Research universities must protect sensitive defense technologies | Opinion
Prominent research universities receive billions of research dollars every year from federal entities such as NASA and the Department of Defense to push the limits of science and make America safer. But the federally funded research makes us a target, and some foreign governments seek to build their military programs on American research. For example, we know that China, Iran, North Korea and Russia are trying to gain a global military advantage in hypersonics and nuclear energy areas.
At the Texas A&M System, I lead a team that works with federal law enforcement officers to seek out areas where protected information might be vulnerable. We conduct regular reviews of agreements between A&M personnel and foreign entities. That practice is one of the reasons Texas A&M has been recognized twice by the Defense and Counterintelligence Security Agency with their Award for Excellence in Counterintelligence.