Important Research Security Notice

Foreign Countries of Concern (eg China, Iran, North Korea, Russia) continue to use a variety of tools to recruit faculty into Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Programs (MFTRP). Because faculty participation in MFTRPs is a violation of Purdue Policies and makes faculty ineligible to receive federal funding, this message is to highlight the risks and some of the outreach tools being used.

Two known methods of outreach are:

• Unsolicited Communications. Faculty are often contacted through platforms like email, LinkedIn, ResearchGate, WeChat, WhatsApp, and Signal for recruitment into these types of programs. Some Purdue faculty members have received recruitment emails for programs like China’s Global Excellent Scientists Fund 2025. Solicitations for programs like this from Foreign Countries of Concern should be immediately reported to the Research Security and Export Controls (RSEC) team and Facilities Security Officer.
• Conferences. U.S. counterintelligence professionals have cautioned Purdue that conferences offer an open environment where both traditional and non-traditional collectors can establish business and social connections, gain access to actual technologies or prototypes, and engage with subject matter experts. These events may also be leveraged by foreign governments to identify and evaluate individuals for potential recruitment. Some conferences pose a particularly high risk for MFTRP recruitment, and participation in these conferences is under increased scrutiny by federal funding agencies. Two high-risk events that have recently come to Purdue’s attention are:
  • IEEE 2025 International Conference on Control, Automation, and Robotics (ICCAR) in Kyoto, Japan in April 2025.
  • The 12th World Congress of Chemical Engineering and 21st Asian Pacific Confederation of Chemical Engineering Congress 2025 in Beijing, China in July 2025.

As these conferences are co-hosted or organized by entities that are restricted by the U.S., Purdue policy prohibits faculty engagement, and attendance at these conferences is not permitted.

When faculty receive invitations to attend conferences in or to participate in programs organized by a Foreign Country of Concern (FCOC), it is important to be aware of potential risks. Targeted invitations, which may include offers of financial support, are often paired with invitations to meet in person, connect on social media, and to further engage on research collaboration opportunities.

While such engagement may seem benign, or even beneficial to Purdue researchers, it can sometimes be an attempt to obtain information for personal, economic, or political gain. Additionally, both Iran and North Korea are under comprehensive sanctions by the U.S. government and all engagements with people located in Iran and North Korea require some type of governmental approval that RSEC can assist with obtaining.

Please keep this information in mind during this conference season and reach out to the Research Security and Export Controls (RSEC) team before engaging to receive specific guidance on potential risks and compliance matters.