# Foreign Research Transparency Act of 2024

When the federal government gives money to universities or research institutions to conduct medical or behavioral studies, those organizations sometimes partner with foreign researchers or organizations to help with the work. This bill requires that whenever a U.S. organization receives federal health research funding and works with a foreign partner, the American organization must have full access to all the research information that the foreign partner creates—including raw data, databases, notes, progress reports, and anything else the government considers relevant.

The practical effect is that U.S. research institutions can no longer be kept in the dark about what their foreign collaborators are doing with federally funded projects. If a university in Boston receives a grant to study a disease and partners with a research team in another country, the Boston university must be able to see all the data and findings that the foreign team produces. This is meant to ensure transparency and prevent situations where foreign partners might hide information or conduct research in ways that don't align with U.S. standards.

If a U.S. research organization fails to include these access requirements in their agreements with foreign partners, there are serious consequences. The government can freeze any remaining grant money, block the organization from receiving future federal funding through a federal database system, and require the organization to return all the grant money it received. Organizations get a 180-day window to fix the problem before they have to return the funds. The bill gives the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Inspector General, and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget the authority to determine whether organizations are complying with these new rules.