US can’t allow its government spending on federal research to be exploited by our nation’s adversaries
Pentagon plans AI fleet to counter growing China threat
Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks addressed the plan and how the U.S. will continue to counter the rising aggression from China.
In the latest example of foreign adversaries exploiting vulnerabilities in the American research enterprise, House Republicans are investigating how federal research funds were paid to an artificial intelligence expert at UCLA with ties to the Chinese government.
Together with findings in a new government watchdog report, the incident should make clear that the government's process for vetting research is broken, putting the country at risk."
In letters to UCLA, the Pentagon and the National Science Foundation, the Republican chairs of two committees requested information about $30 million in research funding provided to a UCLA computer scientist who moved to China in 2020 and has been contributing to Beijing's efforts to win the AI arms race.
A 2019 Senate report detailed how the Chinese government had accessed federally funded research over a 20-year period. (Getty Images)
In a major security oversight, the National Science Foundation only learned about the researcher’s collaboration with the Chinese government after awarding research funding.
The investigation highlights a bigger problem. A 2019 bipartisan report by the Senate’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations detailed how the Chinese government had accessed federally funded research for economic and national security advantages over a 20-year period.
The investigation warned that federal agencies providing research grants and the national security community did little to prevent the transfer of taxpayer-funded research.
Five years later, federal agencies are still struggling to appropriately vet research grant applicants to prevent funds going to national security threats, putting at risk the $200 billion that the federal government spent on research and development programs last year.
A new government report shows just how weak the screening process is. The Government Accountability Office found that the federal databases that agencies use to screen research grant applicants don’t have the necessary information.
For example, the Treasury Department told GAO that applicants lacked basic information like physical addresses and dates of birth, which lets applicants conceal their identity. The same information is missing from USASpending.gov, the federal website aiming to provide transparency about where federal dollars are going.
6332493167112If the federal government can’t effectively screen the dollars it’s sending to foreign organizations or people, it should be no surprise that some of our federal research dollars are being exploited by foreign adversaries.
It’s essential that the federal government address these weaknesses. The Government Accountability Office recommended that the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy should lead an effort to "facilitate the sharing of information on identifying foreign ownership, control, or influence," to address federal research security risks.
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But Congress also has an important role to play. For starters, Congress should require federal agencies, including the intelligence community, to improve information sharing about foreign threats to the American research enterprise.
Following the 2001 terrorist attacks, Congress required the intelligence and national security community to improve information sharing and vetting to prevent terrorist threats. Lawmakers should now require improved information sharing to protect American science and technological advantages.
Congress should also strengthen the existing rules for colleges and universities to disclose rules for foreign gifts and contributions to improve transparency about how foreign money is influencing the nation’s campuses.
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In December, the House of Representatives passed the Deterrent Act, sponsored by Rep. Michelle Steel, R-Calif., with bipartisan support. The bill would require the disclosure of more foreign payments, close loopholes and hold colleges and universities accountable. In 2021, the Senate passed a bill with similar reforms to expose foreign influence in higher education, and now could make these reforms law this year.
The United States can’t afford to allow its government spending on federal research to be exploited by our nation’s adversaries. Improving information sharing about foreign threats and requiring colleges to do their part to expose foreign influence should be a priority in 2024.
