Notice on Foreign Talent Recruitment Programs (FTRP) for UMaine and UMaine Machias Communities – May 2024

May 31, 2024 COI, Export Control, News, Research Security

The following message was sent via email to all University of Maine employees on May 31, 2024 by the Office of the Vice President for Research and Dean of the Graduate School.

Dear Colleagues,

The federal government has directed the university community to exercise extreme caution related to involvement with Foreign Talent Recruitment Programs (FTRP) due to the concern they may be used by foreign governments to acquire U.S. government-funded scientific research and valuable intellectual property. The CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 directs federal research sponsors to maintain policies which –

  • require covered individuals to disclose all participation in FTRPs, and
  • prohibit recipients of federal support from participating in any malign FTRPs (MFTRPs).

Federal agencies have started implementing these policies, and researchers may start to see sponsor-specific certifications and/or disclosure requirements when submitting proposals. NSF is requiring this disclosure for proposals submitted on or after May 20th . The University has established a new guidance page on Foreign Talent Recruitment Programs as a resource for the research community while development of additional guidance and resources, including training, is underway.

A new certification will soon be available in PARS for investigators to complete during the proposal stage to support compliance with these new federal regulations. We encourage you to review the FTRP guidance, and carefully review sponsor-specific requirements as you prepare proposals.

ORA and ORC will host several sessions over the summer and into the fall to discuss the requirements, process and address questions. A communication about these sessions will be sent in the coming weeks.

If after reviewing the new guidance you are unsure whether your program or activity meets the definition of an FTRP or MFTRP, please contact the export compliance team in the Office of Research Compliance at um.export@maine.edu for assistance.

Inquires related to sponsor-specific forms, policies and procedures may be directed to Amy Elliott (amy.elliott@maine.edu) in the Office of Research Administration.