Foreign Talent Recruitment Program
Foreign Talent Recruitment Programs (FTRP) are funded, managed, and organized by foreign governments (directly or indirectly) to recruit faculty, professionals, and – in some cases – students in targeted science and technology areas/disciplines without regard to a participant’s national origin and/or citizenship.
FTRP sponsors may include national, regional or local governments as well as non-U.S. universities. The foreign government sponsor may not explicitly state that the opportunity/activity is part of a FTRP.
While many FTRPs are legitimate and have mutually beneficial purposes, some may require or incentivize activities that are contrary to regulations, policies, and core research values to attract and retain talent. These are referred to as Malign FTRPs (MFTRP). Please see the Key Terms section below to learn more about FTRPs and MFTRPs.
Congress, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and other government organizations view MFTRPs as threats to the integrity and security of the U.S. research enterprise. The CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 prohibits participation in a MFTRP by covered individuals involved with research and development awards from federal research agencies and directs those agencies to maintain policies that–
- require covered individuals to disclose all participation in FTRPs, and
- prohibit recipients of federal support from participating in any MFTRPs.
Therefore, faculty and researchers should carefully consider participation in FTRPs and seek assistance from the Office of Research to help determine if an FTRP is a MFTRP.
KR Federal Disclosure and Certification
Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Program certification (third question of form)
Key Terms
Foreign talent recruitment program: any program, position, or activity that includes compensation in the form of cash, in-kind compensation, including research funding, promised future compensation, complimentary foreign travel, things of non de minimis value, honorific titles, career advancement opportunities, or other types of remuneration or consideration directly provided by a foreign country at any level (national, provincial, or local) or their designee, or an entity based in, funded by, or affiliated with a foreign country, whether or not directly sponsored by the foreign country, to an individual, whether directly or indirectly stated in the arrangement, contract, or other documentation at issue.
- Excludes the following international collaboration activities unless activity is funded, organized or managed by an academic institution or foreign talent recruitment program on the Section 1286(c)(8) and (9) lists in NDAA FY 2019:
- Making scholarly presentations and publishing written materials regarding scientific information not otherwise controlled under current law;
- Participating in international conferences or other international exchanges, research projects or programs that involve open and reciprocal exchange of scientific information, and which are aimed at advancing international scientific understanding and not otherwise controlled under current law;
- Advising a foreign student enrolled at an institution of higher education or writing a recommendation for such a student, at such student's request; and
- Engaging in the following international activities:
- Activities that are partly sponsored or otherwise supported by the United States such as serving as a government appointee to the board of a joint scientific fund (e.g., the U.S. Israel Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation); providing advice to or otherwise participating in international technical organizations, multilateral scientific organizations, and standards setting bodies (e.g., the International Telecommunications Union, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, etc.); participating in a Fulbright Commission program funded in whole or in part by a host country government; or other routine international scientific exchanges and interactions such as providing invited lectures or participating in international peer review panels.
- Involvement in national or international academies or professional societies that produce publications in the open scientific literature that are not in conflict with the interests of the federal research agency (e.g., membership in the Pontifical Academy of Sciences or The Royal Society).
- Taking a sabbatical, serving as a visiting scholar, or engaging in continuing education activities such as receiving a doctorate or professional certification at an institution of higher education (e.g., the University of Oxford, McGill University) that are not in conflict with the interests of the federal research agency.
- Receiving awards for research and development which serve to enhance the prestige of the federal research agency (e.g., the Nobel Prize).
- Other international activities determined appropriate by the federal research agency head or designee.
