The REN-ISAC’s Kim Milford (Executive Director) had the pleasure and privilege of representing our membership community at FBI Academic Research Security Conference hosted by Harvard University earlier this month. After being welcomed to the daylong event by John H. Shaw (Vice Provost for Research, Harvard University) and Joseph R Bonavolonta (Special Agent in Charge, FBI Boston), attendees participated in three sessions exploring the event’s theme, “Safeguarding the U.S Research Enterprise: Transparency, Integrity, and Reciprocity.”
The first session “In Focus: Cybersecurity” was a rich discussion on research and education’s complex and unique cybersecurity needs. Panelists Milford, Michael Corn (University of California San Diego), Douglas Domin (Federal Bureau of Investigation), and Brandon Wales (Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency)—led by moderator Klara Jelinkova (Harvard University )—discussed issues of compliance, intrusion response, mitigation strategies, and threats. The group also emphasized the use of public/private partnerships to encourage productive research while also protecting that research and the individuals, groups, and organizations it affects.
In “Federal Efforts to Protect America’s Research Integrity,” moderator Wendy Streitz (Council on Governmental Relations) led a discussion focused on the “whole of government” approach to protecting American research. Panelists Rebecca Spyke Keiser (National Science Foundation), Michael Lauer (National Institutes of Health), and Bindu Nair (Department of Defense) discussed each agency’s concerns, requirements, and overarching efforts to harmonize compliance and disclosure requirements across agencies.
The final session was on the subject of “NSPM-33 Implementation.” NSPM-33 refers to a presidential memorandum on national security strategies published in 2021 for US research and development institutions. Panelists Kevin R. Gamache (The Texas A&M University System), Rebecca Spyke Keiser (National Science Foundation), Ara Tahmassian (Harvard University), and moderator Tobin Smith (Association of American Universities) discussed current efforts to enhance research security and the most effective tactics to support productive cross-border collaborations.
Milford was “buoyed by the rich discussion” at the FBI Academic Research Security Conference. She especially appreciated the balanced approach the speakers took to raising awareness of Nation State threats to research and higher education while also discouraging bias towards international students, researchers, and peoples.