Update: August 19, 4:30 p.m.

Penn State confirmed to Onward State that the U.S. Department of Defense has notified it to conduct a “research security audit.”

“Penn State received notice from the Department of War to conduct a research security audit and has communicated to the department that that work is under way,” Penn State told Onward State.

“The University greatly values its relationship with the Department of War and shares its commitment to maintaining the highest standards in national security, research security and scientific integrity.”

Original Story

The U.S. Department of Defense instructed Penn State to audit its academic, financial, and research connections to foreign entities that the government deems too risky to engage with, according to Defensescoop.

According to a DOD press release, 30 academic institutions were told to examine foreign ties or risk losing funding on Tuesday.

While Penn State is not specifically mentioned in the DOD’s press release, Defensescoop reported the full list of notified schools using information from a U.S. official.

The order is the DOD’s most recent move against outside influences on U.S. academia.

“The Department of War has zero tolerance for academic partnerships that compromise our national security,” the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering Emil Michael said in a press release. “Institutions that receive funding from American taxpayers must uphold the highest standards of research security, and these mandated audits will ensure accountability across the board.”

The release states that Penn State and the other schools have until August 31, 2026, to report their audit findings and corrective actions to the DOD, or they risk losing eligibility for “future federal research funding.”

In asking the universities to review their foreign ties, the DOD hopes to “protect American taxpayer-funded research investments from unauthorized technology transfer, intellectual property theft and adversarial exploitation,” according to the release.

“Through these audits, the Department of War will better anticipate emerging threats, adapt to evolving adversarial tactics and maintain America’s position as a global leader in innovation,” the press release read.

Penn State did not immediately respond to Onward State for a comment.