A malign foreign talent recruitment program is:
(A) any program, position, or activity that includes compensation in the form of cash, in-kind compensation, including research funding, promised future compensation, complimentary foreign travel, things of non de minimis value, honorific titles, career advancement opportunities, or other types of remuneration or consideration directly provided by a foreign country at any level (national, provincial, or local) or their designee, or an entity based in, funded by, or affiliated with a foreign country, whether or not directly sponsored by the foreign country, to the targeted individual, whether directly or indirectly stated in the arrangement, contract, or other documentation at issue, in exchange for the individual—
- engaging in the unauthorized transfer of intellectual property, materials, data products, or other nonpublic information owned by a United States entity or developed with a Federal research and development award to the government of a foreign country or an entity based in, funded by, or affiliated with a foreign country regardless of whether that government or entity provided support for the development of the intellectual property, materials, or data products;
- being required to recruit trainees or researchers to enroll in such program, position, or activity;
- establishing a laboratory or company, accepting a faculty position, or undertaking any other employment or appointment in a foreign country or with an entity based in, funded by, or affiliated with a foreign country if such activities are in violation of the standard terms and conditions of a Federal research and development award;
- being unable to terminate the foreign talent recruitment program contract or agreement except in extraordinary circumstances;
- through funding or effort related to the foreign talent recruitment program, being limited in the capacity to carry out a research and development award or required to engage in work that would result in substantial overlap or duplication with a Federal research and development award;
- being required to apply for and successfully receive funding from the sponsoring foreign government's funding agencies with the sponsoring foreign organization as the recipient;
- being required to omit acknowledgment of the recipient institution with which the individual is affiliated, or the Federal research agency sponsoring the research and development award, contrary to the institutional policies or standard terms and conditions of the Federal research and development award;
- being required to not disclose to the Federal research agency or employing institution the participation of such individual in such program, position, or activity; or
- having a conflict of interest or conflict of commitment contrary to the standard terms and conditions of the Federal research and development award; and
(B) a program that is sponsored by—
- a foreign country of concern or an entity based in a foreign country of concern, whether or not directly sponsored by the foreign country of concern;
- an academic institution on the list developed under section 1286(c)(8) of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (10 U.S.C. 4001 note; Public Law 115-232)- see list below; or
- a foreign talent recruitment program on the list developed under section 1286(c)(9) of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (10 U.S.C. 4001 note; Public Law 115-232)- see list below
US Federal Government List of Institutions of People's Republic of China, Russian Federation, and other Countries with Specified Characteristics: Section 1286(c)(8)
US Federal Government List of Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Programs: Section 1286(c)(9)
| Institution Name(s) | Country |
|---|---|
| Academy of Military Medical Sciences | China |
| Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Field Blood Transfusion Institution | China |
| Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Institute of Basic Medicine | China |
| Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Institute of Bioengineering | China |
| Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Institute of Disease Control and Prevention a.k.a. Disease Control and Prevention Institute | China |
| Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Institute of Health Service and Medical Information | China |
| Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Institute of Hygiene and Environmental Medicine | China |
| Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Institute of Medical Equipment | China |
| Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology a.k.a. Institute of Microbial Epidemiology | China |
| Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Institute of Radiation and Radiation a.k.a. Institute of Radiation and Radiation Medicine; Institute of Electromagnetic and Particle Radiation Medicine | China |
| Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Institute of Toxicology and Pharmacology a.k.a. Institute of Toxicology and Drugs | China |
| Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Military Veterinary Research Institute | China |
| Air Force Aviation University | China |
| Air Force Command College | China |
| Air Force Communication NCO Academy | China |
| Air Force Early Warning Academy | China |
| Air Force Engineering University | China |
| Air Force Harbin Flight Academy | China |
| Air Force Logistics College | China |
| Air Force Medical University | China |
| Air Force Shijianzhuang Flight Academy | China |
| Air Force Xi'an Flight Academy | China |
