of a class or that resulted from Fundamental Research. However, you cannot take or share data or information that is in any way export-restricted, such as information about export-controlled technologies, proprietary information, or the results of a project not protected under the Fundamental Research Exclusion. Sharing these types of information may constitute an unauthorized export.
     
  • Consider whether you will be presenting data or information in an international setting. When presenting data/information in an international setting you need to ensure that you limit your presentation to only information or data that is published, or is publicly available, or that qualifies as Fundamental Research. You must not include or discuss any proprietary, unpublished, or export-restricted data or information as that may constitute an unauthorized export.

To help ensure smooth international travel and related compliance, contact Brown’s Export Control office as soon as possible if you have questions or concerns about export controls as they may apply to your travel plans.

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International Collaborations

Before engaging in an international collaboration, the university needs to determine if export licenses are required and to verify that the foreign individual or organization is not a blocked or sanctioned entity (Restricted Party). Note that some universities are Restricted Parties. It is important that you disclose relevant international collaborations to research sponsors and when prompted as part of the University's Conflict of Interest and Conflict of Commitment disclosure processes and policies.

If you intend on collaborating internationally, please review Brown Export Control's International Collaborations page and contact Brown’s Export Control office as early in the process as possible.

Please keep in mind the following when collaborating internationally or conducting research abroad:

  • If you are presenting or discussing research with foreign collaborators, only provide information that is either already published, in the public domain, or has no restrictions on publication.
     
  • If you are providing instruction or training, be sure that the information you are sharing is not controlled for export and that providing a service to the foreign group or the country of destination is allowable (contact the Export Control office for assistance).
     
  • Providing training or instruction to foreign military personnel, may be considered a “defense service” requiring a license from the Department of State. As such, you must contact the Export Control office well in advance of your intended travel or collaboration if you will be providing services or training to a foreign military group.
     
  • Shipping or transferring of physical items may be export controlled and require a specific license to ship even if the research is Fundamental Research. Shipping to some countries requires documentation and/or reporting in addition to the license. Contact the Export Control office if you need assistance determining what is required. 
     
  • Be aware that everything you export is considered an import to the destination country. It is your responsibility to assess that country’s import regulations well in advance of your trip and to abide by any requirements.