The University of Chicago steadfastly supports our faculty and other investigators’ international research and collaborations, whether conducted overseas or in University laboratories. To that end, the Provost’s Office, together with University Research Administration, has compiled the following information to provide guidance and resources to UChicago researchers and administrators regarding the various research-related compliance and disclosure obligations associated with international collaboration at the University and around the world.
We encourage you to carefully review the detailed information on this site, which address in more detail the following key obligations and expectations:
- Disclose external financial interests and conflicts of commitment to the University annually and as new financial interests arise. Financial interests can include personal compensation received from a foreign institution of higher education or a foreign government.
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Disclose affiliations, other support and non-U.S. performance sites to external sponsors. As a general matter, federal agencies expect disclosure of:
- Any titled academic, professional, or institutional position or appointment, whether or not remuneration is received and whether full-time, part-time, or voluntary (including adjunct, visiting, or honorary).
- Participation in “Foreign Talent Programs”
- Participation of Visiting Researchers/Scholars in Funded Projects at the University
- In-kind support (e.g., laboratory space, personnel, and access to equipment and facilities) provided by an institution other than the University.
- Consulting Arrangements that involve the conduct of the research by the faculty member on behalf of or at a third-party location.
- Support received outside of the researcher’s appointment period.
- All other foreign and domestic grants and funding received in support of a faculty member’s research.
- Obtain prior approval for inclusion of Foreign Components to a federally-funded research project.
- Screen your institutional and individual collaborators against US restricted party lists (Note: The University currently screens individuals who come as Visiting Scientists, Visiting Scholars and BSD’s External Academic Research Scientists (EARS)). Requests can also be submitted through Service Now here. A response will generally be provided within two business days.
- Contact the URA Export Control Office (ECO) to understand government restrictions on proposed research that involves sanctioned countries and before sending items, data, and software to foreign collaborators (Note: Material transfer agreements and other research-related agreements with external organizations should be processed through URA, which reviews for export control issues). Contact the ECO at exportcontrol@lists.uchicago.edu
- Process proposals, awards, data use agreements, material transfer agreements and other research-related agreements with external organizations through URA.
- Disclose new inventions, funding sources and all inventors who contribute to the creation of a new innovation to Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
- If serving on NIH, NSF or other scientific peer review panels, note and comply with all confidentiality obligations regarding the content of the research grant applications or other academic materials under review.
- Seek Provost's Office approval for academic leaves to visit at another institution for more than 90 days, and work with URA to submit a plan to the federal sponsor for how the funded research will be managed during that time and to obtain any necessary sponsor approvals for the leave or corresponding reductions in effort.
- Work with the UChicago Global Office to establish MOUs/partnership agreements with international and foreign organizations.
Thank you for the continued diligence in following these regulations, institutional processes, and sponsor requirements. Our collective attention to these matters is vital to the long-term stewardship of our research enterprise and ensuring our international collaborations and research continue to have maximum impact around the world.