The Research on Research Security (RoRS) Program is a funding initiative established by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under the Office of the Director and the Office of the Chief of Research Security Strategy and Policy. The program supports interdisciplinary, evidence-based research to strengthen understanding of security threats and effective practices to protect the U.S. research enterprise. It aims to establish and nurture a robust academic discipline centered on research security.

RoRS builds on legislative and policy foundations such as the National Security Presidential Memorandum-33 (NSPM-33) and the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022. Previous exploratory efforts include the JASON report commissioned in 2022 and a 2024 NSF-funded workshop, both of which have helped define the scope and priorities for the field. The program supports the development of a broad research community incorporating perspectives from STEM researchers, research security professionals, and interdisciplinary scholars.

Applicants are encouraged to use interdisciplinary methods and collaborate across sectors and, where relevant, with international partners that share concerns about research security. Project types supported by RoRS include conferences and workshops, planning grants, and EAGER (Early-concept Grants for Exploratory Research) proposals. Research topics may include the nature of security threats, methods for identifying and mitigating risks, policy implications, human behavior, organizational change, and international perspectives on research security.

Proposals should aim to generate data, analysis, and tools that will inform decision-making and policy development, and use rigorous empirical methodologies. Successful applications will contribute to building a mature academic discipline, leveraging diverse and previously underutilized data sources.

Applications must comply with the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) and may be submitted through Research.gov or Grants.gov. Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis with no specific deadline. Prospective principal investigators are encouraged to contact the program director before submitting their proposals. The key contact for the program is Dr. Dean M. Evasius, reachable at devasius@nsf.gov or (703) 292-7352. The program was officially published on April 11, 2025.