Faculty and others involved in research aren’t typically rushing to complete training. But just to make sure they don’t jump ahead when it comes to research security, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) took the step of posting notices online with the instruction to “please wait” before viewing four one-hour training modules recently released by the National Science Foundation (NSF).

On Jan. 30, NSF said it was “pleased to announce the launch” of the modules, which it added were “now available to researchers and institutions across the U.S. These modules are designed to facilitate principled international collaboration in an open, transparent and secure environment that safeguards the nation’s research ecosystem.”^[1]

“These training modules signify a major first step in reconciling the needs of the research, law enforcement and intelligence communities to pursue trusted relationships in the global research community while minimizing economic and security risks,” the agency continued. “They provide researchers with clear guidelines and effective strategies to protect against existing and emerging research security threats. The modules also reinforce NSF’s commitment to President Biden’s priorities to strengthen protections of U.S. government-supported research as outlined in the National Security Presidential Memorandum - 33.”