U.S. Restricted Parties Lists
The United States maintains several restricted or denied party lists to protect national security, foreign policy, and economic interests. These lists identify individuals, companies, institutions, labs, and foreign agencies that are involved in activities contrary to U.S. national security. Federal funding agencies consult these lists when conducting risk reviews related to proposals and awards. Collaboration with entities on these lists are considered high risk and may impact federal funding, including freezing of awards or requirement of specific mitigation measures. More information about these reviews can be found on the Federal Government Foreign Influence Risk Reviews page.
The key lists consulted are the U.S. Entity List, the U.S. 1286 List, the U.S. 1260(H) List, and the OFAC Sanctions Lists. All of these lists are linked in the buttons at the bottom of this page.
U.S. Entity List
The Entity List is maintained by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS). Entities are added to the list when the U.S. government determines that they have been involved in activities contrary to U.S. national security or foreign policy interests—for example, supporting weapons proliferation, military modernization of adversarial nations, or human rights abuses. Inclusion on this list subjects the entity to export restrictions and licensing requirements for certain technologies and goods.
U.S. 1286 List
The 1286 List is a U.S. federal government roster, published by the U.S. Department of Defense, of foreign institutions that have been confirmed as engaging in “problematic activity” under § 1286(c)(8)(A) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (NDAA 2019). The term “problematic activity” refers to conduct that raises concerns about national security—especially around research collaborations, technology transfer, or other interactions supported by the U.S. government that may benefit a foreign adversary. DoD notes that the list is part of a continuing effort in highlighting and countering mechanisms of unwanted technology transfer to foreign countries of concern.
U.S. 1260(H) List
The 1260H List is an annual list maintained by the U.S. Department of Defense under the mandate of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (FY 2021 NDAA). It identifies foreign entities — specifically companies operating directly or indirectly in the United States — that the DoD determines are “Chinese military companies” (CMCs).
OFAC Sanctions
OFAC administers a number of different "sanctions programs". The sanctions can be either comprehensive or selective, using the blocking of assets and trade restrictions to accomplish foreign policy and national security goals.
As part of its enforcement efforts, OFAC publishes a list of individuals and companies owned or controlled by, or acting for or on behalf of, targeted countries. It also lists individuals, groups, and entities, such as terrorists and narcotics traffickers designated under programs that are not country-specific. Collectively, such individuals and companies are called "Specially Designated Nationals" or "SDNs." Their assets are blocked and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from dealing with them.
OFAC maintains a searchable database which includes the various OFAC sanctions lists, including the SDN List.
Seven Sons of National Defence of China
Among the institutions included on the U.S. Entity List and the 1286 List are the "Seven Sons of National Defence" of China. The Seven Sons of National Defence are seven Chinese universities that were established or reshaped to serve China’s military and defense-industrial needs. They have deep, long-standing ties to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and the defense industrial base. These universities act as key talent pipelines and research hubs for China’s state-owned defense conglomerates and military research institutes, conducting extensive dual-use research that supports both civilian and military applications.
Institutionally, the Seven Sons are embedded in China’s state governance system. Historically, they were supervised by the Commission of Science, Technology, and Industry for National Defense (COSTIND) and later by its successor bodies. Today, most are jointly overseen by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT)—which manages the defense industrial base—and the Ministry of Education, with some also maintaining formal cooperation mechanisms with the PLA and the Central Military Commission. This supervisory structure ensures close alignment between academic research, national defense priorities, and industrial-military integration, making the Seven Sons central to China’s military-civil fusion strategy.
As part of our commitment to protecting US national security, the University of Maryland does not enroll students from or participate in any institutional agreements with these institutions.
These seven institutions are:
- Beihang University (BUAA)
- Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT)
- Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT)
- Harbin Engineering University (HEU)
- Northwestern Polytechnical University (NPU)
- Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (NUAA)
- Nanjing University of Science and Technology (NUST)