International Collaboration Review Committee
UT aims to facilitate research driven by faculty scholarly agendas. The University also seeks to protect faculty, students, and the university from undue risks when engaging with foreign entities, whether those risks arise directly from the engagement or from potential conflicts with various internal, state, or federal policies.
The International Collaboration Review Committee (ICRC), comprised of faculty and research administrators, reviews collaborations with or taking place in countries of concern. These countries, as defined by the 2022 Chips and Science Act and Texas Executive Order GA-49, include China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, and Venezuela. The committee reviews details of the proposed scholarly work and provides researchers with recommendations for maintaining physical and data security and minimizing technical threats like computer viruses and export control violations, and non-technical risks like conflicts of interest and policy violations. The committee will not deny projects but will help facilitate productive and secure collaborations.
Faculty and researchers with planned collaborations or field research in countries of concern, as well as those with in-progress projects, should submit through the web-based ICRC portal information about the collaboration and how it benefits their overall scholarly agenda. Prospective collaborations will take review priority. The ICRC will review the proposed work and provide risk mitigation recommendations on issues such as:
- travel security
- data security
- disclosure to UT and research sponsors
- coauthorship
Activities Requiring ICRC Review
Any UT investigator contemplating or already working with entities or individuals in countries of concern (i.e., PRC, to include Hong Kong and Macau; Russian; Iran; North Korea; Cuba; or Venezuela) or carrying out field research in those countries are required to submit the activity for ICRC review. These activities include:
- Employment that involves research (including advising on research) or teaching, to include academic, professional, or institutional appointments, whether or not remuneration is received
- Joint patents
- Joint research collaboration or joint partnerships
- Research support (monetary or in-kind)
- Invitations to join funding proposals
- NDAs or contract agreements
- Any research related agreements
- Talent program invitations
ICRC Meeting Frequency
The ICRC meets twice each month, generally on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday.
Resources