Updates to faculty hiring process for research security

As a follow-up to the recent update on federal research security requirements, UNC Charlotte is updating a research security screening step for candidates for faculty and staff positions with research responsibilities. The effort is a collaboration between the Divisions of Research, Institutional Integrity and Academic Affairs. 

The goal is to identify and address potential research security concerns before they could affect a candidate’s or the University’s eligibility for federal funding.

What you should know

• Screening will occur before an on-campus interview: After first-round interviews, the Office of Research Protections and Integrity will screen potential on-campus interviewees with resources also used by government agencies, funding organizations and research institutions for research security reviews.
• A flag is not an automatic disqualification: If a potential concern is identified, the Office of Research Protections and Integrity will review the information to determine whether the relationship is current, whether federal requirements apply and whether the issue can be resolved.
• The University will work with candidates when a solution is possible: Candidates may be asked for additional information or, if selected, to end or modify a relationship that would conflict with federal requirements. 
• The process helps protect both faculty members and University research funding: Federal restrictions increasingly consider both researchers’ individual affiliations and institutions’ compliance responsibilities. The screening is intended to identify issues early and help protect both existing and future federal funding for both individual researchers and the institution. 
• Similar screening is becoming more common across research universities: Institutions are strengthening pre-employment research security reviews as federal requirements continue to evolve. The process also provides documentation that the University has conducted appropriate due diligence if its practices are later reviewed.

A full outline of the process is available on the ORPI website.