By Krithika Selvarajoo
The University of Missouri and the University of Missouri-Kansas City will lead one of five regional centers for a new research security effort sponsored by the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act through the National Science Foundation.
The NSF announced a five-year, $67 million investment establishing the Safeguarding the Entire Community of the U.S. Research Ecosystem (SECURE) Center. Funding includes $5 million over five years for Mizzou and UMKC to establish and run the SECURE Midwest regional center.
With support from nine institutions of higher education nationwide, including Mizzou and UMKC, the SECURE Center aims to serve the research community to recognize and address threats to the U.S. research enterprise, such as interference and unethical or unlawful access by a foreign entity. Michele Kennett, Mizzou's associate vice chancellor for research compliance and integrity, and Anthony Caruso, UMKC interim vice chancellor for research, will lead the SECURE Midwest center.
“We are excited to be part of an initiative that will engage university leadership, compliance officials, individual researchers and private organizations across the U.S. research community,” Kennett said. “This engagement will assure that the research community is integral in the process to arrive at security solutions that protect the national research enterprise.”