Research Personnel and Visiting Scholars

UL Lafayette welcomes researchers, scholars, students, and collaborators from around the world. International participation contributes to the University's research, educational, and scholarly missions.

Certain research personnel and visiting researchers are subject to screening requirements established by Louisiana law. Additional review may also be required under federal research security requirements, export control laws, sponsor requirements, or University policies and procedures.

Louisiana Screening Requirements

The Louisiana Higher Education Foreign Security Act (HEFSA), including La. R.S. 17:1826.3, Screening Foreign Researchers, establishes screening requirements for certain research and research-related positions at covered Louisiana postsecondary institutions, including UL Lafayette.

The law requires screening before an offer is made for individuals seeking:

• Employment in a research or research-related support position;
• A graduate student research or research-related support position; or
• A position as a visiting researcher.

The screening determines whether any of the following statutory conditions apply:

• The individual is a citizen of a foreign country and is not a permanent resident of the United States;
• The individual is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident with an affiliation with an institution or program involving a foreign adversary; or
• The individual has at least one year of prior employment or training in a foreign adversary country, except for employment or training by an agency of the U.S. government.

The screening requirements must be completed before an applicable position is offered.

Information Required for Screening

Louisiana law requires applicants for covered positions to provide information necessary for the screening process.

Under La. R.S. 17:1826.3(C), each applicant for a covered position must submit a complete resume and curriculum vitae that includes:

• Every institution of higher education attended;
• A complete employment history beginning at age 18;
• A list of all published material for which the applicant received credit as an author, researcher, or otherwise, or to which the applicant contributed significant research, writing, or editorial support;
• Current and pending research funding from any source, including the amount of funding, the applicant's role on the project, and a brief description of the research; and
• Full disclosure of non-University professional activities, including affiliations with institutions or programs in foreign adversary countries.

The law provides a limited exception to the employment-history requirement. If an applicant has been continuously employed or enrolled at a postsecondary education institution in the United States for 20 years or more, the resume may, but is not required to, include employment history before the most recent 20-year period.

Foreign applicants for covered positions are also required by state law to provide:

• A copy of the applicant's current passport; and
• The applicant's most recently submitted Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application, Form DS-160.

Additional information or documentation may be requested when necessary to complete the review or verify information submitted as part of the screening process.

Institutional Review

Louisiana law requires the University to take necessary and reasonable steps to verify information submitted by applicants and to make a risk-based determination considering the nature of the research and the applicant's background and ongoing affiliations.

The review may include:

• Verification of education, employment, publications, research activities, and affiliations;
• Review of publicly available research and professional information;
• Screening against applicable federal or state sanctions and restricted-party lists;
• Review of the nature of the proposed research and funding;
• Consideration of access to University research, laboratories, equipment, systems, software, technology, technical data, or other non-public information;
• Export control review, when applicable;
• Sponsor- or award-specific requirements; and
• Other research security considerations applicable to the proposed activity.

Screening does not mean that an individual is prohibited from participating in University research. The purpose of the review is to identify applicable requirements and determine whether additional review, safeguards, approvals, or other actions are necessary.

Visiting Researchers and Scholars

Visiting researchers and scholars may be subject to screening and other research security requirements before beginning research activities or receiving access to University research resources.

University hosts should allow sufficient time for applicable screening and review before the visitor's anticipated arrival or start date.

Depending on the proposed activities, additional review may be appropriate when a visitor will have access to:

• Research laboratories or facilities;
• University equipment or instrumentation;
• Research data or other non-public information;
• Software, source code, technology, or technical data;
• Export-controlled items, technology, software, or technical data;
• Federally funded or sponsor-restricted research; or
• Other University research resources requiring restricted or controlled access.

The presence of a foreign researcher or visitor does not automatically mean that an export license is required. Export control requirements depend on the technology, software, technical data, equipment, materials, access, activities, and other circumstances involved.

Federal and Sponsor Requirements

Federal research funding agencies and individual awards may establish additional requirements involving research personnel, foreign affiliations, appointments, research support, collaborations, restricted entities, access to research resources, or disclosure of outside activities.

Researchers, University hosts, and responsible departments should comply with requirements applicable to the specific sponsor, award, and research activity.

Questions concerning sponsor- or award-specific requirements should be coordinated with the appropriate Sponsored Programs representative.

Applicable Laws and Requirements

Requirements involving research personnel and visiting scholars may arise from multiple authorities, including:

• Louisiana Higher Education Foreign Security Act (HEFSA), La. R.S. 17:1826.1–1826.4;
• La. R.S. 17:1826.3 — Screening Foreign Researchers;
• Federal research security and sponsor requirements;
• Federal restricted-party and sanctions requirements;
• Federal export control regulations, including the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and, when applicable, the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR); and
• Applicable University policies and procedures.

Assistance

For questions regarding research personnel or visiting scholar screening and research security review, contact:

Office of Research Integrity
Research Security & Export Controls
researchsecurity@louisiana.edu
337-482-1533