ICYMI: New Pentagon Research Security Initiatives Announced Following Select Committee Investigations

The Pentagon has updated its research security initiatives following a Select Committee investigation that revealed department-funded research was exploited by collaborations with China during the Biden administration. 

“Secretary Hegseth and the leadership at the Pentagon are taking research security seriously and protecting taxpayer dollars,” said Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar. “We cannot allow research funding to contribute to the rise of China’s military, and the Select Committee has worked tirelessly to shutter joint institutes and safeguard American research. As Chairman, I will continue this fight in Congress and keep working with the Trump administration to protect our nation.” 

The initiatives follow a September 2025 Select Committee investigation that revealed that approximately 1,400 research papers published between June 2023 and June 2025 involved collaboration with PRC entities. Of these, over 700 publications—or just over 50%—were conducted in partnership with entities affiliated with China’s defense research and industrial base.

In Under Secretary Emil Michael’s memo, he wrote that the department will conduct a damage assessment of selected cases of research security concerns raised in “recent reports by the House Select Committee.” The assessments are scheduled to begin within 45 days of his December 9 memo.

The recommendations from the Select Committee's report that were implemented include:

• Prohibiting fundamental research assistance award funding to companies on the 1260H List of Chinese military companies operating in the United States
• Establishing a Fundamental Research Risk Review repository to enhance information collection and sharing across the department
• Identifying and developing, where practicable, automated vetting and continuous monitoring capabilities

Read the committee's full September 2025 Fox in the Henhouse investigation here.