Gratitude, Resources and Reminders for Columbia’s Research Community

Dear fellow members of the Columbia research community,

We write to express our appreciation for the resilience of the Columbia research community over the past year. Even in challenging and uncertain times, researchers continued to submit proposals, conduct research, publish, and mentor the next generation of researchers. Administrators and staff continued to process, manage, document, and take often invisible but timely action to support our research. Students and postdocs continued to pursue their curiosity, probe experiments and theories, and build professional relationships with mentors and peers. We are grateful for your dedication to the excellence of Columbia’s research enterprise.

As we do each year, we would like to remind you of key policies and resources to support your research endeavors. If you conduct research or support people who do, please be sure to read the information below, which includes information about:

  • New research security training requirements, Other Support, and Biosketch information;
  • New Generative AI research policy resources;
  • New revisions to the University’s research misconduct policy;
  • New ‘Omics data requirements;
  • New data management requirements and resources;
  • Industry engagements, including conflict-of-interest, consulting and start-up company guidance; and
  • Additional resources

 

  1. Research Security Resources and Updates
  • Federal funding agencies are rolling out a research security training requirement. For the NIH, senior and key personnel must certify to training completion for proposals submitted after May 25, 2026. Complete the training now and avoid delays to proposal submission in the future.
  • Researchers must pay particular attention to broad disclosures required by federal funding agencies in Current and Pending (Other) Support. Watch this 5-minute video for more information.
  • You may need to request prior approval for foreign co-authorships if NIH funding will be acknowledged. Contact your SPA project officer for more information.
  • NIH prohibits researchers from sharing human biospecimens with China (including Hong Kong and Macau), Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, or Venezuela if NIH funds were used in their development or maintenance.
  • The Department of Defense has published an updated research security risk matrix.
  • Researchers may not use NASA funds for bilateral activities with China or Chinese-owned entities. For questions about what constitutes a bilateral activity, contact your SPA project officer.
  • When importing research materials, including biological samples, researchers should be aware of applicable federal regulations. Visit the EVPR Office of Research Compliance and Training (ORCT) Imports page and/or the EVPR’s Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) website to learn more.
  • As a reminder, federal law and Columbia policy prohibit senior and key personnel on federally-funded sponsored projects from participating in malign foreign talent recruitment programs (MFTRPs).  Please review the definition of MFTRP. If you receive federal funding or plan to apply, please make sure you have filed an MFTRP certification in Rascal within the past 12 months. More information is available on the Research Security website.

 

  1. GAI in Research and Other Resources
  • The EVPR Research and Data Integrity (ReaDI) webpage provides a summary of major journal and funding agency policies on the use of Generative AI.  Also see the University’s umbrella Policy on GAI.

 

  1. Revised Research Misconduct Policy
  • We updated Columbia’s Policy on Misconduct in Research in response to revised federal regulations.
  • The revisions include a new definition of “recklessly.”
  • “To act recklessly means to propose, perform, or review research, or report research results, with indifference to a known risk of fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism.”
  • For more information, visit the University’s Research Misconduct webpage or contact the EVPR ORCT.

 

  1. Regulations Governing Transfer of ‘Omics Data Outside the United States
  • The Department of Justice issued a new rule that, among other things, prohibits certain ‘omics data transactions with China (including Hong Kong and Macau), Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Venezuela and “covered persons,” and mandates specific contractual language for all other countries.
  • “Bulk U.S. sensitive personal data,” regardless of whether the data is anonymized, pseudonymized, de-identified, or encrypted, is subject to the rule, and includes “human ‘omics data” at certain thresholds, including human genomic data for 100 or more U.S. persons, as well as human biospecimens from which such data could be derived.
  • Use a Data Use Agreement or Material Transfer Agreement for all international transfers to ensure these requirements are met.

 

  1. Data Management
  • NIH revised its requirements for data management plans, effective May 25, 2026. Visit Research Data at Columbia for more information.
  • New Data Management Departure Guidelines include guidelines and a checklist to ensure proper data management when team members depart from the University.
  • The EVPR ReaDI Program offers many other data management tutorials and resources.

 

  1. Guidance on Conflict of Interest, Consulting and Start-up Companies

 

  1. Additional Resources

 

If you have questions about research compliance issues, please contact the applicable EVPR office or the Office of Research Compliance and Training at [email protected].

Wishing you a productive summer!

Katrina Armstrong
Executive Vice-President for Health and Biomedical Sciences and Dean, Vagelos College and Surgeons

Angela Olinto

Provost, Rutherfurd Professor of Astronomy and Professor of Physics

Jeannette M. Wing

Executive Vice President for Research and Professor of Computer Science

May 12, 2026
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