Research Security

Protecting GW's Scholars and their Innovations

The George Washington University is committed to enhancing the global reach of our research and therefore supports and encourages international collaborations, interdisciplinary research, and the global exchange of ideas. GW values our partnerships with universities and organizations worldwide and appreciates the value these collaborations have on the education and research efforts of the institution.

This page serves as a hub for many of GW's efforts to safeguard the critical work of improving the world through the discoveries and creative expressions of its faculty and students.

GW Research Security Training

Federal agencies are mandating that Covered Individuals (PI, PD, Co-PI, Co-PD, or other individuals “who contribute in a substantive, meaningful way to the development or execution of the scope of work”) included on research and development (R&D) projects and/or applications must complete research security training.

GW is using the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) Program’s "Research Security Training (Combined)" module to meet this training requirement. This CITI training module will take approximately 1-1.5 hours to complete, and is a condensed version of the four-hour NSF modules which were initially required.

To complete the CITI research security training course, follow these steps:

Access the CITI website.
Log in to your existing CITI account or register if this is your first time visiting CITI.
When you select an email address for your registration, please use your GW email address .
Under "Learner Tools…"choose "Add a Course".
Under "Getting Started" select "Research Security".
Under "Research Security Curriculum", select "Research Security Training (Combined)". This will add the course to your "Courses Ready to Begin".
Next, click "Start Now" and take the course.
Save the Completion Certificate

GW Research Security Resources

Funding Agency Requirements - Details on how specific funding agencies are implementing research security requirements, including requirements from the National Science Foundation (NSF), effective May 20th, 2024, and the Department of Defense (DoD), effective August 9th, 2024.

Definitions for Foreign Talent Recruitment Programs - Includes information on what does AND what does not constitute a "Malign" Foreign Talent Recruitment Program.

Undue Foreign Influence - Additional details on concerns about foreign threats to U.S. intellectual property and the integrity of research endeavors.

To request training or additional guidance on these requirements, or for any other inquiries related to research security, please contact GW's Office of Research Security at resecgwu [dot] edu (rsec[at]gwu[dot]edu).