Select Committee Releases Report on NASA’s Research Security and Enforcement of the Wolf Amendment
Today, Chairman John Moolenaar of the Select Committee on China released a new report examining NASA’s research security compliance and its enforcement of the Wolf Amendment, which prohibits NASA-funded bilateral research and activities with China without specific authorization from Congress and the FBI.
“The successful Artemis II mission made all Americans proud of the incredible work happening at NASA. We are the world leader in space exploration, and we want to make sure the taxpayer-funded research that keeps America ahead is protected from adversaries including China. That’s why our review identified areas where NASA’s oversight and compliance mechanisms should be strengthened to ensure adherence to the Wolf Amendment and our nation’s research security requirements,” said Moolenaar. “NASA worked cooperatively with the Committee throughout this review, acknowledged areas where improvements were needed, and demonstrated it is taking these issues seriously through concrete steps to improve its research security and compliance processes moving forward.”
Former Congressman Frank Wolf, who authored the Wolf Amendment, wrote the foreword for the committee’s report.
“The United States benefits from an open and dynamic research environment. That openness has driven innovation and strengthened our global leadership. But openness does not mean the absence of rules. When taxpayer-funded research intersects with national security risks, the United States has both the authority and the obligation to set clear boundaries. The Wolf Amendment established those boundaries. This report makes clear that more must be done to uphold them,” wrote Wolf.
The committee’s report, Research Security for America’s Future in Space: NASA’s Enforcement of the Wolf Amendment, reviewed NASA-supported research collaborations involving entities affiliated with the People’s Republic of China (PRC), including several institutions connected to China’s defense industrial base. The report identifies hundreds of NASA-supported or funded publications that potentially violate the Wolf Amendment due to bilateral research collaborations between American and Chinese coauthors and institutions. These findings raise significant concerns regarding the adequacy of historical post-award monitoring, enforcement, institutional disclosure practices, and the agency’s ability to identify potentially prohibited collaborations occurring under NASA-funded research awards.
Read the report here.