Office of the Chief of Research Security Strategy and Policy

**Research security at NSF: Why does it matter?** Securing the nation's research enterprise is part of the mission of the U.S. National Science Foundation and is essential to the national defense. NSF works closely on this effort with its funding agency counterparts and with the law enforcement and intelligence communities — consistently emphasizing the importance of balancing research security with international collaboration in science and engineering. NSF has dedicated considerable effort and resources to working with the research community and its other partners to: - Equip researchers with the information and tools necessary to ensure that their work is protected. - Clarify security issues and mitigate risks. - Foster transparency, disclosure and other practices that reflect the values of research integrity. NSF's effort has led to ongoing initiatives aimed at clarifying proposal preparation and award administration requirements, as well as the issuance of new policies and directives in the proposal and award process.