Supporting faculty engagement with the best and brightest researchers, scholars, and faculty at institutions around the world is fundamental to the University of Miami’s hemispheric mission. In order to encourage and facilitate these vital interactions, while maintaining the absolute integrity of our research and scholarly endeavors, it is crucial for the University to be proactive and avoid inappropriate foreign influence and respond to the rise in global threats to U.S. economic and national security interests.
This is a dynamic issue with a wide variety of stakeholders, and the University is taking multiple preemptive steps, including the creation of a Foreign Influence Taskforce and benchmarking our peers, to address undue foreign influence on our campuses. We want to ensure we are compliant and meet our obligations with federal and state regulations, while also providing faculty with the benefit of our review and guidance of best practices; we want to enable our important collaborations to continue and to monitor and avoid those that might present opportunities for foreign influence.
Recently, the Faculty Senate approved the addition of disclosure questions about foreign engagements, support, and relationships to be added to the UDisclose system. These questions were developed collaboratively with faculty and are limited to the information the University needs to ensure required disclosures are logged and conflicts are managed.
The new questions will be available in UDisclose on Wednesday, March 17. All faculty must either update or complete a disclosure in the system no later than May 31 and will be required to update their disclosures whenever a change occurs and no less than once annually. You will receive a communication from the Office of the Vice Provost for Research and Scholarship with additional information about completing or updating the new mandatory disclosure, including FAQs.
I understand that you may have questions or concerns regarding foreign influence and the new disclosure requirements. Dr. Erin Kobetz, vice provost for research and scholarship, and her team in OVPRS are available to you individually or to speak at a faculty meeting. Questions about updating or completing a disclosure in UDisclose can be directed to DRM@miami.edu.
In the coming weeks and months, you will hear more about our initiative to combat the potential for undue foreign influence in our University community. We will move forward as one U, committed to openness in our transactions with the highest ethical research standards and scholarly pursuits, while maintaining our firm dedication to fostering dynamic international engagements. |
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