US agencies address foreign recruitment threats

US federal agencies are targeting international talent recruitment efforts such as China’s ‘Thousand Talents’ programme after an increasing number of warnings that the nation’s universities and government research facilities are vulnerable to intellectual property theft by hostile foreign governments. The US Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced that it will prohibit its researchers, grant recipients and other personnel from participating in any talent recruitment programmes sponsored by ‘countries deemed sensitive’, like China. In a 31 January memo to DOE leadership, the agency’s deputy director, Dan Brouillette, said this action aims to limit real or potential exploitation of the US scientific community’s openness, and to prevent funding for research at DOE national laboratories from benefitting foreign competitors.