Given the expanding impact of basic research outcomes on society, the increasing importance of international collaborative research, and the rising geopolitical tensions, ensuring research security is an urgent issue in the international community. Research freedom, transparency, and openness are essential for the pursuit of knowledge and the development of society, and this is the virtue of research. Still, there are concerns that the improper use of an open research system may damage the integrity and fairness of the research system, increase the risks of misuse of research outcomes, and lead to technological leakages. The importance of openness of research does not change, but it is necessary to protect academia from such improper movements. Though there must be no discrimination based on race or nationality.

Efforts to ensure research security aim to appropriately protect research outcomes and researchers and to safeguard an open research environment, while also responding to the country's economic security needs. In this context, JST will implement efforts to ensure research security in research and development projects through JST-TRUST, while continuously engaging in dialogue with the research community.

Under JST-TRUST, after the selection of proposals by PO and other experts based on each program’s target and criteria, JST will begin the process to ensure research security in the selected proposals. During this process, JST will check the potential economic security risks based on keyword screening of the proposals and expert judgment by PO.

For proposals considered to require attention from an economic security perspective, JST will request the Principal Investigators to respond to the Research Security Questionnaire (RS questionnaire) and provide information on their research team and their partnerships. The requested Principal Investigators will answer these questions regarding the risks in their research team and the corresponding risk mitigation measures. After JST and PI will discuss risk mitigation measures, JST decide and approve the measures.

For more details on the RS questionnaire, click here.

Once the research starts, Principal Investigators are required to implement the risk mitigation measures approved by JST as part of their research plan. JST will also conduct continuous monitoring as part of research management. In addition, when publishing research results, JST/PO may conduct prior consultations with the Principal Investigators and their teams on how to publicize them so that sensitive research information does not inadvertently disseminate.

JST-TRUST adopts the research security implementation concept in many countries, "Small Yard, High Fence (as open as possible, as closed as necessary)”. In this process, JST-TRUST is designed to avoid excessive burden on researchers.