| Amirkabir University of Technology | Iran |
| Army Academy of Armored Forces | China |
| Army Academy of Artillery and Air Defense | China |
| Army Academy of Border and Coastal Defense | China |
| Army Aviation Academy | China |
| Army Command College | China |
| Army Engineering University | China |
| Army Infantry College | China |
| Army Institute of NBC Defence | China |
| Army Logistic University | China |
| Army Medical University | China |
| Army Military Transportation University | China |
| Army Special Operations Academy | China |
| Astrakhan State University | Russia |
| ATR Defense S&T Key Laboratory of Intelligent Information Processing at Shenzhen University | China |
| Bauman Moscow State Technical University | Russia |
| Beijing Academy of Quantum Information Sciences | China |
| Beijing Aeronautical Manufacturing Technology Research Institute a.k.a. Aviation Industry Corporation of China’s Institute 625 | China |
| Beijing Computational Science Research Center a.k.a. Beijing Computing Science Research Center; CSRC | China |
| Beijing Institute of Technology | China |
| Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics a.k.a. Beihang University | China |
| Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications | China |
| Center for High Pressure Science and Technology Advanced Research a.k.a. Beijing High Voltage Research Center | China |
| Changchun University of Science and Technology a.k.a. Changchun Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics | China |
| China Coast Guard Academy a.k.a. China Maritime Police Academy; People’s Armed Police China Coast Guard Academy; PAP China Coast Guard Academy | China |
| Chinese Academy of Engineering Physics a.k.a. Ninth Academy; Southwest Computing Center; Southwest Institute of Applied Electronics; Southwest Institute of Chemical Materials; Southwest Institute of Electronic Engineering; Southwest Institute of Environmental Testing; Southwest Institute of Explosives and Chemical Engineering; Southwest Institute of Fluid Physics; Southwest Institute of General Designing and Assembly; Southwest Institute of Machining Technology; Southwest Institute of Materials; Southwest Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry (a.k.a., China Academy of Engineering Physics’ 902 Institute); Southwest Institute of Research and Applications of Special Materials Factory; Southwest Institute of Structural Mechanics; The High Power Laser Laboratory, Shanghai; The Institute of Applied Physics and Computational Mathematics, Beijing; 901 Institute | China |
| Chinese Academy of Sciences – Center for Excellence in Quantum Information and Quantum Physics | China |
| Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) – Institute of Computing Technology (ICT) a.k.a. Institute of Computing Technology Chinese Academy of Sciences; Institute of Computing Technology; CAS ICT; ICT CAS | China |
| Chinese Academy of Sciences– Institute of Physics | China |
| Chinese Academy of Sciences – Key Laboratory for Quantum Information | China |
| Chinese Academy of Sciences – Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology | China |
| Chinese Academy of Sciences – Shenyang Institute of Automation | China |
| Chongqing University | China |
| Dalian Naval Academy | China |
| Dalian University of Technology | China |
| Defense S&T Key Laboratory of Antennas and Microwave Technology at Xidian University a.k.a. National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Antennas and Microwaves; (Xidian) Antenna Institute; Key Laboratory of Antenna and Microwave Technology; National Key Laboratory of Antenna and Microwave Technology; Antennas and Microwave Technology Key Laboratory of National Defense; Defense S&T Key Laboratory of Antennas and Microwave Technology; Science and Technology on Antenna and Microwave Laboratory; State Key Laboratory of Antennas and Microwave Technology; National Laboratory of Antennas and Microwave Technology; National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Antenna and Microwave | China |
| Defense S&T Key Laboratory of Electronic Measurement Technology at North University of China a.k.a. Defense S&T Key Laboratory of Signal Detection; Key Laboratory of Signal Detection; National Key Laboratory for Electronic Measurement Technology; National Key Laboratory for Electronic Measurement Technology; State Key Laboratory for Electronic Measurement Technology; Key Laboratory for Electronic Measurement Technology; Defense Key Laboratory for Electronic Measurement Technology; China Electronics Technology Instruments Co., Ltd (CETI) Key Laboratory for Electronic Measurement Technology; CETI 41st RI Key Laboratory for Electronic Measurement Technology; North University of China Key Laboratory for Electronic Measurement Technology; North University of China School of Instrument and Electronics Key Laboratory for Electronic Measurement Technology; North University of China School of Electronics and Computer Science & Technology Key Laboratory for Electronic Measurement Technology | China |
| Defense S&T Key Laboratory of High-Power Semiconductor Lasers at Changchun University of Science and Technology a.k.a. State Key Laboratory of High Power Semiconductor Laser of Changchun University of Science and Technology; State Key Laboratory on High-Power Semiconductor Lasers; National Key Laboratory on High Power Semiconductor Laser; Key Laboratory on High Power Semiconductor Laser; Defense Key Laboratory on High Power Semiconductor Laser | China |
