Building Research Security Capability for USP Staff

Strengthening institutional capability in research security, responsible international collaboration and risk-aware decision-making

At a glance, the programme supported USP staff to identify valuable research assets, recognise potential vulnerabilities and connect research security with wider institutional priorities such as innovation, data protection, knowledge exchange and international partnership development.

As competing agendas emerge across the sector, universities face a growing challenge: how to support openness and collaboration while managing the risks that can accompany them.

For the University of São Paulo (USP), research security formed part of a broader conversation about research governance, innovation, knowledge transfer and international engagement. The university wanted to strengthen institutional understanding of emerging risks and build practical capability across its research community.

Formation was invited to design and deliver a programme that helped staff from across professional, technical and research roles think strategically about research security while staying grounded in the realities of research practice.

The challenge

Research security is often discussed through regulation and compliance, but universities also have to balance openness, innovation, mobility, intellectual asset protection and responsible international engagement. 

Sensitive information, valuable intellectual assets and emerging technologies can all be exposed to different kinds of risk within research environments. Institutions need practical ways to recognise those risks without undermining the collaborations that make research possible.

USP wanted to deepen understanding of these issues across the institution and create stronger foundations for responsible, informed decision-making.

Formation's approach

Formation designed a highly interactive programme that combined expert input, facilitated discussion and practical exercises, giving participants space to test ideas against the realities of their own research environment.

The programme was developed in close partnership with Rafael Seco Saravalli, Attorney (Legal Counsel) and General Director of the Agreements Office, ensuring it reflected USP’s institutional priorities and operating context.

Participants explored how research assets create value for universities and society, considered how different forms of risk can emerge within research environments, and reflected on the systems, behaviours and governance arrangements needed to support responsible practice.

A central theme throughout the programme was proportionality. Effective research security is not about restricting collaboration by default. It is about helping institutions and researchers make informed decisions based on context, value and risk.

The sessions encouraged participants to connect research security with wider organisational priorities, including innovation, data protection, knowledge exchange and international partnership development.

The impact

The programme helped participants move beyond general awareness and develop a more practical, applied understanding of research security.

Staff reported greater confidence in identifying valuable research assets, recognising potential vulnerabilities and considering appropriate measures to reduce risk. The discussions also helped create a shared understanding of how research security connects to wider institutional priorities and responsibilities.

By combining strategic reflection with practical application, the programme helped establish stronger foundations for the continued development of research security capability across the university.

Looking ahead

The conversation around research security continues to evolve, and universities need approaches that can adapt as risks, partnerships and technologies change.

Universities increasingly need approaches that support international collaboration while protecting the people, knowledge and assets that make research possible. Through this programme, USP strengthened its capacity to engage with those challenges and continue building a research environment that is both open and responsible.