Research Transparency and Outreach
The Office of Research Transparency & Outreach is responsible for the implementation and oversight of the federal laws and regulations, and funding agency guidance associated with current and pending (other) support. Therefore, the RTO has the following primary mandates: Ensure that the University's policies and procedures are in alignment with the relevant laws, regulations, and reqjrements; and Work to build campus awareness of these requirements and policies through training, resources, and outreach efforts.
The Director of Research Transparency & Outreach works directly with the campus community to inform, educate, and support its members on issues pertaining to research transparency associated with disclosures, reporting, and post-approval monitoring, as well as reporting requirements associated with current & pending (other) support in federal proposal submissions; implementation of federal, state, and local requirements, such as those stipulated in National Security Presidential Memorandum-33 (NSPM-33), Maryland State Ethics Law, and USM and UMD Policies; and address any questions, concerns, or issues related to the reporting requirements associated with outside professional activities.
The Assistant Director of Research Policy Compliance works directly with subject matter experts within the Division of Research and additional campus stakeholders to develop and revise University policies to ensure alignment with federal laws and regulations and funding agency requirements.
To contact the Office of Research Transparency & Outreach for additional information or with specific questions , please email us at rto@umd.edu.
National Security Presidential Memorandum-33 (NSPM-33) was issued in January 2021 as a means to protect the integrity and security of U.S. Federally funded research and development for scholars who are beneficiaries of federal research grants. The impetus for NSPM-33 was growing concerns around undue foreign influence, including the exploitation of the open research environment and the potential for intellectual property theft. In the years since NSPM-33 was issued, the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), the Office of Science Technology & Policy (OSTP), and the various federal funding agencies have worked to implement the specific requirements.
Current and Pending (Other) Support
Includes:
(a) all resources made available, or expected to be made available, to an individual in support of the individual’s research and development efforts, regardless of
(i) whether the source is foreign or domestic;
(ii) whether the resource is made available through the entity applying for a research and development award or directly to the individual; or
(iii) whether the resource has monetary value; and
(b) includes in-kind contributions requiring a commitment of time and directly supporting the individual’s research and development efforts, such as the provision of office or laboratory space, equipment, supplies, employees, or students.
This term has the same meaning as the term Other Support as applied to researchers in NSPM-33. For researchers, Other Support includes all resources made available to a researcher in support of and/or related to all of their professional R&D efforts, including resources provided directly to the individual rather than through the research organization, and regardless of whether or not they have monetary value (e.g., even if the support received is only in-kind, such as office/laboratory space, equipment, supplies, or employees). This includes resource and/or financial support from all foreign and domestic entities, including but not limited to, financial support for laboratory personnel, and participation of student and visiting researchers supported by other sources of funding. (NSPM-33 Definition)
Resources
Based on the requirements in NSPM-33, Federal funding agencies have moved towards standardized forms and materials, along with persistent identifiers for proposal submissions. These include governmental organization charts, the "Common Forms," ORCID, FAQs, etc., available on the Resources page.
Policy Revisions
The Office of Research Transparency & Outreach (RTO), at the direction of the Assistant Director for Research Policy Compliance, has ensured that all University policies and procedures align with the federal laws and regulations, and associated requirements that have come from the implementation of NSPM-33. The University policies that have been developed or revised based on these requirements and information on the related provisions are available on RTO's Policy Revisions page.