A new report is recommending punishment for scientists who do not disclose their foreign ties. The move is a response to increased espionage from foreign governments looking to take advantage of the lax US research policies.
A group of prominent scientists investigating the threat of foreign influence on US research enterprise released its report with some recommendations. The group agreed that scientists who violate the US government rules on disclosing foreign ties should be investigated for misconduct.
The report by Jason, a group based in McLean, Virginia and that advises the government on national security issues, also said that foreign influence on US research was a real threat.
The group was hired by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to tackle this politically sensitive issue of the influence of foreign governments on the US research industry. The report comes amidst calls by Congress to crack down on the open exchange of scientific information.
The need for scientists to disclose foreign ties
The crackdown is in response to China’s no-holds-barred approach that helps it in acquiring research information from foreign countries. China has outlined plans to become a scientific powerhouse within the next few decades.
To achieve this, it is using all means necessary, including using its foreign students and researchers working in foreign countries to gain access to confidential research.
The research is then being used to gain an edge over its competitors, a move that the US government has been trying to fight for long. The Jason group, however, said that it did not want the government to be overly involved in this crackdown.
The group recommended that the American scientific community should have their say in the matter and how to proceed with solving this issue.
One of the most affected institutions, the National Institutes of Health, has become very aggressive in the matter and has already flagged over 200 scientists for failing to disclose their foreign ties.
Jason also made recommendations to the US government, asking it not to close its decade long programs that admit talented scientists in the country. They said the program should continue, but more scrutiny should be made to ensure no foreign-influenced scientists are getting accepted into the program.
The issue of fencing fundamental research from the public was also addressed in the report. The Jason group felt that there was a need to ensure that some researches are kept confidential, especially the ones dealing with national security.
They recommended policies that would insulate such researchers from being accessed by foreign scientists.
Some of the sensible recommendations made by Jason was ensuring that policies that protect the US research interests are adhered to. They noted some countries, singling out China and saying they do not play by the same rules as the US.
Therefore, they made recommendations that security agencies should be more vigilant with foreign students to ensure that no research will be compromised in the future.
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