Title 42 › CHAPTER 163 — RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, COMPETITION, AND INNOVATION › SUBCHAPTER VI — MISCELLANEOUS SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY PROVISIONS › Part C — Research Security › § 19237
Defines key words used to protect federally funded research. It explains who counts as a covered person, what countries and organizations are treated as risks, and what kinds of foreign talent programs are considered harmful. Covered individual — a person who makes a real, important contribution to a research project paid for by a federal agency and who the agency labels as covered. Foreign country of concern — the People’s Republic of China, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, the Islamic Republic of Iran, or any other country the Secretary of State adds. Foreign entity of concern — a foreign group that is on terrorism or sanctions lists, is owned or controlled by a covered nation, is accused by the Attorney General of crimes like espionage, economic espionage, certain computer crimes, arms export or export-control violations, or is judged by the Secretary of Commerce (with the Defense Secretary and the Director of National Intelligence) to be doing unauthorized actions that hurt U.S. national security or foreign policy. Malign foreign talent recruitment program — any program, job, or offer from a foreign government or an entity tied to a foreign country that gives money, travel, titles, research funding, or other benefits in return for things like improperly sending U.S. intellectual property or nonpublic data abroad, recruiting others, taking jobs that conflict with U.S. award rules, hiding the relationship, being unable to quit, or otherwise creating conflicts with a federal research award. It also includes programs sponsored by countries of concern or organizations listed under certain federal defense laws.
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The Public Health and Welfare, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
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Citation
42 U.S.C. § 19237
Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare
Last Updated
Sep 23, 2026
Release point: 119-110