Overview
The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) has implemented a new annual certification requirement for Principal Investigators (PIs) and co-Principal Investigators (co-PIs) regarding Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Programs (MFTRP). The requirement addresses Section 10632 of the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 (42 U.S.C. § 19232) regarding malign foreign talent recruitment programs and is effective as of June 7, 2025.
Specifically, NSF stipulates that all PIs or co-PIs named on an NSF award made on or after May 20, 2024 must annually certify in Research.gov that they are not a party to a MFTRP.
What This Means
Individuals who are currently a party to a MFTRP are not eligible to serve as senior/key personnel on an NSF proposal or on any NSF award made on or after May 20, 2024.
If you are a PI or co-PI who is impacted by this requirement, you will be prompted to complete the MFTRP certification after signing into Research.gov using the Sign in link at the top of the page.
PIs and co-PIs are only required to certify once per year on the Research.gov website.
It is anticipated that this certification requirement will be expanded to all senior/key personnel roles at a future date.
The sharing of individual Research.gov credentials is strictly prohibited. All required certifications and attestations must be completed personally by the designated Senior/Key Personnel.
Frequently Asked Questions, instructions and MFTRP contract examples can be found on the MFTRP section (click + for dropdown of information) of the NSF’s Office of the Chief of Research Security Strategy and Policy website.
UCSF Policy
Reminder: MFTRPs often create unmanageable conflicts of commitment. Applying to or participating in a Foreign Talent Recruitment Program (FTRP) or a MFTRP is classified as a Category I Outside Activity and requires prior institutional review and approval. All UCSF researchers must disclose any involvement in a FTRP or MFTRP as part of their annual Conflict of Interest Disclosure in Research Gateway.
For details on the distinction between FTRPs and MFTRPs, please visit the Foreign Talent Recruitment Programs page on the Office of Ethics and Compliance website. Additional training associated with this and other research security issues can be found in the UC Learning Center (search for “Research Security at the University of California”).