Examples
Worked examples
- Is an instance
A government-funded researcher fails to disclose a paid foreign appointment with intellectual property transfer obligations; investigators conclude undue foreign influence occurred.
- Is an instance
A reviewer recuses themselves after identifying undisclosed obligations to a foreign sponsor of a proposal under review.
Counter-examples
Looks similar, but isn't
- Not an instance
A multinational consortium with transparent governance and disclosed funding is collaboration, not undue influence.
- Not an instance
A foreign-born researcher with no foreign sponsor obligations is not an instance of foreign influence.
Editorial commentary
Undue foreign influence is distinguished from legitimate international collaboration by the presence of undisclosed obligations, duplicative or hidden affiliations, intellectual property transfer outside normal channels, or conduct that compromises peer review, awards, or publishing. Policy responses focus on transparency-by-disclosure rather than prohibition of foreign engagement. Detection typically combines self-disclosure, peer reporting, and structured risk review of international activities.
References
- NSPM-33 (2021); JASON Report on Fundamental Research Security (2019).
Also known as
malign foreign influence · improper foreign influence
Machine-readable encodings
Use in your systems
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