International Collaborations
Overview
International collaboration is an essential part of the University's research, education, and service mission. Collaborations with researchers, universities, companies, government agencies, hospitals, and other organizations around the world advance scientific discovery, innovation, and scholarly exchange.
While most international collaborations proceed without significant additional requirements, some activities may involve research security, export controls, sponsor requirements, research cybersecurity, contractual obligations, disclosure requirements, or other institutional reviews. The Office of Research Security (ORS) helps faculty, staff, and students identify applicable requirements before research activities begin while supporting responsible international engagement.
Request an International Research Review
What Is an International Collaboration?
An international collaboration is any research, scholarly, educational, or other University activity involving one or more researchers, institutions, organizations, governments, or other entities located outside the United States.
International collaborations can take many forms, including:
- Joint research projects
- Collaborative grant proposals
- Co-authored publications
- International data sharing
- Sharing software, technology, or unpublished research information
- Sharing equipment, materials, or biological samples
- International research agreements
- Hosting international researchers or visiting scholars
- Joint use of research facilities or equipment
- Testing, consulting, or other research-related services
- International field research
- Student or researcher exchanges
International collaborations may be formal or informal. A collaboration does not need to involve funding, a written agreement, or a formal institutional partnership. Informal research activities, including joint analysis, sharing research information or resources, use of facilities, and collaborative work expected to result in co-authorship, may be considered an international collaboration and may trigger sponsor disclosure, prior approval, research security, or other requirements.
Not all international collaborations require additional review. However, some may involve research security, export controls, sponsor requirements, research cybersecurity, contractual obligations, disclosure requirements, or other institutional requirements. ORS can help identify applicable requirements before collaborative activities begin and when circumstances change.
Contact ORS Before You
- Establish a research collaboration with an international researcher or organization.
- Exchange unpublished research information, software, technology, or research data.
- Enter into an international research agreement or memorandum of understanding.
- Collaborate with an organization located in a U.S. Government Country of Concern.
- Collaborate with a foreign government agency, state-owned enterprise, or military organization.
- Collaborate with an individual or organization that may be subject to U.S. government restrictions or federal research security concerns.
- Conduct federally sponsored research involving international collaborators.
- Receive funding, equipment, software, materials, or other support from an international organization.
- Ship research materials, equipment, or samples internationally.
- Are uncertain whether research security, export control, sponsor, cybersecurity, or disclosure requirements apply.
Common Considerations
International collaborations may involve research security considerations depending
on the nature of the research, the collaborating organization, funding source, and
proposed activities. Before establishing an international collaboration, researchers should consider: Whether the collaboration involves federally sponsored research. Whether the collaborator or participating organization requires Restricted Entity
Screening or additional due diligence. Whether the collaborator or organization appears on, or is affiliated with an entity
appearing on, a U.S. government restricted party, research security, or other federal
risk list. Whether sponsor requirements apply to the proposed collaboration. Whether the research involves a Country of Concern, foreign government, state-owned
enterprise, military organization, or other organization that may require additional
review. Whether institutional review is required before the collaboration begins. Most international collaborations proceed without significant restrictions. ORS assists
researchers in identifying applicable research security requirements early in the
planning process. A collaboration does not need to be prohibited by U.S. law to present a federal research
security concern. Some federal sponsors consider affiliations, collaborations, co-authorships,
research support, equipment, or other relationships with certain foreign entities
when assessing research security risk. These relationships may affect proposal or
award review, require additional information or mitigation, or be subject to sponsor-specific
restrictions.
International collaborations may involve export control and sanctions requirements
when sharing equipment, materials, software, technology, technical information, biological
materials, or research information with collaborators outside the United States. Researchers should consider: Many international collaborations conducted as fundamental research are not subject
to export licensing. However, export control or sanctions requirements may still apply
depending on the destination, recipient, end user, end use, items, information, or
other circumstances of the proposed collaboration.
Some collaborations involve sponsor, contractual, or institutional requirements for
protecting research information. Researchers should consider: ORS coordinates with other University offices, when appropriate, to identify applicable
information protection requirements.
Sponsor requirements may apply even when no sponsor funds are provided to the international collaborator and no formal agreement exists. Depending on the sponsor and award, requirements may be affected by where research is performed, the activities performed by the collaborator, resources or facilities made available to the research, or the relationship between the collaboration and the sponsored project.
Researchers should consider whether the collaboration involves:
-
Research activities performed outside the United States.
-
Use of facilities, instrumentation, personnel, data, materials, equipment, or other resources provided by a foreign organization.
-
Collaborative research that may result in co-authorship.
-
Financial or in-kind support associated with the research.
-
A new international collaboration or research activity added after an award has been made.
Depending on the project, investigators may need to consider:
-
Sponsor disclosure requirements.
-
Foreign Components.
-
Current and Pending (Other) Support.
-
Research security certifications.
-
Prior approval requirements.
-
Other sponsor-specific requirements.
Requirements vary by sponsor, award, and funding opportunity.
