Science and Research committee  I think the research enterprise is something very special. It is designed the way it is for a reason. It is based on free and open collaboration and the exchange of ideas. It is based upon reciprocity. It's based upon transparency. My fear is that we have an adversary who has taken every strength of our research enterprise and has turned it into a vulnerability.

Science and Research committee  Certainly that can be an issue. Unfortunately, based upon what I have seen, the behaviour that we're talking about today is being exhibited more by one country than by any other, and that leads to an opportunity for somebody to make this an issue of racism or xenophobia. That can have a chilling effect, and I think it has had a chilling effect, but once again, I think that is all the more reason that we need to focus on the behaviour rather than on countries, because this is a very serious problem.

Science and Research committee  I'd like to say that in my experience, there is a lot of naïveté amongst the faculty. I have seen numerous cases of substantial amounts of funding being used to lure research from the U.S. to China in particular. That would be the attract and capture part. I have not seen the “kill” portion of that analogy, but I do still see very, very active recruitment across the board, particularly in the hard sciences, engineering and agriculture.

Science and Research committee  Once again, I think it's through engagement among our federal partners, our research security office and the faculty. This is a problem that is ripe for more effort in awareness, and I think that we're just breaking the surface right now in that area.

Science and Research committee  The adoption of concealment strategies is certainly an issue. It becomes very much a case of whack-a-mole. Various lists, as you described, do exist in the United States. We have consolidated those lists here within the A&M; system and we have used that as a tool and an integral part of our due diligence process.

Science and Research committee  I think the most effective approach is to focus on behaviour. I think when you do that, ultimately one country is going to rise to the top. Really, I think what we need to be focusing on are those kinds of behaviours that really compromise research relationships.

Science and Research committee  I'd like to say first that I understand the strides the Canadian government has made over the last two years in particular. Some of the products you developed at the national level are very impressive, because we haven't seen that same kind of activity here in the United States.

Science and Research committee  Thank you, and I appreciate this invitation to appear before the committee. I'm the associate vice-chancellor and chief research security officer for the Texas A&M; University System. I'll discuss the unique challenges of protecting cutting-edge technology and maintaining national security in academia's research environment.