DFG wary of risks involved in international collaborations

Funder issues guidance for researchers working with colleagues from states with repressive regimes

Germany’s largest public research funder wants the researchers that it funds to carry out detailed risk assessments before agreeing to work on collaborative projects with partners from authoritarian countries.

The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) has published recommendations on what the recipients of its funding should do to assess the risks of research results being misused, and to reach balanced decisions on whether to proceed with the partnership.