On May 1, 2025, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) began requiring all covered individuals listed on grant applications to complete annual research security training, as outlined in a DOE Financial Assistance Letter. The National Science Foundation (NSF) issued similar guidance effective October 10, 2025, and additional federal funding agencies are expected to adopt comparable requirements.
WHY IS TRAINING REQUIRED?
The U.S. government provides substantial support for basic and applied research. However, certain foreign governments have demonstrated increasing threats to the open and collaborative nature of the U.S. research and development (R&D) enterprise. To safeguard this investment, federal agencies now require investigators and key personnel to complete annual research security training prior to submitting proposals for funding.
WHO MUST COMPLETE THE TRAINING?
A covered individual is defined as anyone who contributes in a substantive and meaningful way to the scientific development or execution of a federally funded R&D project, as designated by the funding agency. At UMKC, this includes (but is not limited to):
- Project Directors/Principal Investigators
- Senior/Key Personnel
- Postdoctoral scholars
- Graduate research assistants
- Others determined to have substantial involvement in the proposed project
HOW TO COMPLETE THE TRAINING
UMKC has developed a training program that complies with federal requirements, available through the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI Program). The training takes approximately one hour or less to complete and is accessible to UMKC personnel via single sign-on (SSO).
Steps to access the course:
- Visit the CITI Program website.
- Log in through your organization or register by selecting “University of Missouri–Kansas City” as your affiliation.
- From your course list, scroll to Learner Tools for University of Missouri–Kansas City and select “Add a Course.”
- On the curriculum selection page, choose “Research Security Training (Combined Course).”
- Complete the required Integrity Assurance Statement and begin the modules.
- Progress will be tracked in the online grade book.
WHEN MUST TRAINING BE COMPLETED?
Beginning October 1, 2025, UMKC will require covered individuals to have completed research security training prior to submission of proposals to any federal agency.
This requirement also applies to subrecipients on UMKC-led proposals submitted to these agencies. Researchers are strongly encouraged to complete the training well in advance of proposal deadlines to avoid delays.
RELATED FEDERAL GUIDANCE
National Security Presidential Memo 33 (NSPM33) was issued in January 2021. The memo directs agencies to focus on improving research security in several areas, including research security programs at research institutions.
The National Science and Technology Council of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) released guidance for implementing NSPM33 on Jan. 4, 2022. The document provides agencies with guidance on implementing research training programs. The Council on Government Relations has provided an overview of the July 2024 OSTP “Guidelines for Research Security Programs at Covered Institutions.”
The Chips and Science Act is legislation that was signed into law in August 2022. The legislation includes authorization for funding in the area of semiconductors. In addition, the act also has many research security provisions, including training requirements. The Association of American Universities has provided a summary of those research security provisions.
The Department of Energy training requirements are articulated in Financial Assistance Letter No. FAL 2025-02.
The National Science Foundation training requirements are articulated on their Research Security Training website, which includes helpful answers to frequently asked questions.
Who should I contact with questions?
Jordan Strayer, Research Security Officer
University of Missouri-Kansas City
Office of Research Security
j.strayer@umkc.edu