Promoting Research Security through Research Ethics and Integrity practices: recommendations for policy actions

Collaborative and open research combined with influential technological advancements and geopolitical tensions allow Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and Research Performing Organisations (RPOs) to become prone to Research Security (RS) risks. Despite its recent conceptualization, RS has been swiftly recognized as a critical issue globally. Building upon existing guidance, it is necessary to adopt policy actions relatively quickly without creating new structures and by avoiding excessive procedural compliance. To this direction, the CHANGER consortium recommends policy actions integrating RS considerations with research culture of ethics and integrity, to build resilience to malign foreign interference, while ensuring freedom and openness of research: · Policy Action 1: Establish a common understanding and promote RS as a shared responsibility within the research ecosystem. · Policy Action 2: a. Develop training on RS through research ethics and integrity programs, and provide relevant funding and, b. Cultivate professional expertise in RS. · Policy Action 3: Support research on innovative approaches fostering capacity building in RS. Concluding remarks. Leveraging experience and insights from research ethics and integrity infrastructure offers valuable opportunities to raise awareness and establish procedures for safeguarding RS. The proposed policy actions offer flexibility to meet specific research needs of each HEI and RPO, and are proportionate to related risks rising from each research project. They respect the autonomy of HEIs and RPOs and protect freedom of research. By fostering capacity-building for researchers and cultivating a culture of awareness, shared responsibility, and proactive responsiveness, the responsible internationalization of research can be effectively realized.