| Defense S&T Key Laboratory of Lightweight, High-strength Structural Materials at Central South University a.k.a. State Key Laboratory for Light Weight and High Strength Structural Materials; (Central South University) National Key Laboratory for High-strength Structural Materials; National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology for National Defence on High-strength Structural Materials; National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology for National Defence on High-strength Lightweight Structural Materials; Key Laboratory on High-strength Lightweight Structural Materials | China |
| Defense S&T Key Laboratory of Multi-spectral Information Processing Technology at Huazhong University of S&T a.k.a. National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Multi-spectral Information Processing; National Key Laboratory of Multi-spectral Information Processing Technology; State Key Laboratory for Multispectral Information Processing Technologies | China |
| Defense S&T Key Laboratory of Radar Signal Processing at Xidian University a.k.a. National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Radar Signal Processing; National Lab of Radar Signal Processing; Xidian Electronics Research Institute; National Key Laboratory of Radar Signal Processing; Key Laboratory for Radar Signal Processing; State Laboratory of Radar Signal Processing; National Laboratory of Radar Signal Processing | China |
| Federal Autonomous Institution Central Institute of Engine-Building N.A. P.I. Baranov a.k.a. Central Institute of Aviation Motors; CIAM | Russia |
| Federal Research Center Boreskov Institute of Catalysis | Russia |
| Federal State Budgetary Institute A.V. Zhirmunskiy National Scientific Research Center of Marine Biology, Far East Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences | Russia |
| Federal State Budgetary Institution of Science Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry named after Academicians M.M. Shemyakin and Yu.A. Ovchinnikov, Russian Academy of Sciences | Russia |
| Federal State Budgetary Institution of Science Federal Research Center Pushchino Scientific Center for Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences | Russia |
| Federal State Budgetary Institution of Science Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences | Russia |
| Federal State Budgetary Institution of Science P.I.K.A. Valiev RAS of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Russia a.k.a. FTIAN IM K.A.Valiev RAS; FTI RAS; FTIAN | Russia |
| Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution Research and Production Complex Technology Center a.k.a. Federalnoe Gosudarstvennoe Byudzhetnoe Nauchnoe Uchrezhdenie Nauchno-Proizvodstvenny Kompleks Tekhnologicheskiy Tsentr - NPK Technological Center; NPKTS; Scientific Manufacturing Complex Technological Center; SMC Technological Center | Russia |
| Federal State Institution Federal Scientific Center Scientific Research Institute for System Analysis of the Russian Academy of Sciences a.k.a. Federalnoe Gosudarstvennoe Uchrezhdenie Federalnyy Nauchnyy Tsentr Nauchno-Issledovatelskiy Institut Sistemnykh Issledovaniy Rossiyskoy Akademii Nauk; FGU FNTS NIISI RAN; FSI FSC SRISA RAS; Scientific Research Institute of System Analysis, Russian Academy of Sciences | Russia |
| Federal State Unitary Enterprise All-Russian Research Institute of Physical, Technical and Radio Engineering Measurements a.k.a.; VNIIFTRI | Russia |
| Federal State Unitary Enterprise Central Scientific Research Institute of Chemistry and Mechanics a.k.a. CNIIHM; Federalnoe Gosudarstvennoe Unitarnoe Predpriyatie Tsentralny Nauchno-Issledovatelski Institut Khimii I Mekhaniki; FGUP CNIIXM; FGUP TSNIIKHM; FSUE CNIIHM; FSUE TSNIIKHM; GNTS RF FGUP TSNIIKHM; State Research Center of the Russian Federation FGUP Central Scientific Research Institute of Chemistry and Mechanics; Tsentralny Naucho-Issledovatelsky Institut Khimii I Mekhaniki, FGUP; TSNIIKHM | Russia |
| Guilin University of Electronic Technology | China |
| Harbin Engineering University | China |
| Harbin Institute of Technology | China |
| Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale | China |
| Information Engineering University | China |
| Institute of High Energy Physics a.k.a. Kurchatovskiy Institute ITEF | Russia |
| Institute of Physics Named After P.N. Lebedev of the Russian Academy of Sciences a.k.a. Lebedev Physical Institute; LPI RAS; FIAN | Russia |
| Institute of Solid-State Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences a.k.a. Institute of Solid-State Physics of the Academy of Sciences SSSR; Federal State Budgetary Institution of Science Institute of Solid-State Physics N.A. Yu. A. Osipyan of the Russian Academy of Sciences | Russia |
| Imam Hussein University a.k.a. Imam Hossein University; IHU; Imam Hussein University of the Revolutionary Guards | Iran |
| Keldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics of the Russian Academy of Sciences a.k.a. Federalnoe Gosudarstvennoe Uchrezhdenie Federalny Issledovatelski Tsentr Institut Prikladnoi Metematiki I.M. Keldysha Rossiiskoi Akademii Nauk; IPM IM. M.V. Keldisha RAN; KIAM RAS | Russia |
| Key Laboratory of Information Systems Engineering a.k.a. KLISE | China |
| Lomonosov Moscow State University | Russia |
| Luoyang Institute of Science and Technology a.k.a. Luoyang Institute of Technology | China |
| Mabna Institute | Iran |
| Moscow Aviation Institute a.k.a. MAI | Russia |
| Moscow’s Higher School of Economics | Russia |
| Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology a.k.a. MFTI | Russia |
| Moscow Order of the Red Banner of Labor Research Radio Engineering Institute JSC a.k.a. MNIRTI JSC | Russia |
