NSF Won’t Fund Research Involving Chinese Scientists

The National Science Foundation will bar U.S. colleges and universities from collaborating with many Chinese scientists and other entities on the federal government’s restricted parties lists. 

The proposed policy, which was released last week, will take effect Oct. 1. Organizations that receive NSF funding will have to certify that they aren’t collaborating with any entities on the restricted lists. The various lists include several prominent Chinese research universities, such as Nanjing University, Beijing Institute of Technology and the University of Science and Technology of China.

“The U.S. government has determined that the behavior of these entities warrants restrictions based on national security and other foreign policy interests,” the proposed policy states. “Therefore, NSF has determined research security risk mitigation for NSF-funded projects involving these restricted entities is not sufficient.”

U.S. universities’ collaborations with Chinese scientists and institutions have come under increasing scrutiny during both the first and second Trump administrations, and several universities have cut ties in response.