Strengthening Research Security Competence in Italy

Promoting awareness, capacity, and best practice in managing research security challenges

Research security has become a critical concern for institutions engaged in international collaboration. Differences in approaches to due diligence across countries can lead to significant variations in decision-making quality, risk mitigation, and collaboration management.

In Italy, the topic is still emerging within the professional research management community. There was a clear need to:

• Raise awareness among research managers and administrators about research security risks

• Share proven international approaches, including risk assessment and mitigation for dual-use technologies

• Foster dialogue between Italian institutions and global counterparts

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s (FCDO) UK Science and Technology Network in Italy partnered with Formation and the Italian Network of Research Managers and Administrators (RMA) to organise a dedicated workshop in Rome, hosted at the British Embassy.

Our Approach

The workshop, entitled “Promoting research management competences on research security challenges”, brought together experts and practitioners from Italy, the UK, and internationally. Formation led the workshop with a keynote drawing on ARMA’s Complex Collaborations: Efficiency, Equity, Quality and Security in International Research project and workshops on identifying dual-use technologies and developing an internal due diligence approach within research organisations.

The workshop also featured contributions from:

• G7 SIGRE (Security and Integrity of the Research Ecosystem) working group representatives, highlighting global initiatives such as the Virtual Academy Toolkit hosted on the European SINAPSE platform

• RESTART Foundation, presenting standardised risk assessment and management approaches

• IP Talons, with tools for considering the risk landscape within Italy

Formation’s input focused on the UK’s approach to:

• Identifying and managing dual-use technology risks

• Embedding ethical considerations alongside regulatory compliance

• Protecting institutional reputation through robust policy and governance

• Raising researcher awareness, building internal capacity, and establishing dedicated institutional policies and practice

• Applying risk management measures in project governance documents

Sessions were interactive and encouraged the exchange of good practices between participants from different countries, recognising the importance of context specific adaptation.

The Impact

The workshop advanced understanding of research security within Italy’s research management community and created a shared commitment to action. Key outcomes included:

• Cross-border knowledge exchange on due diligence processes and tools

• Stronger awareness of risks linked to dual-use technologies and how to mitigate them

• Recognition of the need to integrate security considerations from the earliest (pre-award) project stages

• Broader engagement between Italian RMAs, UK experts, and international bodies, laying the groundwork for future cooperation

Participants agreed that:

• Due diligence must become a standard, formalised part of research governance processes

• RMA networks will play a vital advocacy role, ensuring security is on the radar of university leadership and principal investigators

• There is an urgent need to invest in specialist professional skills for research security risk management.