Ulterior.live

Securing R&D Intelligence for European Funders and Government Institutions

A focused gathering of senior experts from Research Funding Organisations (RFOs) and Research Performing Organisations (RPOs), convened to define and address high-risk or improper research relationships in today's shifting geopolitical climate.

Research security means anticipating and managing the risks of knowledge or technology misuse, foreign interference, and ethical violations that threaten nationalsecurity. Yet current workflows continue to rely on siloed data systems and manual reviews, leaving an incomplete picture of organisational and national risk.

A central challenge facing attendees is how to balance these critical security concerns against the social and economic benefits of open international scientific collaboration.

This Ulterior Talk will bring participants together face-to-face to explore how RFOs and RPOs can implement effective safeguards without creating a chilling effect that stifles innovation

Join us and Digital Science for this Ulterior Talk, hosted at The Shard in London, from 18:00 to 22:30.

Discussion

Topics

The current landscape: How do you define primary research security risks your organisation faces today, and how are you reconciling that with active government pressure to increase defence and dual-use collaboration? We'll examine foreign interference, problematic knowledge transfer, and the shifting boundary between securing dual-use research and being asked to produce more of it.

Practical challenges & best practices: What are the biggest operational hurdles; from new registration and compliance timelines to hidden affiliations, resourcing, and the financial trade-offs of restricting international partnerships, and where is the UK's support infrastructure actually closing those gaps versus adding to the burden? Delegates will share what's working directly with peers facing the same pressures.

Openness vs. security: How do you differentiate between securing research and preserving the openness that makes your institution attractive to international researchers and collaborators? We’ll discuss the ramifications of getting that balance wrong in either direction, the risk of a chilling effect on legitimate collaboration, or discouraging talent from certain countries, and how institutions are approaching this trade-off in practice.

SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT

Leslie McIntosh

VP, Research Integrity and Security at Digital Science

Leslie D. McIntosh, PhD is the VP of Research Integrity and Security at Digital Science and dedicates her work to improving research, reducing disinformation, and increasing trust in science. As an academic turned entrepreneur, she founded Ripeta in 2017 to improve research quality and integrity. Now part of Digital Science, the Ripeta algorithms lead in detecting Trust Markers of research manuscripts and nefarious networks in science. She works globally to improve research quality, integrity, and security through developing the forensic scientometrics discipline. She has given hundreds of talks, including to the US-NIH, NASA, and World Congress on Research Integrity, and consulted with governments and institutions across the globe. Dr. McIntosh’s work was the most-read RetractionWatch post of 2022. In 2023, her influential ideas on achieving equity in research were highlighted in the Guardian and Science.

SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT

James Kenney

Director, EMEA - Government, Funder & Non-Profit at Digital Science

James Kenney is Director for EMEA – Government, Funders and Non-Profits at Digital Science, where he manages the company's relationships with government bodies, funding agencies and foundations. He has worked in the field of scientific information for over 20 years, previously holding roles at held roles at Elsevier, Informa and Wolters Kluwer Health.

SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT

Marko Zovko

Global Business Development Director Government, Funder and Nonprofit at Digital Science

Marko Zovko is a research and innovation professional with over a decade of experience working alongside government, funding, and academic organisations worldwide. His work focuses on providing innovative technology solutions, data, and expertise that advance the research lifecycle, making processes more efficient, data more impactful, and collaboration more seamless. Marko advises ministries and government agencies on research policies and national priorities, supports funding organisations in portfolio analysis and data-driven investment decisions, and helps research-intensive institutions identify networks and address research security risks

ABOUT

Digital Science

Digital Science is a trusted partner providing research workflow solutions, and data and analytical insights for the research community. We believe in the power of research to shape the future, solve global challenges, and drive innovation that benefits everyone. From tracking research impact to supporting open research and data sharing, mapping the research landscape, enabling collaboration, and providing deep insights, analysis, and discovery, Digital Science has grown into a powerhouse of innovation, supporting every corner of the research ecosystem. Today, one of our strongest areas of growth is industry, as we leverage our technology and the power of AI to help enterprises work smarter, collaborate better, and push the boundaries of discovery.