Addressing the critical need to enhance
research security across U.S. universities.
Applications closed on December 15, 2025.
This page will be soon updated with information for attendees
This workshop is funded by NSF grant #2537398, which includes funding for 25 attendees travel, hotel, and meals. Applications will be considered for individuals willing to attend the workshop at their own expense, with a $200 registration fee required.
What is Research on Research Security?
Our universities now face very competent foreign intelligence agencies that seek to steal cutting-edge research from schools using complex and hard-to-detect techniques. Far too many universities do not fully understand the lengths to which those adversaries are willing to go. Over the last several years, universities have been highlighted in news media reports for violating export control laws, engaging in foreign influence operations, and losing sensitive research to our foreign adversaries.
Through this workshop, we are asking what it means to research security - how it works, what it is, different frameworks, the scope/challenges of the field. This workshop is designed to address the critical need for enhanced research security across U.S. universities by gaining a greater understanding of comparative risks across these institutions.
Intended Participation
The primary participants for this workshop will be Research security officers or equivalent personnel who are responsible for implementing programs around research security mandated by NSPM-33 from recent R1 institutions and rising R2 institutions across the United States. These institutions are often rapidly expanding their research portfolios and securing new funding, which can introduce research security challenges and opportunities for broader impact. These institutions may face unique challenges in building the infrastructure needed for research at their new level and may be interested in pooling resources or seeking innovative solutions already utilized by established R1s and R2s.
Workshop Purpose
This will be a collaborative workshop. The RORS Workshop is launching a Group Level Assessment (GLA), which is a participatory, qualitative research methodology designed to engage large groups of stakeholders in collaboratively generating, analyzing, and prioritizing data to inform action planning. Through structured dialogue and analysis, participants will identify key challenges, institutional concerns, and future research priorities in the field. The workshop aims to produce actionable insights to enhance research security frameworks, foster collaborative proposal development, and publish a comprehensive research security brief for broad dissemination. Ultimately, the effort seeks to strengthen community connections and build a sustained network of professionals advancing research security across higher education.
Plenary Speakers
Amy Brenneke - Amy Brenneke brings extensive experience in research security, compliance, and institutional risk management, grounded in a substantial federal government background and complemented by work withhin higher education and federally funded research environments. Through her work with the NSF SECURE Center and the University of Missouri–Kansas City, she has supported universities and research teams in navigating evolving federal requirements, strengthening research security practices, and building sustainable compliance programs. Her background includes collaboration with investigators, administrators, and national partners on issues related to international engagement, safeguarding research integrity, and operationalizing research security frameworks. She is recognized for translating complex policy and regulatory expectations into practical strategies that support both institutional resilience and the advancement of open scientific research.
Matthew Hellman - Chief Research Security Officer at Michigan Technological University, where he leads institutional efforts related to research security, insider threat mitigation, and export control compliance. Prior to joining Michigan Tech, Hellman spent more than 28 years with the Federal Bureau of Investigation as a Special Agent and Supervisory Special Agent, specializing primarily in counterintelligence and national security matters. His extensive experience includes working directly with universities, defense contractors, and private industry to safeguard sensitive research and intellectual property from foreign adversaries and insider threats. Drawing on both federal law enforcement and higher education perspectives, Hellman brings practical insight into emerging research security risks, compliance frameworks, and institutional resilience. He frequently contributes to national conversations on research security and has helped organize collaborative initiatives focused on strengthening security practices across U.S. research institutions.
Peter Joliffe - Special Agent Peter Jolliffe serves as a counterintelligence agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation out of the Grand Rapids Resident Agency/Detroit Division. He has served with the FBI for over 16 years working to protect classified information at cleared defense contractors and universities. He leads a national effort within the FBI centered on protecting a specific subject of cutting-edge research. Jolliffe also serves as the FBI liaison to Michigan Technological University.
Lee Stadler - Designer, educator, and research security professional whose work bridges human-centered design, organizational dynamics, and emerging security challenges in the research enterprise. At the NSF SECURE Center and the University of Missouri–Kansas City, he applies an interdisciplinary approach that integrates technical, analytical, and behavioral frameworks to strengthen research security awareness, resilience, and institutional culture. His work explores how psychology, identity, game theory, predictive modeling, and systems thinking can inform more effective strategies for safeguarding research environments while supporting collaboration and innovation. Lee’s perspective emphasizes design as both a practical and strategic discipline for navigating complex risks across academia, government, and global research partnerships.
Leo C. Ureel II - Associate Professor of Computer Science and Psychology & Human Factors at Michigan Technological University, where he directs the CS Education Research Group and the College of Computing Learning Center. He brings more than 20 years of industry experience developing software for engineering, artificial intelligence, and educational applications, along with over a decade of college-level teaching experience. Dr. Ureel’s research focuses on innovative, constructionist approaches to introductory computer science education, particularly the use of code critiquers and intelligent learning environments to reduce cognitive overhead and improve student engagement in programming. His work has fostered collaborations with researchers across the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, and Africa, including leadership of an international ITiCSE working group. His research and educational initiatives have been supported by the National Science Foundation, Google, and National Center for Women & Information Technology.
