H.R. 8901: Securing Innovation and Research from Adversaries Act

This bill, titled the Securing Innovation and Research from Adversaries Act, aims to establish restrictions on certain federally funded research collaborations. Below is a detailed summary of its main components:

Prohibition on Federally Funded Research Relationships

The bill prohibits federally funded research awards from being used by individuals or entities to engage in research collaborations with:

• Entities listed on United States Government restricted entity lists.
• Individuals associated with such entities.

Definition of Federally Funded Research Awards

Federally funded research awards include grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, and any other financial assistance provided by federal agencies for research activities.

National Security Considerations

The bill allows the heads of federal agencies to issue waivers to this prohibition on a case-by-case basis if the waiver is deemed:

• Necessary to advance national security interests of the United States.
• Essential for a clearly defined scientific, public health, or national security purpose that cannot be achieved otherwise.

Waiver Notification Requirement

Agencies that grant a waiver must notify Congress within 30 days. This notification must include:

• The identity of the individual or entity involved.
• The justification for the waiver.
• Any mitigation measures taken to protect national security interests, if applicable.

Definition of Research Collaboration

The bill defines "research collaboration" broadly to include a variety of activities under a federally funded research award, such as:

• Joint research activities or projects.
• Co-authorship of scholarly publications or technical reports.
• Data sharing or access to research results and infrastructure.
• Operation of joint laboratories or research centers.
• Personnel exchanges or joint supervision of student researchers.

Definitions of Entities and Lists

The bill specifies that the entities restricted from collaboration include those listed in various government restricted entity lists. These lists consist of:

• The Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security Entity List.
• The Department of Defense's Chinese Military Companies List.
• Lists of entities designated for reasons related to national security and human rights among others.

Implementation Guidance

The Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, in conjunction with relevant federal research agencies, is tasked with issuing guidance to ensure standard compliance requirements and enforcement mechanisms throughout federal research agencies.

Relevant Companies

None found.