Overview
Effective December 31, 2025, UCSF must abide by the current USDA General Terms and Conditions for Federal Awards.
The specific research security requirements from the terms and conditions are outlined below.
Research Security Training Requirement
The recipient of a research award, whether an institution or individual, must certify that each individual employed by the recipient to work on the award has completed research security training and must recertify annually for the duration of the award that research security training has been completed.
Research security training must have been completed either at the time of application, where applicable, or within the 12-month period immediately preceding the commencement of work on the award.
To complete this training requirement, log in to LMS and take the Research Security at the University of California training
Prohibition against Participation in a Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Program
The recipient must certify that they (if an individual) or any individual employed to work on the research award is not participating, and has not participated within the past 10 years, in a malign foreign talent recruitment program (MFTRP).
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”).
Prohibition Against Foreign Ownership, Control or Influence (FOCI) by a Country of Concern
By accepting the Federal award, the recipient (whether an institution or individual) certifies that they are not currently, and will not in the future, enter into any subawards, contracts, or other agreements, or otherwise provide any form of benefit (material or non-material) through either funded or unfunded work to any foreign person, foreign entity, U.S. citizen, or U.S. entity, that is subject to FOCI by a foreign country of concern or another foreign adversary.