| Moscow State University | Russia |
| Nanjing Institute of Astronomical Optics and Technology a.k.a. NIAOT | China |
| Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics | China |
| Nanjing University of Science and Technology | China |
| National Defense University | China |
| National University of Defense Technology a.k.a. Central South CAD Center; CSCC; Hunan Guofang Keji University | China |
| Naval Aviation University | China |
| Naval Command College | China |
| Naval Engineering University | China |
| Naval Medical University | China |
| Naval NCO School | China |
| Naval Service Academy | China |
| Navy Submarine Academy | China |
| North University of China | China |
| Northwestern Polytechnical University a.k.a. Northwestern Polytechnic University; Northwest Polytechnic University; Northwest Polytechnical University | China |
| Ocean University of China | China |
| Rocket Force Command College | China |
| Rocket Force Engineering University | China |
| Rocket Force NCO School | China |
| Rzhanov Institute of Semiconductor Physics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences a.k.a. IPP SB RAS; Institute of Semiconductor Physics IM A.V. Rzhanov | Russia |
| Sharif University of Technology a.k.a. Arya Mehr University of Technology; SHFT; SUT; Sharif Technical University | Iran |
| Shenyang Ligong University | China |
| Siberian Scientific-Research Institute of Aviation N.A. S.A. Chaplygin a.k.a. SibNIA | Russia |
| Sichuan University | China |
| Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology a.k.a. Autonomous Non-Profit Organization for Higher Education Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology; Skolkovskiy Institut Nauki I Tekhnologii; Skoltech | Russia |
| Space Engineering University | China |
| Sun Yat-Sen University | China |
| Tactical Missile Corporation, Concern “MPO—Gidropribor” a.k.a. Joint Stock Company Concern Sea Underwater Weapons Gidropribor; Research Institute “Gidpropridor” | Russia |
| Tactical Missile Corporation, Joint Stock Company GosNIIMash a.k.a. PPORosprofprom V “GOSNIIMASH”; State Research Institute of Mechanical Engineering; Pervichnaya Profsoyuznaya Organizatsiya Rossiskogo Profsoyuza Rabotnikov Promyshlennosti V; “GOSNIIMASH”; Joint Stock Company “State Research Institute of Mechanical Engineering” named after V.V.Bakhirev”; SKB DNIKhTI | Russia |
| Tianjin University | China |
| Center for International Security and Strategy (affiliated with Tsinghua University) | China |
| University of Electronic Science and Technology of China | China |
| University of Science and Technology of China | China |
| Ural Federal University Named After First President of Russia B.N. Yeltsin a.k.a. UrFu | Russia |
| Xi’an Jiatong University | China |
| Xi’an Technological University | China |
Changjiang Scholar Distinguished Professorship
Hundred Talents Plan
Pearl River Talent Program
River Talents Plan
Project 5-100
Thousand Talents Plan
Any program that meets one of the criteria contained in Section 10638(4)(A) and either Section 10638(4)(B)(i) or (ii) in the CHIPS and Science Act
- Section 10638(4)(A)- Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Program definition
- Section 10638(4)(B)(i)- a foreign country of concern or an entity based in a foreign country of concern, whether or not directly sponsored by the foreign country of concern
- People's Republic of China (including Hong Kong and Macau)
- Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea)
- Russian Federation
- Islamic Republic of Iran
- Any other country determined to be a country of concern by the Secretary of State
- Section 10638(4)(B)(ii)- an academic institution on the list developed under section 1286(c)(8) of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (10 U.S.C. 2358 note; Public Law 115-232)- see left column
KR Federal Disclosure and Certification
The third question of the KR Federal Disclosure and Certification form relates to malign foreign talent recruitment program certification which senior/key personnel must provide. All "Yes" and "I don't know" responses will be referred to the RSIE team for review and resolution prior to proposal submission.
Are you a party to a malign foreign talent recruitment program?
A malign foreign talent recruitment program includes
(A) any program, position, or activity with cash and in-kind compensation from a foreign country at any level or their designee to an individual in exchange for engaging in certain malign activities including but not limited to the unauthorized transfer of intellectual property, materials, data, products or other nonpublic information owned by a US entity or developed with a US federal research and development award to a foreign country or entity and being required to not disclose to the Federal research agency or employing institution participation in the program, position, or activity AND
(B) is sponsored by a foreign country of concern (China including Hong Kong and Macau, North Korea, Russia, and Iran), listed academic institution, or the below listed malign foreign talent recruitment programs. See full definition including lists of malign activities and academic institutions identified by the federal government as of concern at If you have any questions or request additional guidance, please contact or-rsie@uci.edu.
Examples of Federally recognized malign foreign talent recruitment programs include but are not limited to:
-
- Changjiang Scholar Distinguished Professorship
- Hundred Talents Plan
- Pearl River Talent Plan
- River Talents Plan
- Project 5-100
- Thousand Talents Plan