The Research Security Office (RSO) is one of the core divisions in IU Research. The Chief Research Security Officer leads RSO, reports directly to the Vice President for Research, and is a member of IU Research's senior leadership team.
What is the Research Security Office?
Mission
The primary mission of RSO is to assure research security at IU. Through its comprehensive research security program, RSO protects IU and its researchers from those who wish to exploit IU's open and inclusive academic environment. RSO operates a research security program in response to federal regulations and sponsor requirements that safeguards the IU research enterprise and mitigates threats to the IU research environment by protecting against:
- Misappropriation of research and development
- Violations of research integrity
- Foreign government interference
RSO supports this mission by:
- Engaging with faculty, staff, and students on research security topics, including cyber security, foreign travel security, and malign foreign actors and identification
- Identifying research security concerns and suggesting appropriate mitigation efforts
- Advising IU researchers on information security matters
- Assisting researchers in complying with related regulations and sponsor requirements
- Providing regular trainings on research security threat awareness and identification
We will strive to promote a secure research environment, all while maintaining an emphasis on open scientific and scholarly collaboration with a global perspective.
Collin Rich, Chief Research Security Officer
Guiding Principles
RSO is guided by the common values set out by the Association of American Universities ("AAU") with regard to malign foreign influence academic freedom; free expression; inclusion and diversity; national interest; transparency; integrity; zero tolerance for harassment and coercion; and collaboration. RSO executes its research security program consistent with IU's longstanding commitment to global engagement and academic freedom, as well as its IU 2030 pledge to make IU a welcoming environment of mutual respect where students, faculty, and staff from every corner of the world are embraced as Hoosiers.
Teams and Services
Research Security Assurance is responsible for managing and coordinating insider risk management efforts within the IU research community. We use available resources and tools to enable detection, deterrence, mitigation, and reporting of insider risks and malign influence to ensure researchers and their research are kept secure from beginning to end. Some of our services include screening and vetting entities looking to participate in research at IU, reviewing individual contracts and agreements for indicators of malign influence, providing foreign travel and security briefings to raise your awareness and readiness, and offering mitigation solutions to help reduce risk to you and your team. Let us offer you assurance in knowing that you and your research are kept safe as you engage in international collaboration, groundbreaking research, and impactful innovation.
Research Information Security is responsible for developing, protecting, and ensuring compliance for technology systems used by IU Researchers and external partners. Within this framework, our Research Information Security Engineering Team specializes in creating, securing, deploying, and ensuring compliance for highly secure environments supporting IU's diverse range of sensitive research initiatives. Simultaneously, the Research Information Security Analysis Team proactively identifies and addresses vulnerabilities, threats, and user concerns in the environments overseen by the RSO. Committed to safeguarding your research endeavors, our team prioritizes your data security and technical compliance requirements.
Education & Outreach is responsible for developing and promoting training opportunities and resources for the IU research community. Our team works to enhance security awareness on matters related to federal requirements and security risks, helping to safeguard research and mitigate security threats. Through ongoing outreach, we engage with faculty, staff, and students on research security topics.
Contact RSO
The Research Security Office is here to assist faculty and researchers. Please contact us at: rsohelp@iu.edu