New Office of Research Security to help Illinois researchers meet obligations

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is launching a new office to meet federal research security mandates and to help campus researchers navigate complex and evolving research security regulations. 

The Office of Research Security (ORS) will offer information, training, and guidance to help Illinois faculty and staff comply with agency research security program requirements outlined in NSPM-33, CHIPS and Science, and guidance from OSTP. ORS will also house our conflict of commitment and disclosure processes, and additionally, the Export Compliance program will shift from Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA) to ORS. 

Creation of ORS follows campuswide discussion about how to address federal mandates requiring universities to develop institutional infrastructure to safeguard research. In Fall 2023, the Office of the Provost and the OVCRI charged a campuswide committee to “develop recommendations to address the implementation of federal research security requirements; assess related System and campus policies; document capabilities and gaps in workflows, processes, and systems; and identify related training needs.” 

The committee recommended the creation of an institutional point of contact for research security as an immediate next step in meeting federal requirements, as mandated by NSPM-33. In response, the OVCRI has named Linda Lee Drozt as the institutional Research Security Officer. She will also serve as Director of ORS.

“Research security regulations are intended to strengthen our nation’s security and prosperity—and we need to make sure that we have the right programs and people in place to support our research community,” said Susan Martinis, Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation at Illinois. “Research security touches so many corners of campus, and under Linda’s leadership, the ORS will offer comprehensive services and support to raise awareness around the topic and help our faculty and staff understand their roles.” 

Lee Drozt, an Illinois alumnus who has managed the university’s conflict of commitment and interest (COI) activities in the OVCRI since 2013, is an expert in conflict of commitment and interest oversight, regulatory compliance, and policy development. A search is underway to fill her former position as COI officer.  

“Research security regulations are complex, and we are focused on providing practical, relevant information for faculty and researchers,” Lee Drozt said. “We will work closely with members of the Illinois research community to balance the openness that makes the University a vibrant place with a commitment to meeting the regulatory requirements that protect our national interests.”

Other ORS staff include Senior Export Control Officer Bob Roach, Deputy Export Control Officer Nick Dabbs, and Research Compliance Analyst Jesse Funk. 

Roach joined Illinois in October following a career in risk management consulting and service as a compliance officer at NYU. Together with Dabbs, who has been at Illinois since 2022, the export compliance team provides training and guidance to ensure compliance with federal export laws.
 
Funk, who joined the OVCRI in 2023, will continue to work with faculty and staff from across campus on the annual RNUA process as well as ongoing, project-specific financial conflict of interest requirements. 

The new office will work closely with Illinois Human Resources, Illinois International, the Office of the CIO, Tech Services, the OVCRI’s Research Integrity Office, SPA, the Security Management Office, and research leadership in the colleges and institutes, as well as University of Illinois System offices, to provide comprehensive support, oversight and wayfinding. 

Visit researchsecurity.research.illnois.edu for additional information.