Planning: security planning for assessment-driven resource-constrained campuses

Award Details: Stem Resources LLC received a $197,286 Project Grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) under the Integrative Activities program (CFDA 47.083), effective September 1, 2025, through August 31, 2027.

Products and Services: This 24-month planning initiative develops the Research Security Planning Framework (RSPF), a practical guidance tool designed to help four-year colleges and community colleges with limited research compliance infrastructure meet evolving federal research security requirements. The project integrates the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework with organizational change theory and innovation diffusion models to translate complex federal mandates—including National Security Presidential Memorandum 33 (NSPM-33) and NIST SP 800-171—into actionable institutional guidance. Key deliverables include a national policy scan, literature review, case studies at 3-5 research-active institutions, stakeholder interviews, and usability-tested planning tools developed with input from a technical working group of national experts. The modular framework will be publicly released as toolkits and guidance to promote equitable participation in federally funded research among resource-constrained institutions that educate a significant portion of the STEM workforce. No subawards are planned for this project.

Abstract

The strategic planning for advancing research compliance (sparc) project supports the development of a practical planning framework to assist small-to-mid-sized colleges and community colleges in meeting evolving federal research security requirements. These institutions, which educate a significant portion of the stem workforce, often lack the infrastructure and personnel to navigate complex cybersecurity mandates. Sparc aims to equip under-resourced campuses with strategies that align with their specific needs, enabling them to safeguard research integrity and contribute to national competitiveness. Through collaborative planning, stakeholder engagement, and the public release of toolkits and guidance, this initiative will promote equitable participation in secure research and bolster the resilience of the U.S. Academic research enterprise. Sparc will be a 24-month planning initiative to develop a research security planning framework (rspf) tailored to four-year colleges and community colleges with limited research compliance infrastructure. The project integrates the NIST cybersecurity framework, schein?s organizational change theory, and rogers? Diffusion of innovation model. IT will include a national policy scan, case studies at 3?5 research-active institutions, and input from a technical working group (TWG) composed of national experts. Key deliverables include a field scan, literature review, stakeholder interviews, and usability-tested planning tools. The resulting modular framework will help translate federal mandates?such as nspm-33 and NIST SP 800-171?into actionable guidance, supporting secure, inclusive participation in federally funded research. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.- subawards are not planned for this award.