Research and development supported by the federal government accounts for about 55% of research funding at all institutes of higher education. In 2022, colleges and universities spent $97.8 billion on research and development (Chronicle of Higher Education, 1/9/2024). With such significant dollars at play, the stakes have never been higher for institutions to ensure that they are in the best position to receive federal funding for research. Part of that positioning includes ensuring each institution can properly protect the research taking place on their campus. Higher education faces unique challenges related to research data protection requirements. From highly distributed environments, to a culture that prioritizes openness over control, understanding and communicating regulatory requirements for research data protection can be problematic. The complexity is compounded because there is no “one size fits all” strategy for protecting research data that applies equally across small colleges and large universities.
This session is designed for IT leaders who need to understand some of the regulatory requirements designed to protect research data. It will explain regulations in play–including FARS, DFARS, NSPM-33, and CMMC. It will help participants better understand why these regulations matter, how they fit together, what a model for protecting research data might look like for higher education institutions, and how to get started implementing the model on campus.
