Foreign Talent Recruitment Programs (FTRPs) Policy

As required by federal law, the University of Kentucky is issuing a new policy concerning participation in foreign talent recruitment programs (FTRPs).  

The Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) and Science Act of 2022 (the Chips and Science Act) required federal research funding agencies, e.g., the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Department of Energy (DOE), to establish policies that require “covered individuals” to (a) disclose all participation in foreign talent recruitment programs and (b) certify that they are not a party to a malign foreign talent recruitment program (MFTRP) at the time of project proposal submission and annually thereafter for the life of an award issued by those agencies. Further, as a recipient of federal research funding, the university must certify that such individuals have been made aware of the requirement.  

As part of the policy, the university prohibits covered individuals from participating in MFTRPs.

The new university policy is effective Aug. 9, 2024. 

However, beginning on May 20, 2024, the university began its compliance with the NSF’s requirements for senior/key personnel submitting proposals to disclose and certify they are not a party to an MFTRP on their biographical sketch (biosketch) and current/pending documents, and this policy further outlines the university’s commitment to that expectation and the additional requirements of other agencies.

 For questions concerning the new policy, contact the Research Security Administrator in the Office of Sponsored Projects Administration, or Research Legal Counsel in the Office of Legal Counsel.