Proposed rule draws wider condemnation

More research organizations have voiced opposition to a White House-proposed rule that they warn could significantly disrupt international scientific collaboration, limit access to foreign expertise, and undermine its stated goal of protecting US national security.

The White House Office of Management and Budget, or OMB, has proposed sweeping restrictions that would prohibit the use of federal funds for bilateral or multilateral collaboration with "covered foreign countries" or "covered foreign entities".

The proposal would also prohibit collaboration with countries subject to sanctions or restrictions related to national security, defense or intelligence activities. OMB has said the measures are intended to protect national security, but the proposal does not clearly define "covered foreign countries" or "covered foreign entities".

In a report published on Wednesday, the Association of American Universities, or AAU, warned that the "sprawling rule would prohibit important fundamental research collaborations in areas of science that pose no security risk whatsoever — undermining work that is essential to scientific innovation and advancement".

The proposed rule cites the Wolf Amendment, which bars scientists from using NASA funding for bilateral collaboration with China, as a model for government-wide restrictions on foreign research collaboration.

Expanding that approach would "effectively ban research collaborations with China", the AAU report said.

"This ban would come at a time when China has overtaken the United States as the largest funder of scientific research and development and has significantly increased its research output in key emerging technology areas," the report said. "Ending all federally funded research collaborations with China would mean that the United States will be unable to benefit from Chinese scientific expertise in these and other areas."

The proposal's "domestic-first" framework could affect research ties with allied nations, according to the AAU.

Less attractive partner

Several European science organizations have also weighed in on the proposal, warning that the restrictions could make the US a less attractive research partner.

The League of European Research Universities said in its comment letter that growing uncertainty or greater difficulty in international collaboration could discourage leading European researchers and institutions from participating in US-funded programs.

The European Federation of Academies of Sciences and Humanities strongly condemned the proposal, saying it "would impose significant barriers on international research collaboration, which is essential for scientific achievements and innovation".

The AAU argued that limiting international cooperation could ultimately weaken rather than strengthen the position of US science.

"While some in Washington still assume that American science can maintain its edge through self-reliance, the reality is much different," the report said. "The United States is no longer the unrivaled scientific leader it once was, and it increasingly depends on global partners to stay competitive."

Biomedical researchers have raised similar concerns, warning that broad restrictions on federally funded research could jeopardize unexpected discoveries that are critical to advancing human health and well-being.

The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, or FASEB, is composed of 21 US scientific societies representing more than 100,000 researchers in biological and biomedical sciences.

In an Aug 22 letter to the National Science Foundation commenting on its Draft Guidance on Financial Assistance, FASEB said the draft guidance "expressly aligns" with OMB's proposal and urged OMB to withdraw the proposed rule in order to preserve "open, reciprocal international collaboration".

FASEB said scientific advances build on existing knowledge, while the results of research are often unknown when experiments are first proposed. Such examples include the Human Genome Project, recombinant DNA technology, clot-busting medications, statins and Lyme disease research. Grants allow scientists to pursue such ideas and potentially make major breakthroughs.

The rule was originally scheduled to take effect on Oct 1. Earlier this month, however, the US Senate passed a bipartisan continuing resolution blocking the rule from being finalized or enforced until Dec 11.

liazhu@chinadailyusa.com