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University of Wisconsin–Madison

Faculty, Researchers and Staff

This page contains information regarding key activities on campus, which may be impacted by the Export Control regulations. Non-compliances in these areas can result in severe fines and penalties that can be levied not only against the university, but against the individuals involved in the non-compliance.

We recommend you contact the Export Control Office prior to doing any of the following to ensure your compliance.

When shipping something internationally, you should consider the item being sent, the destination and recipient. Certain international destinations have shipping restrictions. Addtionally, certain persons or organizations have had restrictions placed upon them by the US government. These requirements can restrict our ability to interact with these parties.

Please contact the Export Control Office prior to any international shipment so we can ensure that no issues are present.

Please refer to the training documents on shipping for more information.

When traveling internationally, you should consider the following:

  • Where are you going? Several countries have restrictions on travel and should be reviewed before going abroad.
  • Why are you going? Are you attending a conference, doing research, or meeting colleagues? The Export Control Office can help determine if the reasons you are traveling require a license or can be done without additional oversight.
  • Who are you meeting? Certain persons and organizations have restrictions placed on them by the US government. The Export Control Office can ensure that the people you are meeting and the places you are visiting are not restricted.
  • What are you taking with you? Scientific equipment and even basic electronics can be controlled and require a license to travel abroad. Taking something in your carry on is considered exporting an item and may require a license or other authorization to travel internationally.

You can contact the Export Control Office prior to travel to ensure you are compliant with all federal laws.

Please refer to the training documents on travel for more information.

All H-1B and O-1 visa applicants need to be screened by the Export Control office to ensure that a license is not needed for them to conduct the work that is planned during their stay.  Additionally, certain J-1 visas undergo a basic screening to make sure that the person or their home institution/organization is not restricted in a way that would limit the UW’s ability to work with them.

The Export Control Office is happy to screen other visa and potential applicants at any time. Please contact us for further assistance.

We encourage you to contact the Export Control Office prior to purchasing from or selling to foreign vendors so we can run a Restricted Party Screening (RPS). This screening is used to ensure that vendors do not show up on a series of lists the government publishes that limit or prohibit interactions with people, companies and Universities.

Selling to or purchasing from a vendor on one of these lists can lead to consequences including large fines. An RPS screening takes less than a minute and will ensure you are not in violation.

All UW-Madison staff, faculty, researchers, lab workers etc. are welcome to contact the Export Control Office at any time for a comprehensive project review. These reviews can cover any topic that you believe may have export control implications and can include any of the items listed on this page as well as contract reviews, non-disclosure agreements, potential hires, purchases, export control requirements received from companies or the government, and anything else that you think may be relevant.