An Australian advisory body is examining whether research security should become a core condition of universities’ registration, in the latest move to shield scientists’ efforts from misuse by malign “actors”.
The Higher Education Standards Committee (Hesc) is deliberating whether research security and national security “governance expectations” should be included in the “threshold standards” that outline the minimum registration requirements for higher education institutions.
The review was initiated after education minister Jason Clare asked the Australian Tertiary Education Commission (Atec) to investigate whether the standards dealt adequately with research security “challenges”. Hesc, which advises Atec, wants to know whether amendments to the threshold standards “are warranted and, if so, how they should be framed”.
A discussion paper says the standards cover governance, accountability and quality assurance of every aspect of universities’ and colleges’ operations but do not “expressly articulate” minimum capabilities to manage research security risks.
“They do not explicitly reference cyber security, research security or national security considerations,” the paper says. “Nor do they establish specific expectations regarding research security awareness, capability or the management of risks.
