Florida A&M University (FAMU) will host a White House sponsored regional webinar on research security 2 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 30.
The webinar, “Enhancing the Security and Integrity of America’s Research Enterprise,” will be led by Kelvin Droegemeier, Ph.D., director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and acting director of the National Science Foundation (NSF).
Charles Weatherford, Ph.D., vice president for the Division of Research, said the event will address such topics as faculty members at U.S. institutions unlawfully transferring intellectual property to other countries, ensuring intellectual property is properly protected, including safeguarding research secrets from cyber intruders. Another potential vulnerability occurs when faculty members obtain research funding from agencies outside the U.S.
Weatherford said FAMU has experience in the area of research security and recently responded to questions about this issue from the state Legislature. Hosting the event gives the University national visibility on the research security front, he said.
“This strengthens our reputation as being serious about research security,” Weatherford said. “It also shows how prepared we are to deal with this very critical issue.”
During the 75-minute event Droegemeier will provide an update on the many activities undertaken by OSTP during the past several months, provide examples of risks to research security that can harm the enterprise, and provide an update on steps being taken by OSTP and agency partners to address risks to security and integrity while maintaining an open and collaborative enterprise, Weatherford said.
In addition to the host FAMU, several other universities from Florida, Mississippi, Georgia and Alabama have been invited to participate.
The webinar will be presented 2 p.m.– 3:15 p.m. Wednesday. The 75-minute webinar will include time for questions and answers from the host institution.
