• International Travel Security is one of the four research security program standard components mandated by the federal Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP).
  • Research and academic institutions with $50M+/year in federal science and technology funding must implement a research security program.
• Under the international travel security program standard, it is a requirement for covered institutions to ensure that international travelers who have a research related purpose as part of the reason for travel, receive training on research security best practices when traveling internationally.

• Entering an international trip into ProTrav will generate a Compliance Qualification (CQ) notice for the traveler to complete the International Travel Briefing.
  • Per the UI Travel Policy, faculty, staff, postdoctoral scholars/fellows, and students who are traveling in an employment capacity must have their travel fully approved in workflow using the UI’s ProTrav application prior to the date of travel.  This includes third-party sponsored travel.
  • All third-party sponsored travel should be disclosed in the UI’s eCOI system, and if applicable, in the “other support” sections of federal grants.
• In the CQ system for the international travel briefing, the first question before the briefing asks, “Does any part of your international travel involve a research-related purpose?”
  • If the answer is “No”, then the traveler’s CQ compliance is met.
  • If the answer is “Yes”, then they will continue on to complete the briefing.

• The Travel Briefing takes approximately 10-15 minutes to complete.
• The briefing provides information on UI policy and resources regarding international travel and best practices for protecting data and electronic devices.
• At the end of the briefing is an attestation to confirm that the training has been completed.
• Training is only required once within a 12-month period.

"Research related purposes" for international travel refers to any travel outside the United States by university-affiliated personnel (including faculty, staff, students, and visiting scholars) that is connected to the planning, conduct, dissemination, or support of scientific research or scholarly activities, regardless of the source of funding.

This includes, but is not limited to:

1. Conducting research abroad (e.g., fieldwork, lab collaboration, data collection).
2. Attending or presenting at international conferences related to the researcher's area of study.
3. Collaborating with international research partners, including universities, research institutions, and private sector entities.
4. Visiting international research facilities or laboratories (including site visits, experiments, or observations).
5. Negotiating or managing international research agreements, including those involving foreign sponsors or collaborators.
6. Participating in research-related workshops, seminars, or training programs.
7. Travel funded through a research grant or contract, including federal, state, private, or international sources, where the purpose of travel supports a research activity.
8. Travel associated with a role in a research project, such as a Principal Investigator (PI), Co-PI, or other key personnel, even if travel is funded from non-research sources.

NOTES:

• Travel not directly linked to research (e.g., teaching, administrative tasks, or vacation) would not fall under this definition unless such activities are conducted in the context of or concurrently with research-related work.
• The purpose should be evaluated based on intent and connection to research activity, not only on the funding source.
• Universities may implement additional screening or guidance for travel to countries of concern or when research involves sensitive or controlled technologies.

This definition ensures universities meet OSTP expectations under the National Security Presidential Memorandum-33 (NSPM-33) and related guidance, by helping institutions:

• Identify and mitigate risks associated with foreign travel.
• Train and prepare researchers appropriately before international trips.
• Comply with federal research security policies and federal agency requirements.