Restricting Foreign-Funded University R&D Awards

Summary#

This bill would add a new section (223A) to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. It says that if an institution of higher education receives money from a "foreign source" to carry out a "specified task," that institution cannot be awarded a research and development award for five years after receiving that money. "Specified tasks" are research and development that relate to national security or military applications, and the bill lists artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and quantum information science as examples.

The bill defines "foreign source" to include the governments of several named countries (Venezuela, North Korea, Iran, China, Cuba, Turkey, Russia, and Qatar) and any other country the Secretary of State decides. It also covers entities established under those governments' laws, entities in which such a government owns at least 25 percent, and agents or subsidiaries that operate for the benefit of those entities (including related foundations or cultural or educational entities). The bill uses existing legal definitions for "institution of higher education," "artificial intelligence," "quantum information science," and "research and development award" where those definitions appear in other laws.

The bill also makes a clerical change to the table of contents of the 2021 NDAA to add the new section.

What it means for you#

  • Colleges and universities: If your institution accepts funds from one of the defined foreign sources to do research tied to national security or military uses (including AI, biotech, or quantum work as described), the institution would be ineligible for federal research and development awards for five years after receiving those funds.
  • Researchers and students: The bill could affect collaborations, funding sources, and eligibility for federally funded R&D projects if the institution is found to have received covered foreign funds for specified tasks.
  • Federal agencies and administrators: Agencies that award research and development awards would follow this rule when deciding which institutions are eligible.

Expenses#

No publicly available information.

Proponents' View#

No publicly available information in the bill text about proponents' stated reasons or arguments.

Opponents' View#

No publicly available information in the bill text about opponents' stated reasons or arguments.