Foreign influence in US research

[Eldorado]

A new report by a congressional watchdog says U.S. agencies need to flesh out and clarify their policies for monitoring the foreign ties of the researchers they fund.

The report, by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), is likely to spur efforts in Congress aimed at preventing China and other nations from using funding and other connections to gain improper access to research funded by the U.S. government.

But at least one of the agencies under scrutiny—the National Science Foundation (NSF)—is pushing back on the idea its policies are lax.

It is warning that tougher rules could hinder its ability to fund the best science.

Full report at Science Mag: Link