Feb. 26, 2025 – The RISC Institute’s Associate Director, Zach Carwile, recently attended the ASCE 2025 conference in College Station, where he participated in a highly anticipated Q&A session with members of the research community. The session, which saw standing room only, underscored the growing interest and importance of research security in today’s academic and industrial landscapes.
The RISC Institute, established by The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents in November 2023, serves as a leading national and international resource for securing the research enterprise. In alignment with Texas A&M University’s land grant mission, RISC is dedicated to protecting the strengths of academic and industrial research communities while promoting innovative approaches to safeguarding research.
Key Offerings of the RISC Institute:
Graduate-Level Programs: In partnership with the Bush School of Government and Public Service, RISC is developing a graduate-level certificate and a Master’s program in Research Security. These programs aim to educate and empower future leaders in research security, addressing the growing demand for compliance with National Security Presidential Memorandum-33 (NSPM-33).
Training and Education: RISC provides comprehensive training and education for research security professionals. This includes engagement with smaller universities to design robust research security programs and offering continuing education in research security operations, policy, technology protection, and program management.
Resource for Compliance: RISC assists universities in meeting NSPM-33 and Department of Defense research security requirements. This includes staff training, awareness programs, and due diligence best practices to counter malign foreign influence and protect sensitive research and intellectual property.
Federal and International Engagement: RISC collaborates with federal partners to promote research security initiatives and awareness both domestically and internationally. This includes partnerships with non-profits on U.S. State Department-funded research security training for international partners.
Critical and Emerging Technology Protection Program (CETPP): CETPP provides expertise to research organizations to help protect developing technology from misappropriation. This program focuses on smaller organizations, offering advice on establishing research security programs, due diligence reviews, insider risk protocols, and operational security strategies.
The RISC Institute is committed to advancing research security through service, education, outreach, and research. For more information or to contact the RISC Institute, please visit their LinkedIn page or reach out directly to their team through the contact form on the website.
By fostering a secure research environment, the RISC Institute ensures that the academic and industrial research communities can continue to innovate and thrive while safeguarding their valuable intellectual property and research endeavors.
Contact: Jason Whisenant
Director of Outreach and Engagement
(979) 847-7397
(979) 574-4520
[email protected]