Research Security Training
To ensure compliance with federal regulations and protect the integrity of U.S. research, federal funding agencies have implemented new research security training requirements. Over the past year, different federal sponsors have instituted differing requirements, including who must take the course and when. Sponsors that have not implemented the training requirement indicate they intend to do so.
As a result, Ohio State has implemented an annual research security training requirement for all personnel named on federal award proposals or who are funded by federal grants.
Requiring the annual training simplifies the range of requirements from sponsors, ensures compliance, avoids potential submission delays, minimizes risk and enhances a culture of research security at the university.
Some content in this course may overlap slightly with other courses you have taken. Each course meets a specific, separate federal requirement. For a full listing of requirements, visit the Education, Training and Requirements page.
What is Required
A one-hour, condensed research security training course that meets the requirement for all Federal agencies can be found in BuckeyeLearn and must be taken by May 25, 2026. There is no option to test out. Employees that need to take the training will receive an automated email once the course is assigned, with subsequent reminders to those who have not taken it prior to the deadline.
Each spring, employees will receive an automated email to complete the annual training and remain in compliance.
Who this Affects
All personnel paid from a federal grant to do research, including principal investigators, co-investigators, senior/key personnel, and team members are required to take the training annually, likely by the end of May each year. Personnel listed as PI or Co-I on a federal proposal for the first time are required to take the training at least once during the 12 months prior to proposal submission and then annually each spring as long as they continue to submit federal proposals or receive a federal award.
To ensure all personnel required to take the training are on the same cycle, you may be required to take the training once again within the first year after the first time you take it.
If an employee who hasn’t taken the course is assigned to a federally-funded project, they will receive an email to complete the training within 30 days of the assignment.
How to Complete the Training
Employees needing to take the training will receive an automated email once the course is assigned, with subsequent reminders to those who have not taken it prior to the indicated deadline. To take the training for a submission before the course is assigned around April 6:
Log in to BuckeyeLearn (works best in Chrome) and look for the Research Security training in your transcript. If you have not been assigned the training and have federal proposals or awards, work with your research administrator to get the training assigned or self-enroll.
If you are required to take the training, but it is not in your BuckeyeLearn transcript, search for “Research Security.” The first result should be “Research Security 2026.” Click on the course link and select “Launch” to take the training.
If you are having technical issues with BuckeyeLearn, visit their site for common troubleshooting.
Why this Matters
Completion of required training is mandatory for:
- Proposal submission eligibility
- Award activation and continuation
- Maintaining compliance with federal sponsor requirements
- Protecting research integrity and national security interests
- University compliance with National Security Presidential Memorandum-33 (NSPM-33), which requires institutions of higher education with more than $50 million annual federal R&D funding to operate a comprehensive research security program, which includes Research Security Training as a primary component
- The CHIPS and Science Act requires that covered individuals involved in federally funded research complete research security training to enhance protections against security threats
Ohio State is requiring this training because:
- It simplifies the range of requirements ensuring compliance, minimizing risk and enhances a culture of research security.
- Different federal sponsors have instituted differing requirements for researchers and research teams, which can be confusing.
- Federal sponsors that have not implemented a research security requirement have indicated their intention to do in 2026.
- Some researchers receive funding from multiple federal sponsors.
Check compliance
You can check to see your compliance status on StudyTeam Lookup. It may take 24 hours for the completion to appear as complete. If it is still not showing, please reach out to secureresearch@osu.edu.
For more information
Contact your Research Administrator or Sponsored Programs Officer if you have questions about specific requirements.