Other Support and Foreign Influences

Department of Defense (DOD)

Below is a summary of the DOD’s requirements on Current and Pending Support reporting for DOD funded research and research-related educational activities and its related policy on combating undue foreign influence.

The Department of Defense released an updated memorandum titled “Fundamental Research Security Initiatives and Implementation” on January 7, 2026 where it significantly expanded the enforcement and implementation of previous policy of June 29, 2023. Per its policy:

  • Since August 9, 2024, the DOD is prohibited from providing funding to or making an award of a fundamental research project proposal in which a covered individual is participating in a malign foreign talent recruitment program or to a proposing institution that does not have a policy addressing malign foreign talent programs pursuant to Section 10632 of the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022.
  • To mitigate research security risk, the DOD conducts Risk-Based Security Reviews of DOD-funded research and has updated its published DOD Component Decision Matrix to Inform Fundamental Research Proposal Mitigation Decisions (“Decision Matrix”) that provides factors to inform fundamental research assistance mitigation decisions. This matrix was updated to be effective for proposals submitted on or after May 9, 2025.

Mandatory Common Forms & SciENcv

As of January 2026, the DOD has joined the NIH and NSF in requiring the “Common Forms” for Biographical Sketches and Current and Pending (Other) Support.

  • The SciENcv Requirement: You can no longer submit a manually typed PDF. All senior/key personnel must use SciENcv to generate these forms.
  • Digital Certification: The form includes a personal certification that the data is “current, accurate, and complete.” The system tracks who generated the form, making individuals directly accountable for omissions. The form also has certification language for PI to certify that each individual identified as a senior/key person must certify that they are not a party to a malign foreign talent recruitment program.
  • Supporting Documentation: For any foreign appointments or employment (e.g., a “Visiting Professor” title at a foreign university), you must now provide copies of the actual contracts or agreements (translated into English) as part of your “Other Support” submission.

Mandatory Research Security Training (RST)

Starting October 1, 2025, and becoming a hard requirement for all submissions in 2026, senior/key personnel must complete federal Research Security Training.

  • Validity: The training must have been completed within 12 months of the proposal submission date.
  • UC Berkeley Policy: UCB’s Sponsored Projects Office (SPO) will not submit a DOD proposal unless we have a record of your training completion (often handled via the UC Learning Center or CITI).

DOD’s definition of “Covered Individual”: An individual at an extramural research institution who, as designated by the extramural research institution, contributes significantly to the design or execution of a research and development project that is funded, in whole or in part, by the DOD, and who is considered essential to the successful performance of the research and development project. Covered individuals include those listed as key personnel in fundamental research project proposals (e.g., the principal investigator or co-principal investigator).

Agency Implementations

LATEST: The January 7, 2026 memorandum moves from policy to operational capability. Here are the three most critical updates:

  • Establishment of the Research Risk Repository: The DOD is launching a Department-wide “Fundamental Research Risk Review Repository.” By Q4 of FY 2026, this will be fully operational, allowing different DOD components (Army, Navy, DARPA) to share risk assessments of specific “Covered Individuals” and institutions to ensure consistent enforcement.
  • Mandatory Grant Number Attribution: Within 45 days of the January 2026 memo, the DOD began amending grant terms to require that all publications resulting from DOD-funded research explicitly include the grant number. This is designed to improve transparency and tracking of research outputs.
  • 2025/2026 Updated Decision Matrix: The “Decision Matrix” first introduced in 2023 was updated on May 5, 2025, and is now the current standard for evaluating proposals. It simplifies the scoring of problematic behaviors, such as participation in “Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Programs” (MFTRPs).

Army Research Lab Broad Agency Announcements (BAAs) require applicants to submit a signed Privacy Act Statement for each and every key person. Other Defense agencies may follow suit or require other information and/or certifications. Proposers should always check specific funding opportunities or BAAs to ensure all required information, format and signatures are included during proposal preparation.

Broad Agency Announcements (BAAs) from Defense agencies such as DARPA are seeking more detailed disclosures on the sources of support for Principal Investigators and other Key Personnel. National Security Impact Statements are now features of these proposals, with particular attention being paid to plans to transfer technology to U.S. industry and disclosures on whether technologies developed under the contract will be transferred to foreign entities. Proposers are also instructed to disclose any prior instances of transfer of technology to foreign entities.

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