In regulated research environments, protecting Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) is essential to maintain compliance with federal standards, contractual requirements, and export control regulations such as ITAR and EAR. Organizations conducting research across multiple labs, grants, and contracts must establish secure workflows that control how sensitive data is accessed and shared, especially in diverse teams that may include international researchers.

Core Requirements

Managing CUI in research organizations requires systems that handle data securely across multiple projects and funding sources. Access controls must ensure that Export Control data is restricted to U.S. persons only, complying with ITAR/EAR regulations—critical in labs with international staff or collaborators.

Operational Needs

Effective access control can be supported by tools like Microsoft Purview and custom attributes to manage permissions based on user citizenship or project requirements. Organizations may need to pre-provision accounts for foreign nationals in restricted environments to ensure appropriate access without compromising compliance, often by providing separate, predefined environments for different user groups.

Special Considerations:

Research organizations often need to allocate IT costs to specific grants or contracts, making it crucial to design secure environments that support detailed cost tracking and chargebacks for both compliance and budgeting purposes. Equally important is establishing strong governance to prevent individual departments from creating isolated secure environments without oversight, as this can result in inconsistencies and compliance failures. Finally, balancing accessibility with regulatory requirements is essential when segmenting access to shared lab equipment and sensitive research data, ensuring both security and operational efficiency.

Examples of Industry Software and Systems

• Box: Secure cloud storage for sharing and managing sensitive research data with access controls and encryption.
• Visual Studio Code: A code editor used for developing research tools, requiring secure setup to protect sensitive code and data.
• MATLAB: A platform for data analysis and modeling, often used in technical research with compliance and licensing controls.
• ANSYS: Simulation software for engineering research; must be used on secure systems when handling controlled data.
• GitLab: Tool for version control and code collaboration; needs access restrictions and monitoring in regulated environments.
• LaTex: A system for creating technical documents; used to prepare compliant reports and papers with sensitive content.
• Keysight SystemVue: Modeling software for communication systems, used securely in RF and signal processing research projects.