Federal research funding comes with an important responsibility: protecting the integrity of the U.S. research enterprise. Research security training (RST) is now a standard requirement for principal investigators and senior/key personnel who seek or receive federal research and development funding — and UMB is here to make compliance straightforward.

What You Need to Know

UMB has adopted the NSF Research Security Training Condensed Module as its institution-wide solution for meeting RST requirements. This one-hour online course available through Percipio satisfies the requirements of all five major federal agencies that mandate it: NIH, NSF, DOE, DOD, and USDA.

The training covers the essentials every researcher should understand:

  • How to recognize security risks and potential undue foreign influence in research settings
  • Federal disclosure requirements and why they matter
  • Risks associated with international collaborations and how to manage them responsibly
  • How to pursue global partnerships while safeguarding U.S. research interests

Who Needs to Complete It

If you are a PI or senior/key person on a federal grant proposal or award, this training is required for you. UMB must certify annually that covered individuals have completed compliant training, and you must personally certify completion within 12 months of any application submission date.

Three Steps to Stay Compliant

To avoid delays in proposal submission and award processing, researchers are encouraged to:

  • Complete the required research security training before beginning proposal development.
  • Ensure all Senior/Key Personnel named on a proposal complete the training before submission.
  • Download and retain a copy of their training completion certificate for their records.

Have questions? The FAQs below have the answers.

Research Security Training FAQs

Federal grant recipients must complete research security training as required by National Security Presidential Memorandum 33 and the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022. UMB has responded to this mandate by requiring RST to be completed by Principal Investigators (PIs) and Senior/Key Persons for all sponsored funding. Please refer to the campus notification.

NIH, USDA, NSF, Department of Energy, and NASA have announced the research security training requirement. Expect that other federal agencies will follow suit, including the Department of Defense. Carefully read through proposal guidelines to identify agency training requirements.

An individual who

  1. contributes in a substantive, meaningful way to the scientific development or execution of a research and development project proposed to be carried out with a research and development award from a Federal research agency; and
  2. is designated as a covered individual by the Federal research agency concerned.

Consistent with NSPM-33, this means Principal Investigators (PIs) and other Senior/Key personnel seeking or receiving Federal research and development funding.

Effective May 25, 2026, all Principal Investigators (PIs) and Senior/Key Persons listed on any proposal submission for sponsored funding through SPA must have completed the required annual research security training prior to proposal submission.

Yes, if they meet the agency’s definition of a Covered Individual or are listed as a Principal Investigator (PI) and Senior/Key Person on any proposal submission for sponsored funding through SPA, they must have completed the required annual research security training.

The training is good for twelve (12) months after the completion date.

No. Effective May 25, 2026, all Principal Investigators (PIs) and Senior/Key Persons listed on a proposal MUST have completed their annual research security training at the time of proposal submission.

Federal agencies require certification that all Principal Investigators (PIs) and Senior/Key Persons have completed the research security training. For UMB to appropriately certify, the training is a requirement prior to proposal submission.