Some international collaborations may require a written agreement depending on the
nature of the collaboration, the participating organizations, the research activities,
the information or materials being shared, sponsor requirements, intellectual property
considerations, or other institutional requirements. The Office of Research Security (ORS) works with the appropriate University offices,
as applicable, to identify research security, export control, research cybersecurity,
sponsor, disclosure, and other compliance considerations associated with proposed
collaborative arrangements. Depending on the proposed activity, research collaborations may involve:
Related Guidance
| Related Guidance | Description |
|---|---|
| Fundamental Research | Learn when research qualifies for the Fundamental Research Exclusion and how sponsor restrictions may affect its applicability. |
| International Transfers (Shipments, Hand-Carry & Electronic Transmissions) | Guidance for shipping, mailing, hand-carrying, or electronically transferring research equipment, materials, software, technology, technical information, or research information internationally. |
| Sharing Research Information | Guidance for sharing research information, data, software, technology, technical information, presentations, publications, or other research outputs with collaborators, sponsors, companies, government agencies, or other third parties. |
| Foreign-Sponsored Research | Guidance for proposing, conducting, and managing research funded or otherwise supported by foreign governments, universities, companies, foundations, or other foreign organizations. |
| Foreign Talent Recruitment Programs | Guidance on Foreign Talent Recruitment Programs and Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Programs.” |
| Foreign Military and Defense Organizations | Guidance for planning, conducting, or supporting research involving foreign military organizations, military universities, defense research institutes, or other organizations affiliated with a foreign military. |
| International Visitors | Guidance for planning, hosting, and supporting international faculty, researchers, students, visiting scholars, and other research visitors. |
| Export Control Classification | Learn how equipment, materials, software, technology, and technical information are classified under U.S. export control regulations. |
| Critical & Emerging Technologies | Learn about federally identified critical and emerging technology areas and how they may relate to research security considerations and international research activities. |
| Countries of Concern | Learn about countries that may require additional review because of federal research security, sponsor, export control, or institutional requirements. |
| Sanctioned & Embargoed Countries | Guidance for understanding U.S. sanctions programs and conducting research activities involving sanctioned destinations. |
| Restricted Entity Screening | Learn how organizations and individuals are screened against U.S. government restricted party and entity lists before certain research activities. |
| Federal Sponsor Risk Matrices | Learn about federal sponsor research security requirements that may affect research collaborations and other international research activities. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need ORS review before collaborating with an international researcher?
Not always. However, ORS should be consulted before establishing an international collaboration that may involve sponsor requirements, export controls, international agreements, research cybersecurity, sharing unpublished research information, international transfers, or other research security considerations.
Can an international collaboration affect my federal funding even if the collaboration is not prohibited?
Yes. Some federal sponsors consider international collaborations, affiliations, co-authorships, foreign support, use of foreign facilities or resources, and relationships with certain foreign entities when assessing research security risk. Depending on the sponsor and circumstances, a collaboration may require disclosure, prior approval, additional review, mitigation, or other action even when the collaboration itself is not prohibited. Contact ORS if an international collaboration is connected to federally sponsored research or involves an organization subject to federal research security concerns.
Does collaborating with an international researcher automatically require export control review?
No. Many international collaborations occur in support of fundamental research and do not require an export license. However, export control requirements may apply depending on the equipment, materials, software, technology, technical information, destination, recipient, end user, end use, or other circumstances of the proposed collaboration.
Can I share unpublished research information with an international collaborator?
It depends. Sharing unpublished research information, software, technology, technical information, research data, or other materials may require review depending on sponsor requirements, export controls, institutional policies, or other applicable requirements. Contact ORS before sharing information if you are uncertain.
Do I need to screen every international collaborator?
Certain collaborations require due diligence or screening to identify restrictions involving sanctioned countries, restricted entities, sponsor requirements, or other institutional considerations. ORS will determine whether additional review or Restricted Entity Screening is necessary based on the proposed collaboration.
Do I need a written agreement before collaborating internationally?
Not every collaboration requires a formal agreement. However, many collaborations involving research activities, data sharing, materials, intellectual property, or funding benefit from an appropriate institutional agreement. ORS can assist in identifying when additional review or coordination with other University offices may be appropriate.
Does collaborating with a researcher in a Country of Concern prohibit the collaboration?
No. International collaborations involving a Country of Concern are not automatically prohibited. However, additional review may be required to identify applicable sponsor requirements, export control regulations, research security considerations, or other institutional requirements before the collaboration begins.
What if my collaborator is from a university, government agency, or company outside the United States?
The type of organization may affect the review process. Collaborations involving universities, companies, hospitals, government agencies, state-owned enterprises, or other organizations may be subject to different sponsor, institutional, or regulatory requirements. ORS can assist in determining what requirements apply.
Can I collaborate with researchers in sanctioned or embargoed countries?
Not necessarily. Collaborations are not automatically prohibited, but additional review is required to determine whether U.S. sanctions, export controls, sponsor requirements, or other institutional requirements apply.
Do I need ORS review before submitting a proposal with an international collaborator?
If the proposal includes an international collaborator, foreign sponsor, international agreement, international subaward, or other international research activity, ORS recommends contacting the Office before proposal submission so that any applicable research security, export control, sponsor, or institutional requirements can be identified early.
Need Assistance?
International collaborations often involve multiple research security, sponsor, export control, information protection, and institutional considerations.
Early consultation with ORS helps researchers identify applicable requirements, coordinate with the appropriate University offices, and support successful international collaborations before research activities begin.