Sponsors (2)
The bill tightens eligibility to protect federally funded research from potential foreign influence by targeting institutions with branch campuses in certain countries, but it risks excluding affected universities from funding, limiting collaborations and student mobility, and imposing compliance costs.
Taxpayers and U.S. research institutions: reduces potential foreign influence risks in federally funded research by requiring screening/eligibility limits for institutions with overseas permanent, degree‑granting units in certain countries.
Colleges and universities without branch campuses in the listed countries: can continue to access federal R&D funding without new compliance burdens, preserving research support for the majority of institutions.
Schools and universities: establishes a clear statutory definition of 'branch campus,' reducing ambiguity about which overseas operations trigger certification requirements and helping institutions plan compliance.
Institutions with branch campuses in the listed countries: could lose eligibility for federal R&D awards, reducing research funding, collaborations, and academic opportunities at those universities.
Students and researchers affiliated with overseas branch campuses: may face constrained academic collaboration and mobility due to country‑based eligibility restrictions, limiting exchanges and joint research partnerships.
Universities with global operations: may incur administrative and governance costs to verify and certify campus structures and to comply with the two‑year requirement, diverting resources from research and education.
Based on analysis of 1 section of legislative text.
Requires universities seeking federal R&D awards to certify they do not operate branch campuses in specified foreign countries, with agencies implementing the requirement within two years.
Official title: To amend the Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act to require each institution of higher education to certify as part of an application for a research and development award that such institution does not operate certain branch campuses, and for other purposes.
Introduced April 28, 2026 by Elise M. Stefanik · Last progress April 28, 2026
Requires federal research agencies to condition research and development awards on a certification from applying institutions of higher education that they do not operate branch campuses in a specified list of foreign countries (including China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Venezuela, Cuba, Turkey, Qatar, and others the Secretary of State names). Agencies must adopt the certification requirement within two years of enactment. The bill also makes minor clerical table-of-contents changes to an existing public law. The bill defines “branch campus” as a geographically separate, permanent campus unit that offers courses leading to degrees or credentials and has its own faculty/administration plus unit-specific budgetary and hiring authority. The requirement applies to any institution seeking federal R&D awards from agencies covered by subtitle D of title VI, and creates a compliance certification in grant applications within two years.