Foreign Engagement Assessment Team

“The Foreign Engagement and Assessment Team (FEAT) will collect and review information and make recommendations related to federally-funded researcher participation in Foreign Government Talent Recruitment Programs (FGTRPs), with particular attention given to researchers’ foreign engagements or affiliations in the U.S. government’s designated “countries of concern” that may be characterized as a Malign Foreign Government Talent Recruitment Program (MFGTRP). 

Research

FEAT consists of multiple University representatives including: 

  • The Office of Research & Project Administration (ORPA), including Research Security 
  • Research Integrity & Assurance (RIA)
  • Office of the Dean of the Faculty (ODoF) 
  • As needed, ad hoc members from other University offices such as the Office of Technology Licensing (OTL), Information Security Office (ISO), and the Office of International Affairs and Operations
  • FEAT may request subject matter experts, including from outside Princeton University, to advise on specific cases under consideration
  • The Office of the General Counsel (OGC) will serve as legal counsel to the committee

Inputs:  

FEAT may receive information on faculty engagements from various sources including, but not limited to:

  1. RIA, via the annual COI disclosure process and midyear updates. 
  2. ORPA, related to disclosures found in proposal documents such as Current and Pending or Biosketch documentation and progress reports  
  3. ODoF, via Rules and Procedures of the Faculty that require certain outside professional activities (including joint appointments or reduced duty time arrangements for faculty/researchers involving foreign organizations/institutions) to be reviewed and approved by the Dean of the Faculty, prior to engaging in such outside activities. 
  4. Questions to central offices and departments directly from researchers regarding a proposed or current foreign engagement.
  5. OTL via researcher establishment of companies in a foreign country, or in which IP or materials are to be transferred to a foreign entity/country. 
  6. Information provided to the University by the government.

A complete description of the FEAT process is available here.