Export Control

There are a number of activities that have potential export control implications. It is important to contact the Export Control Office for guidance if you are doing any of the following activities:

Traveling abroad
Shipping items abroad
Working with foreign collaborators, whether in the United States or overseas.
Working with controlled items (examples include lasers, thermal imaging cameras, select agents, space qualified equipment and encryption. The list is long, please contact the Export Control Office for advice on specific items.)
Working with a grant or other contract that has an export control clause, publication restriction or personnel restriction
Doing any work with a person, business or organization that is a citizen of or headquartered in Iran, Syria, Sudan, North Korea, Cuba or the Crimea.

If you have doubts about whether an activity falls within export control, please contact the Export Control Office and we would be happy to discuss your situation with you.

International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) – The ITAR are overseen by the Department of State. They regulate military items and information. Items regulated under the ITAR can be found in the U.S. Munitions List (22 CFR 121) and include naval vessels, ordnances, military jets, tanks, their software, components and accessories.

Export Administration Regulations (EAR)– The EAR are overseen by the Department of Commerce. They regulate dual use items and information. Dual use items are commercial items that could be used for military, terrorism, nuclear proliferation or similar purposes. The items regulated under the EAR can be found in the Commerce Control List (15 CFR 774 – Supplement No. 1), and include items such as lasers, telecomm equipment, IR sensors, computers, electronic test equipment, encryption, their software, components and accessories.
https://www.bis.doc.gov/index.php/regulations/export-administration-regulations-ear

Foreign Assets Control Regulations (FACR) – The FACR are overseen by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in the Department of Treasury. They regulate assets, persons and organizations. These regulations are not concerned so much with what is being shipped, but rather where and to whom it is being shipped.

Embargoed and Restricted Countries
This is a list of the embargoed and restricted countries per the United State's government and trigger a higher level of risk with activities. A map can be found here.

While the regulations above are the key Export Control regulations, other government agencies, such as the Departments of Defense and Energy have additional regulations that may impact specific research projects.

Exports include a wide variety of things beyond simply putting something in a box and sending it abroad. An export can include any of the following:

Shipping an item overseas
Sending an e-mail to a foreign person
Making a phone call or sending a fax to a foreign person
Any electronic transfer of information abroad
Deemed exports

Deemed exports occur any time a foreign person gains access to information, data or technology in the United States. At that point it is deemed to have been exported to their country of citizenship.
Examples of deemed exports include:

Foreign persons working in a lab
Sharing information with a foreign person in the United States regarding a project
Taking foreign persons on a tour of a lab with controlled equipment
Speaking with foreign collaborators at conferences being held in the United States

A foreign person is anyone who is NOT:

A U.S. citizen
A permanent resident/green card holder
Someone granted asylum, refugee status or amnesty by the government
A US company, university, organization or government division

Please remember, green card holders are U.S. persons, whereas persons here on work or student visas are Foreign Persons. Additionally, foreign students of any level are counted as foreign persons for export control purposes.

"Fundamental research" means research in science, engineering, or mathematics, the results of which ordinarily are published and shared broadly within the research community, and for which the researchers have not accepted restrictions for proprietary or national security reasons.

It is distinguished from proprietary research and from industrial development, design, production, and product utilizations, the results of which ordinarily are restricted for proprietary and/or specific national security reasons. The Fundamental Research Exclusion states that an export license is not required to transfer fundamental research to foreign persons. Fundamental research is defined as information, technology or software generated from research at an institute of higher learning the results of which are ordinarily published. Most research conducted at UW–Madison falls under this exemption.

Normally, the results of "fundamental research" are published in scientific literature, thus making it publicly available. Research which is intended for publication, whether it is ever accepted by scientific journals or not, is considered to be "fundamental research." Most research conducted at UW–Madison falls under this exclusion and is considered "fundamental research." Because any information, technological or otherwise, that is published is not subject to the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) (except for encryption object code and source code) and thus does not require a license, "fundamental research" is not subject to the EAR and does not require a license. Please see §734.8 for a full discussion.

Three things are important to remember with this exemption, however.

The resulting information may be exempt from export controls, but the equipment used in that process may still be controlled and require an export control analysis.
A publication restriction (in the project award) can negate this exemption as it is seen as hampering the researcher's ability to publish their results.
Non-disclosure agreements (NDA) may restrict the researcher's ability to publish technical information covered by the NDA. Please contact the Export Control Office prior to signing a NDA to determine the impact it may have on your project.

In recognition of the open nature of academic research, both the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) have provisions that information that is published and generally accessible to the public through fundamental research is not subject to export controls. Under both regulations, no license is required to share the results of fundamental research, even if they concern technology or items otherwise controlled. This is often called the “Fundamental Research Exclusion” (FRE) and is what permits universities to allow foreign nationals to participate in research on U.S. campuses.

An export license is an authorization from a federal agency to carry out an export transaction involving items, technologies, or software. Licenses are granted by the federal agencies regulating those items and situations. The U.S. Department of State, Department of Commerce, and the Department of the Treasury are the primary licensing agencies.

