International Research Support & Guidance
International scholars and scholarship enrich all aspects of our academic enterprise; and international exchange, collaboration, and travel are key to our staying at the leading edge of knowledge. University of Minnesota Regents Policy directs that “The University has a responsibility to ensure, to the extent possible, respectful and ethical engagement with people, places, and ideas around the globe.”
To support these engagements and our culture of academic freedom and ethics, the University provides a variety of resources relating to research integrity and transparency, disclosure and management of potential conflicts, hosting non-US students and scholars, travel abroad, developing international agreements, and compliance with trade controls.
Read about Russia/Ukraine-Related Financial, Export, and Import Sanctions >
In the News
Research Security Training Requirements for NIH
December 2, 2025
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has issued new guidance for research security training. Effective for applications submitted on or after May 25, 2026, principal investigators (PIs) and senior/key personnel named in proposals for NIH support will need to certify they have completed research security training within the previous twelve months. Personnel must provide the certification at the time of application submission, through the Biographical Sketch in SciENcv, and not in later Current and Pending (Other) Support submissions filed per NIH's Just-in-Time process. For University of Minnesota personnel, research security training is administered through the CITI Program. Please do not hesitate to send any questions to the University's Export Controls and Research Security team ([email protected]).
NIH Policy on Enhancing Security Measures for Human Biospecimens
September 24, 2025
Effective October 24, 2025, organizations receiving NIH support will generally be prohibited from sending U.S. persons' biospecimens (including tissue, blood, and cell lines) to institutions in China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia unless specific exceptions apply. When qualifying exports of biospecimens are permitted, NIH will require exporters to retain documentation about the transfers, including the amount and type of material shared, and provide the documentation to NIH upon request. For additional details, see NOT-OD-25-160, and do not hesitate to send any questions to the University's Export Controls and Research Security team ([email protected]).
Updates on NSF Research Security Policies
July 11, 2025
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has released a comprehensive set of updates on its research security policies. Beginning October 10, principal investigators (PIs) and key personnel named in proposals to NSF will need to certify that they have completed research security training within the previous twelve months. (The University's Export Controls and Research Security team (ECRS) will disseminate information about the training requirement and options to the research community in the near future.) NSF's update also details requirements regarding non-participation in malign foreign talent recruitment programs, annual institutional reporting on foreign financial support, and Confucius Institutes. Please contact ECRS at [email protected] with any questions.
NIH Decision Matrix for Assessing Potential Foreign Interference for Covered Individuals or Senior/Key Personnel
August 15, 2024
Consistent with NSPM-33 Implementation Guidance, NIH has developed a Decision Matrix as a guide to assist agency personnel in reviewing grant applications and awards for signs of foreign interference and the potential need for mitigation measures. Risk factors include indicators of participating in a Foreign Talent Recruitment Program (FTRP), undisclosed or otherwise problematic foreign funding, and undisclosed affiliations with foreign institutions or entities. Please contact the Export Controls and Research Security Team at [email protected] with any questions or concerns.