An Academician's Arsenal

NATIONAL SECURITY CONTROLS AND UNIVERSITY RESEARCH Information for Investigators and Administrators. Association of American Universities, Washington, D.C., 1987. 13 pp. Free. Selected Readings. 116 pp. Free. Statutes Regulations and Policy Statements. 225 pp. Out of stock but copies are available at most major institutions. National security control over scientific and technical information is characterized by the competing demands of national defense and academia’s freedom to communicate. Most scientists and engineers are convinced that the ability to deal directly with peers regardless of national origin is essential to progress. Thus, restrictions of any kind, however well-intentioned, are viewed with great concern. Indeed a cogent argument can be made that restricting open conversations can slow the advance rate of scientific and technical progress, and thus actually decrease the security the controls are designed to increase. In order to help the academic community sort its way through the complexities of national security controls on information dissemination, the Department of Defense-University Forum and the Association of American Universities (AAU) put together a clear, easy-to-read package of materials, National Security Controls and University Research. Researchers and administrators will find the information helpful in understanding the issues and tensions that underlie federal control of technical data. The package, produced as part of an AAU project directed by David Wilson, professor of political science at the University of California at Los Angeles, consists of four documents: a short booklet, which explains the basics of potential na tional security controls on university-based research; background readings; a loose-leaf notebook containing the statutes, regulations and federal policies; and a poster, which alerts students and faculty to the issue and the availability of material on campus. The backbone of the package is the 13-page booklet Information for Investigators and Administrators, which sets forth federal policies and definitions on export and national security controls. A good introduction to a complex, controversial topic, the booklet is short enough to be read in a single sitting and clear enough to be a quick reference guide. It will help academic researchers make informed decisions about whether potential research might fall under federal security controls; it will also let them know when to ask for more information. The booklet should become a staple on the bookshelves of university research administrators, deans and technical department heads. The handbook of selected readings is for those who need to know more about national security controls. Six articles, written by individuals closely involved in the debate from an academic perspective, provide technical and historical background on federal regulations. An overview of the policy issues is provided in the introduction, along with information on current efforts to reconcile the concerns of the academic community with those of federal officials, who are worried about the potential loss of U.S. technology to Eastern Bloc nations. While the issues are complex, they are explained straight- forwardly. Organizational headings provide easy reference and extensive footnotes enable readers to expand their own research. For campus research administrators and others who need the exact language of the law, AAU has produced Statutes, Regulations and Policy Statements, a loose-leaf binder with the appropriate federal laws, regulations, executive orders and policy statements on export and patent controls. Included in its own pouch is an unclassified listing of the militarily critical technologies list. AAU expects to update material in the binder as necessary. Armed with this package of goods, campus administrators, faculty and student researchers will be able to navigate with greater confidence the complex and often confusing world of export and national security controls. The Association of American Universities and the Department of Defense-University Forum deserve thanks for this important contribution to the field. Willenbrock is executive director of the American Society for Engineering Education, 11 Dupont Circle, Washington, DC 20036.

An Academician's Arsenal

NATIONAL SECURITY CONTROLS AND UNIVERSITY RESEARCH

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