Research security policy needs clear guidelines
Summary
Research security policies are emerging across nations seeking to protect their national interests in response to geopolitical shifts. Yet governments impose disclosure requirements and threaten penalties while offering little guidance on the vast gray zone of cross-border collaborations that could invite retribution. A chill sets in among researchers. If the community does not act, the result will be scientific fragmentation at a moment when global challenges demand cooperation. That serv
Content
# Research security policy needs clear guidelines
*Published: 2026 Mar 19*
Research security policies are emerging across nations seeking to protect their
national interests in response to geopolitical shifts. Yet governments impose
disclosure requirements and threaten penalties while offering little guidance on
the vast gray zone of cross-border collaborations that could invite retribution.
A chill sets in among researchers. If the community does not act, the result
will be scientific fragmentation at a moment when global challenges demand
cooperation. That serves neither security nor innovation.
DOI: 10.1126/science.aef7935