Letter of Leadership Commitment – Export Control Compliance
Northwestern’s global partnerships and collaborations are critically important to our research and teaching. We are committed to an open academic and research environment while following federal export controls, research security, and international compliance regulations. Export control laws are in place to advance the national security, economic interests, and foreign policy objectives of the United States and may impact some of our activities. Research security regulations are in place to safeguard the research enterprise against the misappropriation of research and development.
Northwestern faculty, staff and students are responsible for understanding and complying with federal export control and research security regulations. The Export Controls & International Compliance (ECIC) team assists the campus and research community in complying with export control laws and research security regulations. Violation consequences can be severe, including criminal and civil penalties.
How do you know if export controls impact your activities? There are red flags that indicate your activity may be export controlled, including, but not limited to, the following:
- Agreement or contracts with publication or foreign person restrictions.
- Equipment has an end-user agreement restricting use to U.S. persons or is labeled export-controlled or ITAR.
- Shipment is going outside the United States, or you are hand-carrying an item abroad.
- Activities or work (even virtually) with individuals or entities in heavily sanctioned or embargoed countries (i.e., presenting for a conference, teaching online courses, or providing any service).
How do you prevent research security issues? Complete the Research Security training which covers mitigating risks associated with foreign interference, proper disclosure of research information, international travel & shipping, cyber threats, and much more! Access the Northwestern Research Security Training here.
The Office for Research dedicates resources to helping the Northwestern community navigate and comply with export control and research security regulations. The Export Controls & International Compliance program maintains two websites (Export Controls and Research Security) with policy, guidance, training, and FAQs. Please contact exportcontrols@northwestern.edu or Amy Weber, ECIC Senior Director, for assistance. The ECIC team can also provide training and guidance for you and your departments, units, or teams upon request.
Thank you for your partnership and attention to this critical topic.
Eric Perreault
Vice President for Research