The need for an export license may also be needed to release controlled technology to a foreign person. This is referred to as a deemed export. Releases of controlled technology to foreign persons in the U.S. are "deemed" to be an export to the person's country or countries of nationality.

The Export Control Office coordinates with the federal licensing agency when an export license is needed. Only the Empowered Official and Export Compliance Officer are authorized to apply for licenses on behalf of the university.

Here is a glossary of common terms and acronyms that you will commonly run across in export control.

BIS (Bureau of Industry Security) – The agency in the U.S. Department of Commerce that manages and enforces the EAR.
CCL (Commerce Control List) – The list of items export controlled under the EAR. The items in this list are typically Dual Use items.
Commodity Classification – A determination submitted to the Commerce Department to determine under which ECCN a particular item, technology or software is controlled.
Commodity Jurisdiction – A submission to the State Department to determine whether a particular item, technology or software falls under the control of the ITAR or the EAR.
DDTC (Directorate of Defense Trade Controls) – The agency in the U.S. Department of State that manages and enforces the ITAR.
Deemed Export – The transfer of technical information, data or software to a foreign person within the United States. It is deemed to be an export to that person’s home country.
Dual Use – Commercial items with potential military or national security applications.
E:1/E:2 Countries – Countries that are the most highly restricted/embargoed by the U.S. government due to terrorism or national security reasons. The most up-to-date information on E:1 and E:2 countries can be found on the Bureau of Industry and Security's Country Group website.
EAR (Export Administration Regulations) – The export control regulations administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce that controls dual use items, information, data and software.
EAR99 – Items that are subject to the EAR, but not controlled under the EAR’s export control categories (ECCNs). EAR99 items are only controlled to restricted/embargoed countries or restricted parties.
ECCN (Export Control Classification Number) – A category in the CCL that defines the items, materials, software and technology that are controlled, the extent to which they are controlled and the license exceptions available. There are 10 category groupings.
Export – Sending or taking anything out of the United States in any manner, including shipping, verbal (i.e., telephone) or electronic (i.e., e-mail, webcasts, social media, fax).
Foreign Person – A person that is not a U.S. Person. This also includes foreign organizations and governments.
Fundamental Research – Research in engineering, technology, science or mathematics the results of which are intended for publication or communicated widely within the research community. Fundamental research is not subject to restrictions.
ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations) – The export control regulations administered by the U.S. Department of State that controls military, national security and space items, information, data and software.
NLR (No License Required) – A determination that a particular activity (i.e., shipping an item or discussing a research collaboration) does not require an export license to proceed. This is typically because the applicable item or information is not export controlled, an exemption/exception applies to the activity, the activity is not with a country where the activity requires a license or the activity is not with a party for which a license is required.
NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) – A document between two or more parties agreeing to not communicate private, proprietary, confidential, patentable and/or controlled information or data to persons not included as part of the agreement.
OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control) – The agency in the U.S. Department of Treasury that manages and enforces the Foreign Assets Control Regulations.
Personnel Restriction – A clause placed in an agreement or award that restricts persons from certain or all foreign countries from participating in the research. Research subject to a personnel restriction is typically not considered fundamental research.
Publication Restriction – A clause placed in an agreement or award that restricts the researcher from publishing his/her research until the sponsor or some other party approves the content of the research article. The approver can alter or remove content, methodology or results from the proposed article. Research subject to a publication restriction is not fundamental research.
Publication Review - A clause placed in an agreement or award that allows the sponsor or some other party to review a proposed research article for confidential, proprietary, patentable or private information. It is not an approval and does not impact the publication of the results of the research. Publication review periods of 30-90 days are typically considered acceptable.
Public Domain – Information that is readily available in libraries, magazine/newspaper articles, conference proceedings and/or on-line.
RPS (Restricted Party Screening) – The activity of determining whether a person, company, organization, or vessel (i.e., a party) is on any government lists that places restrictions on activities with that party. RPS usually applies to the use of an on-line tool to conduct the determination.
RWA (Returned Without Action) – This is a designation for an EAR export license that has been returned to the applicant either because of insufficient information or a license is not required.
Service – Work done for hire that is not considered research.
Subject to the EAR – Items that are controlled under the EAR. Fundamental research, information in the public domain and mass media items such as books, magazines and musical recordings are NOT subject to the EAR.
TCP (Technology Control Plan) – A written plan that spells out the security measures needed for a particular project to ensure compliance with the appropriate export control regulations. The TCP may include computer password protection, encryption of data, physical locks on equipment, limiting access to labs through locks/key cards and lock boxes for materials depending upon the needs of the project/lab.
USML (United States Munitions List) – The list of items export controlled under the ITAR. This list contains military, national security and space items.
U.S. Person – A person that is a citizen, national or permanent resident of the U.S., or granted asylum, amnesty or refugee status by the U.S. government. This includes U.S. governments and universities, and companies organized under U.S. law.