The State Department and several other federal agencies are preparing to tighten oversight of colleges and universities that accept funding from foreign entities on government watch lists.
Officials say the move addresses a long-standing gap in monitoring how American higher education institutions source international revenue.
Federal records show major U.S. universities received millions of dollars from foreign entities flagged on U.S. government cautionary or restricted lists during roughly the second half of last year.
The disclosed amounts total $27.6 million across dozens of top research institutions, originating from entities appearing on at least one of 10 federal watch lists.
Those lists are maintained by the Treasury, Commerce, Homeland Security, Defense, and State Departments to flag organizations requiring extra scrutiny due to foreign government ties.
The State and Education Departments are jointly targeting academic partnerships that officials say could pose national security risks.
In one case, a Chinese company developing advanced aeronautics for the People's Liberation Army provided more than $7 million to three top-tier U.S. research universities.
In another instance, Bryant University in Rhode Island disclosed a $22.6 million, 50-year contract with the Beijing Institute of Technology.
Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy Sarah B. Rogers notified governing boards of major research universities that grant-making agencies will screen for such foreign funding.
Institutions found to accept money from flagged entities could face loss of federal funding.
The effort expands on earlier congressional scrutiny of foreign influence, particularly from China, on American campuses during the previous administration.
