Research NewsletterIssue: ORN-2024-24

NSF Trusted Research Using Safeguards and Transparency (TRUST) Framework

The U.S. National Science Foundation has announced a new risk mitigation process, the Trusted Research Using Safeguards and Transparency (TRUST) framework, which will guide the agency in assessing grant proposals for potential national security risks. The revised procedures will help safeguard U.S. taxpayer investments in research and innovation while strengthening international collaboration.

Developed by the NSF Office of the Chief of Research Security Strategy and Policy (OCRSSP), the TRUST framework includes three branches. The first focuses on assessing active personnel appointments and positions, while the second focuses on identifying instances of noncompliance with disclosure and other requirements. The third branch — the inclusion of potential foreseeable national security considerations — represents a significant new effort for NSF. The framework is designed to avoid curtailing beneficial research activities due to institutions or individuals in the community being overly cautious, protect the agency's core values of fairness and due process and maintain open lines of communication with the research community. 

The development of the framework was guided by requirements in the "CHIPS and Science Act of 2022" and the Fiscal Year 2023 Appropriations Report. The "CHIPS and Science Act of 2022" directs NSF to identify research areas that may involve access to "controlled unclassified or classified information" and "exercise due diligence in granting access." The FY 2023 Appropriations Report directs NSF to collaborate with the Secretary of Defense and the Director of National Intelligence to compile and maintain a list of all NSF-funded open-source research capabilities that are known or suspected to have an impact on foreign military operations.

NSF also commissioned a report by JASON, an independent scientific advisory group that provides consulting services to the U.S. government on matters of defense, science and technology. The key findings of the Safeguarding the Research Enterprise report included an assertion that "openness and transparency in fundamental research promote scientific discovery, which improves national security" and recommended specific steps NSF could take to identify sensitive areas of research and processes NSF might use to enhance security in those areas of concern. 

The TRUST process will be rolled out in three phases. Beginning in FY 2025, the process will be piloted on quantum-related proposals. The pilot will collect data and assess key metrics, monitor the impact on NSF directorates and build and evaluate NSF's ability to review the potential national security applications of NSF-funded technology. In the second phase, lessons learned from the pilot phase will be implemented and the process will be expanded to include other key "CHIPS and Science Act of 2022"technology areas. In phase 3, NSF will scale up the review process to include all key technology areas and/or the priorities of the NSF Technology, Innovation and Partnerships Directorate's priorities.

NSF: Partnerships for Innovation (PFI); Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS); Hispanic-Serving Institutions: Enriching Learning, Programs, and Student Experiences; Hispanic Serving Institutions: Equitable Transformation in STEM Education (ETSE);  Gen-4 Engineering Research Centers

NIH: T32 Training Program for Institutions That Promote Diversity (T32); BRAIN Initiative: Brain-Behavior Quantification and Synchronization – Transformative and Integrative Models of Behavior at the Organismal Level (U01)

Department of Energy: Collaboration Opportunity Announcement (COA) for Parties Interested in Partnering with the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) under FY 24 Energy and Emissions Intensive Industry FOA; Solar Technologies’ Rapid Integration and Validation for Energy Systems (STRIVES); Fusion Innovation Research Engine (FIRE) Collaboratives

Department of Defense/US Army/DARPA/ONR: Artificial Intelligence Quantified (AIQ); Enhancing Quantum Sensor Technologies with Rydberg Atoms (EQSTRA)

Biden administration announces new investments in fusion energy:  Officials unveiled new steps in the government’s fusion energy growth plan, which emphasizes public-private partnerships and the development of a fusion pilot power plant in the 2040s. The Biden administration is looking to further U.S. fusion energy research infrastructure through a new strategy and funding opportunities that prioritize delivering more energy solutions based on that science within the coming decade. Multiple officials from the Department of Energy and White House offices announced new initiatives building upon the federal government’s 2022 decadal strategy in a broadcast announcement on Thursday, focusing on bringing more expertise and participation into the development of fusion energy technology.  Four new efforts –– including unveiling a new Fusion Energy Strategy 2024; an additional $180 million allocated to fund projects that contribute to the formation of a fusion pilot plant; releasing a request for information on creating a fusion energy public-private consortium; and the formation of the Milestone-Based Fusion Development Program –– mark the government’s next steps in fostering more fusion-based technology solutions. More information is posted on the NextGov website.

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Bipartisan House bill seeks to reauthorize federal counter-drone authority: House lawmakers introduced legislation on Tuesday that would extend the federal government’s ability to mitigate threats posed by unmanned aircraft systems, or UAS, while also attempting to safeguard the civil liberties of drone enthusiasts.  The legislation, introduced by Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn. — chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee — would extend the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice’s abilities to counter risks posed by errant drones, which are set to expire in September. The original counter-drone authority, the Preventing Emerging Threats Act, was signed into law in 2018 as a provision of the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act. It authorized DHS and DOJ to take steps to mitigate credible threats posed by drones to “certain facilities and assets,” including airports and mass public events. More information is posted on the NextGov website.

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Strategies for sustainable, low-carbon federal data centers: As the world becomes increasingly digitized, the growth of data is exponential. The Department of State's new International Cyber & Digital Policy Strategy aims to harness this data revolution by establishing "digital solidarity" and assisting allies in leveraging transformative technologies that generate and process massive amounts of data. However, this technological progress fueled by data comes with a significant environmental cost – by 2026, global data generation is projected to nearly double from 97 zettabytes in 2022 to 181 zettabytes, greatly outpacing the previous decade's data growth rate.

Data centers consume massive amounts of energy, requiring immense power for storage, computing, cooling systems, and network connectivity. The Information and Communications Technology sector already generates an estimated 3.9% of global carbon emissions, more than industries like aviation. As emerging technologies like AI, blockchain, and the metaverse continue to grow, this footprint will expand exponentially if left unchecked. To mitigate this, the federal government aims to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 65% by 2030 through initiatives like transitioning to zero-emission vehicles and using carbon pollution-free electricity​. More information is posted on the NextGov website.