Restricted Research

Abstract

To protect national security, the federal government has export controls that govern the shipment, transmission, or transfer of certain items or pieces of information to foreign persons or countries. If something falls into a regulated category, it may not be exported out of the country without an export license granted by the regulating agency. The controls also limit access to restricted items by foreign persons living in the United States; items that have been accessed by a foreign individual are called deemed exports. Fortunately, the government grants universities an exception for deemed exports arising from fundamental research in science and engineering. These export regulations are analyzed in depth. Classified information has been declared in need of protection against unauthorized disclosure for the sake of national security. To access classified information, an institution and researcher must have a facility and a personal security clearance, respectively. Classified research means any research that entails access to classified information. University policies governing classified research are examined in detail. Proprietary research is closely related to classified research but carries less rigid restrictions on academic freedom.