Our
Approach

Civil society institutions, especially think tanks, NGOs, academic institutions, national laboratories, private sector firms with unique data or analytic tools or services, and investigative journalists, must collectively collaborate on research security issues. The problem set is too large for a single organization to take on. We aim to build consortia and strategic partnerships that bring together unique organizations and their capabilities to collaborate on research security issues. CRSI’s mission aligns with select NGOs, think tanks, and academic institutions that are part of the consortium and will be natural partners. Some collaborative projects CRSI plans to undertake may require little funding. We will also seek partnerships with private sector firms with data and analytic capabilities that can complement CRSI’s research security mission but may not be their primary focus or business line.

R&D and Publications

The R&D line of effort will function like a think tank that builds a technical and analytic infrastructure foundational to all CRSI’s work. On the data side, we plan to acquire and aggregate various datasets, develop automation and analytical tools, and build new datasets that can serve as a resource for the research community or form the basis of our research and assessments. On the production side, we will publish studies on research security, critical technology vulnerability assessments, industry-focused studies, and related topics.

Operational Support

CRSI’s operational line of effort will be more tactically focused, providing projects and services tailored for specific clients or stakeholders. Examples include due diligence on foreign organizations, programs, and personnel, and counterparty risk assessments on contracts, gifts, grants, or other research partnerships. We can also provide consulting/advisory support on building or improving research security programs and offer tailored workshops, training, or briefings for governments, academia, non-profit foundations, and private sector entities.

Information Sharing and Outreach

CRSI will pursue a variety of forums, venues, and published products as part of its outreach efforts, and members of the consortium will play critical roles in enabling such efforts. For instance, think tanks and NGO partners can host or convene public and private workshops or conferences to engage US and international stakeholders within government, academia, and private sectors.

Our Advantage

01Resource sharing:

CRSI’s mission aligns with select NGOs, think tanks, and academic institutions that are part of the consortium; some projects may not need to be entirely funded by the center; partnering institutions can host and organize public/private events minimizing physical office space requirements.

02Minimal overhead:

Using secure cloud services for data storage, analyses, and virtual collaborative projects minimizes the need for large or costly office environments.

03Unparalleled expertise:

CRSI staff and consortium members are leading experts in technology protection, research security, and risk assessments relating to China.

04Helping underserved communities:

With sufficient funding via government or philanthropic grants, CRSI can provide research and assessment support to start-ups, small businesses, and academia that cannot afford private sector due diligence and risk advisory services.