The Pentagon has ordered 30 U.S. universities to audit their research and financial partnerships with foreign entities in China, Russia, and Iran, or risk losing federal funding eligibility. The Department of Defense issued the directive Monday, giving schools until August 31 to complete the review and report their findings.
If institutions do not terminate partnerships deemed problematic within the two-week deadline, they face losing access to future Pentagon research funding. The goal is to protect taxpayer-funded research from theft and exploitation, according to the Pentagon.
“The Department of War has zero tolerance for academic partnerships that compromise our national security,” Emil Michael, the Pentagon’s chief technology officer, said in a news release. “Institutions that receive funding from American taxpayers must uphold the highest standards of research security, and these mandated audits will ensure accountability across the board.”
The Pentagon did not publicly name the 30 schools, but a U.S. official confirmed the list includes Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Johns Hopkins University, according to the Associated Press.
The Section 1286 Framework
The audits target partnerships with foreign entities identified under Section 1286 of the fiscal 2019 National Defense Authorization Act, which established a Pentagon standard for flagging international organizations that pose national security risks. In July, the Pentagon released an updated list of 130 academic and research institutions across China, Russia, and Iran deemed to be engaging in problematic activities.
The list includes Chinese universities such as the University of Science and Technology of China and the Academy of Military Medical Sciences, along with several Iranian and Russian institutions. Starting in fiscal 2026, the Pentagon cannot fund “fundamental research” involving partnerships with any organization on the list, including collaborative research or equipment use.
The audit also covers organizations associated with rebranded Confucius Institutes, which China established as nonprofit groups dedicated to sharing Mandarin language and cultural education. A 2023 government watchdog report found that almost all institutes had closed after Congress restricted federal funding to associated U.S. schools, though some institutions continued to receive support from Chinese partner organizations linked to the former institutes.
Concerns About Retroactive Liability
The American Council on Education, which represents college and university presidents, raised concerns that the Pentagon’s announcement suggests wrongdoing without evidence. Sarah Spreitzer, the council’s vice president, noted that the first version of the Section 1286 list was developed during Trump’s first term with the council’s help.
“Most of the council’s member institutions moved away from research partnerships with those institutions in the years that followed,” Spreitzer said. “We don’t appreciate the implication that we are not good partners on research security, given that we helped create this list, and we’ve always partnered with the federal government when there have been national security concerns.”
Spreitzer expressed worry that universities could be held liable for partnerships that predate the list’s creation. The audit comes as the Trump administration continues to scrutinize China’s activities in the Western Hemisphere, including concerns about Chinese ownership of ports at either end of the Panama Canal and Chinese investment in telecommunications infrastructure in the region.
Sources
- Associated Press — Confirmed Pentagon order of 30 universities to audit foreign partnerships, named Harvard, MIT, Johns Hopkins, quoted Emil Michael, reported ACE concerns
- Military Times — Details on Section 1286 framework, 130-institution list, fiscal 2026 funding restrictions, Confucius Institute history
- Department of Defense — Official announcement of research security audits, August 31 deadline, Section 1286 list publication
- Defense Scoop — Confirmed August 31 reporting deadline and requirement to report findings directly to Pentagon
