A new federal drone policy went into effect on Dec. 22, 2025, and it also requires those involved in federally funded research to complete training by Sunday (Jan. 25, 2026).
Emails were sent to those involved in past or current funded work in this area. However, if you were not contacted and are working in this area, or if you would like more information, please go to the link below to learn more about these new requirements.
In response to increasing concerns of foreign government interference and exploitation of federally funded research, the U.S. government issued National Security Presidential Memorandum 33 (NSPM-33) in January 2021. There is the upcoming RCR/Research Security training deadlines as detailed on ORI’s NSPM-33 webpage - https://research.unl.edu/researchcompliance/national-security-presidential-memorandum-33-nspm-33-implementation/ - and the link to the training in Bridge is https://nebraska.bridgeapp.com/learner/programs/4b0761fc/enroll
Additionally, the USDA has just recently released their updated grant T&Cs that now detail the requirements for completion of research security training and certifications regarding foreign talent recruitment programs. These were effective Dec. 31, 2025. It is of note that the USDA is not using the same language as other sponsors regarding who must complete research security training. A significant number of other incongruent or confusing terms were also included. While other sponsors have primarily focused on “key personnel,” the USDA updated T&C’s require research security training for all grant personnel. This is under review and debate at the national level, so the best we can advise at this time is to ensure all USDA key personnel are meeting the below deadline and then others on the awards are also getting this done as soon as possible.
- Fall 2025 semester: Federally funded key personnel, starting with those who have DOE, DOD, and NSF funding. Other covered personnel will be required to complete training during this phase as dependent on funding source. To meet federal deadlines, the training must be completed prior to Oct. 10, 2025.
- Spring 2026 semester: To meet federal deadlines, other federally funded key personnel – NIH, USDA, Dept of Ed, DOJ, etc. – must complete training by Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026.
- Fall 2026: By the end of October 2026, all other research personnel, funded or unfunded, including graduate students, will be expected to complete RCR training.
More details at: https://research.unl.edu/blog/new-federal-policy-in-effect-regulating-drone-procurement/