Assess export control and security in research - Kunnskapsbasen
Assess export control and security in research
On this page, you will find information about research security. The page provides details on what security in research is and how you can assess it in relation to your areas of responsibility
Main page: Sikkerhet og beredskap | Informasjonssikkerhet | Forskningsprosessen
Norwegian version: Vurder eksportkontroll og sikkerhet i forskning
Contents
- Which security aspects must I consider in relation to research activities?
- How to assess research security – step by step
- Training
- Internal resources
- External resources
- Contact
Which security aspects must I consider in relation to research activities?
The purpose of security is to protect and enable free and independent research. In essence, it is about reducing the risk of something going wrong. What can go wrong may vary, but examples include uncontrolled transfer of knowledge for military purposes in other countries, unwanted influence on research from foreign actors, breaches of research ethics and integrity, to data breaches, and loss of reputation. In addition to issues that may harm the research itself or NTNU, research can also impact other values that are important to parties outside NTNU. These are covered by specific regulations, and the three most important are:
- National security: Research may involve technology or knowledge that is critical to Norway’s fundamental security interests. This could include research that reveals vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure supporting society, such as power distribution, or insights into the Armed Forces’ ability to defend the country.
- International sanctions: Certain countries and institutions are subject to sanctions. Collaboration with these may be prohibited or require special authorization.
- Export control: So-called dual-use technology refers to civilian technology that can be highly applicable for military purposes or for developing weapons of mass destruction. Sharing such technology in international collaborations may require a special government license.
How to assess security in research security – step by step
1. Start early
To prevent security considerations from halting research activities, you should begin as early as possible by gaining an overview of the necessary security requirements. This provides clarity and allows you to plan so that security measures help protect and enable the research without being unnecessarily intrusive.
2. Familiarize yourself with the security aspects
What potential unwanted incidents could occur during the research process? Will the research activity involve assets that others might attempt to steal, manipulate, or destroy?
- Could your research have implications for national security interests?
- Could international collaboration subject to sanctions be relevant?
- Will you be using technology that may be subject to export control?
- Are you planning to collaborate with external partners or share information and research results with foreign institutions? This includes using cloud services or publishing such information, for example in courses, conferences, or similar settings.
3. Use NTNU’s export control and security in research form
Photo: Geir Mogen/NTNU
Go through the questions in the form. This will help you identify risks related to partners, export control, and sanctions.
4. Discuss with the right people
Save the form after submission. The form is not an approval process, but a tool that provides you with a basis for planning the research in collaboration with colleagues, your immediate manager, HR staff, security advisors, or others. In addition to helping identify formal requirements, the form is also intended to support the assessment of how to reduce the risk of unwanted incidents.
Contact information for NTNU’s security advisors:
- Per Marius Frost-Nilsen (Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering
- Runar Jøssund (Faculty of Engineering)
- Gro Mogseth (Faculty of Natural Sciences)
- Vidar Synstad (Section for security and preparedness)
5. Update when changes occur
Research activities are inherently dynamic, and the conditions assumed at the start may change along the way. For example, new collaboration opportunities, employment of staff, or visits from guest researchers may arise. Such changes may require a reassessment of the security aspects during the project.
Training
Internal resources
External resources
- Norwegian Agency for Export Control and Sanctions’ Retningslinjer for kontroll med teknologioverføring (Norwegian)
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Veileder for eksport av teknologi (Norwegian)
Contact
For feedback on this page or questions, please send an email to: sentralt@sob.ntnu.no
Responsible for this page: Section for security and preparedness at the Development and Governance Division