The Department of War (DoW) is now cracking down on any questionable research collaborations by American educational institutions with foreign interests. To that end, the DoW has now issued notifications to no less than 30 American domestic academic institutions, requiring them to conduct a review of any such collaborations. The initial announcement appeared Monday on DoW's official X account.
— Department of War CTO (@DoWCTO) August 17, 2026
The article begins:
The Department of War has issued formal notifications to 30 domestic academic institutions, directing them to initiate immediate and comprehensive reviews of their academic, financial and research collaborations with foreign entities of concern.
These notifications address active institutional ties and collaborations with foreign entities identified under Section 1286 of the FY19 NDAA, as well as organizations associated with rebranded Confucius Institutes. Executed by the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering, this action is designed to protect American taxpayer-funded research investments from unauthorized technology transfer, intellectual property theft and adversarial exploitation.
The concern is the possibility of federally funded research and data being available to foreign powers and entities that are not friendly to the United States.
To maintain eligibility for future federal research funding, the notified universities must complete a comprehensive audit of all identified foreign collaborations, assess the exposure of sensitive or export-controlled research, and implement strict mitigation plans, including the termination of problematic partnerships. Institutions are required to report their findings and actions directly to the Department no later than August 31, 2026.
“Universities are critical partners in executing a wide range of Department of War research programs, and the Department must therefore ensure that our research investments are well protected from foreign exploitation,” said Dr. Joseph Jewell, Assistant Secretary of War for Science and Technology.
This isn't just a problem in academia, as the ongoing investigations into Dr. Anthony Fauci and others have demonstrated. And the Trump administration has already taken steps to address the issue.
American universities and colleges have long been valuable partners in American industrial and military research, and such research has from time to time been shared with American allies and neutral nations. But the rise of China and increasing instances of Chinese infiltration of American academia may well be prompting this move by the DoW. Also, as my colleague and friend Bob Hoge recently informed us, the DoW has already cut ties to one major American university. Bob writes:
On Friday, Department of War Secretary Pete Hegseth took up the fight too, and he’s pulling the plug on academic ties to the school (Harvard), saying they value woke above military efficiency.
American academia has seen, in recent decades, millions, even billions, in donations from places like China and Qatar. To call these donations suspect is a gross understatement. There is almost certainly influence being bought and sold here, with valuable research very likely being disclosed to people that we would rather not see it exposed to. This action by the DoW may be among the first few steps to closing the door on these shenanigans.
The DoW has also issued an official press release on this new requirement, which may be viewed here.
Editor’s Note: Thanks to President Trump and his administration’s bold leadership, we are respected on the world stage, and our enemies are being put on notice.
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