By Jane Winik Sartwell Updated August 18, 2026
Duke University and UNC-Chapel Hill are among 30 universities under intense federal scrutiny for potentially problematic foreign research ties.
The Defense Department announced Monday it is asking 30 universities to “initiate immediate and comprehensive reviews of their academic, financial and research collaborations with foreign entities of concern.” The department later provided The News & Observer with a list of the schools in question, which included Duke and UNC.
The stakes for these universities are high, and the turnaround time is tight. If universities do not complete the audits of foreign collaborations as instructed, they may lose eligibility for future federal research funding, according to the department. They are required to “assess the exposure of sensitive or export-controlled research and implement strict mitigation plans, including the termination of problematic partnerships.” This information is due Aug. 31 — giving universities just 14 days between the public announcement and the deadline.
A list of the 130 foreign entities that the Defense Department considers a threat to national security is available online.
. It includes research and educational entities from China, Iran and Russia. The Pentagon also instructs universities to look for “organizations associated with rebranded Confucius Institutes,” an educational and promotional organization for the Chinese government.
Read more at: https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/education/article316921741.html#storylink=cpy
