Are You on Track for CMMC Compliance? Secure Your Research, Funding, and Future

Wednesday, May 21, 2025 | 9:00AM–9:45AM ET | Harborside Ballroom C, 4th Floor
Session Type: Breakout Session
Delivery Format: Presentation/Panel
Universities managing research grants and federal contracts are facing a mandatory shift: CMMC compliance is now required. With the DoD tightening security, failure to meet these mandates could result in lost research funding, federal partnerships, and a diminished competitive edge in government contracting. The CMMC mandate applies to university research labs, federally funded research and development centers, and university-affiliated research centers, making compliance vital for continued collaboration with federal and defense agencies. In this panel discussion, Virtru will join cybersecurity leaders from Notre Dame, North Carolina State University, the University of Arizona, Arizona State, and Duke University to share how their teams are preparing for CMMC. Learn how to assess your security posture, implement access controls, conduct self-assessments, and close compliance gaps ahead of audits. Attendees will gain insights on the DoD's evolving requirements and their impact on research institutions; the risks of non-compliance, including loss of federal funding and partnerships; strategies for meeting NIST 800-171 and CMMC Level 2 requirements; best practices for protecting CUI, such as encryption, access controls, and secure collaboration tools; and identifying CMMC compliance responsibilities and unifying compliance efforts across your institution. This session is essential for IT leaders, CISOs, and security teams navigating CMMC and protecting their research funding.

Presenters

  • Damon Armour

    Director of Information Security, Risk & Assurance, North Carolina State University

  • Wendy Epley

    Principal Analyst, Information Security GRC, The University of Arizona

  • Trevor Foskett

    Vice President, Solutions Engineering, Virtru

  • Kolin Hodgson

    Research Security and Compliance Program Manager, University of Notre Dame

  • Jeremy Hopkins

    Associate Director, IT Security, Duke University

  • Chris Kurtz

    Director of Security Architecture, Arizona State University

Resources & Downloads

  • CPPC May 2025 Presentation slides Are You on Track for CMMC Compliance Secure Your Research Fun

    Updated on 6/14/2026