Training for Research Security
To address the growing concerns around research security, U.S. (United States) federal regulations such as National Security Presidential Memorandum 33 (NSPM-33) (external link) and the security-related provisions under the CHIPS & Science Act (external link) require specific individuals involved in federally funded research to complete research security training. All Covered Individuals (defined below) must certify that they have completed research security training within the 12 months preceding the application date.
- The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) implemented this requirement for new proposal submissions effective May 1, 2025. For more information see Financial Assistance Letter No. FAL 2025-02 (PDF) (external link) and the DOE Research Security Training Requirement site (external link).
- The National Science Foundation (NSF) will implement this training requirement for new proposal submissions effective October 10, 2025. For more information see Important Notice No. 149: Updates to NSF Research Security Policies (external link).
- On July 8, 2025, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued an internal memo, Secretary’s Memo SM 1078-014 (external link), indicating this training requirement will appear in all new research and development (R&D) or science and technology (S&T) awards.
- Other federal funding agencies are anticipated to release implementation dates later in 2025 or early 2026.
- Specific Requests for Proposals (RFP) may expand the applicability of the training requirement beyond just Covered Individuals. Please review your RFP to confirm applicable requirements to ensure compliance.
Who must take the training?
Unless specified in more detail by a federal sponsor, a Covered Individual means an individual who contributes in a substantive, meaningful way to the scientific development or execution of a Research & Development (R&D) project proposed to be carried out with an award from a federal research agency and is designated as a Covered Individual by the federal research agency. At minimum, any individual designated as key personnel in an application will be considered a Covered Individual.
Where can training be completed?
The course “Research Security Training (Combined)” is available in Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI). Instructions for CITI Training (Word)
- The training is valid for one year from the date of completion. CITI will send reminders when it is time to retake the training.
- The training takes approximately one hour to complete.
When does the training need to be completed?
Prior to proposal submission or within 30 days of being added to an award with the research security training requirement.