Proposed Ban on Federal Research Funding for Colleges Accepting Certain Foreign Funds

Original title: To amend the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 to prohibit certain institutions of higher education from receiving research and development awards, and for other purposes.

April 28, 2026

higher education national security research and development foreign influence federal funding

Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.

Where This Stands

Introduced

Committee

Floor Vote

Passed

Signed

Currently in_committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.

Last action

Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.Apr 28, 2026

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

The Frame

What this does

The bill creates a five-year federal funding eligibility penalty for institutions of higher education that engage in research partnerships with designated foreign governments, potentially impacting university research budgets and international academic collaborations.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Institutions of higher education

These institutions face a five-year ban on federal research and development awards if they accept funding from specified foreign sources for certain research tasks.

Secretary of State

The Secretary is granted the authority to designate additional countries as 'specified foreign governments' beyond those explicitly listed in the bill.

What changed

Current stage: in_committee.

What's next

Floor Vote.

Background

The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is an annual series of federal laws that specify the budget, expenditures, and policies of the U.S. Department of Defense. context

Summary

This bill would prohibit colleges and universities from receiving federal s for five years if they accept funding from specific foreign governments for projects related to national security, such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology, or quantum information science.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which countries are considered 'specified foreign governments' under this bill?

The bill lists Venezuela, North Korea, Iran, China, Cuba, Turkey, Russia, and Qatar, plus any other country the Secretary of State deems appropriate.

What kind of research projects would trigger this prohibition?

Projects related to national security or military applications, specifically including artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and quantum information science.

How long does the funding ban last?

The prohibition on receiving s lasts for five years after the receipt of the foreign funds.

Why It Matters

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Expansion of Foreign Influence Restrictions

The bill significantly broadens the scope of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 by adding a specific five-year funding penalty for research institutions.

National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021