Activities Involving Iran
Overview
University research and professional activities involving Iran are subject to U.S. sanctions and export control requirements.
The specific requirements depend on the proposed activity, participating individuals and organizations, financial transactions, services being provided, research assets or information being transferred, and other circumstances. Some activities may proceed under applicable U.S. Government authorizations, while others may require additional authorization or may be prohibited.
Activities involving Iran may also be subject to federal sponsor requirements, research security considerations, disclosure requirements, research agreements, and other institutional requirements.
The Office of Research Security (ORS) assists faculty, staff, and students in identifying applicable requirements before engaging in University research or professional activities involving Iran.
REQUEST A SANCTIONS/EXPORT CONTROL REVIEW
Contact ORS Before You
Contact ORS before you:
- Travel to Iran for research, educational, professional, humanitarian, or other University-related activities.
- Establish or participate in a research collaboration with an individual or organization in Iran.
- Conduct research, consulting, technical assistance, teaching, training, or other professional services involving Iran.
- Organize or participate in a conference, meeting, workshop, seminar, or other professional activity involving Iran, including certain virtual activities.
- Ship, hand-carry, or electronically transfer research equipment, materials, software, technology, technical information, research data, or other research assets to Iran.
- Purchase goods or services from, or make payments to, individuals or organizations in Iran.
- Enter into a research agreement or other University agreement involving an Iranian university, research institute, government agency, company, or other organization.
- Invite or host researchers, visitors, or collaborators affiliated with Iranian organizations when research security, export control, sponsor, or other institutional requirements may apply.
- Are uncertain whether sanctions, export control, research security, sponsor, or other institutional requirements apply to your proposed activity.
Key Considerations
University-related travel to Iran is subject to U.S. sanctions requirements. Researchers should contact ORS before making travel arrangements.
ORS will review the purpose of the travel, anticipated activities, host organizations, itinerary, planned transactions, and research equipment or other research assets that will be taken to Iran to identify applicable sanctions, export control, sponsor, and institutional requirements.
Travel arrangements should not be finalized until applicable requirements have been identified.
Research and professional activities involving individuals or organizations in Iran are subject to U.S. sanctions and may also involve export control, sponsor, research security, disclosure, contractual, or other institutional requirements.
Activities may include:
- Collaborative or sponsored research
- Consulting or technical assistance
- Teaching or training
- Data or software sharing
- Material transfers
- Research agreements
- Conferences, meetings, and other professional activities
- Other research or scholarly activities
The provision of services to individuals or organizations in Iran may be restricted or require U.S. government authorization depending on the nature and circumstances of the activity.
ORS reviews the proposed activity and participating organizations to identify applicable requirements before the activity begins.
Conferences, meetings, workshops, seminars, and other professional activities involving Iran are subject to U.S. sanctions and export control review.
This includes:
- Attending or presenting at conferences in Iran.
- Participating in activities hosted by Iranian organizations.
- Providing presentations, instruction, training, technical assistance, or other professional services.
- Participating in virtual activities involving individuals or organizations in Iran.
- Sharing software, technical information, research data, or other research resources in connection with an event.
Researchers must contact ORS before committing to or participating in these activities. ORS will review the proposed activity to identify applicable sanctions, export control, research security, sponsor, and institutional requirements and determine whether additional U.S. government authorization is required.
Financial transactions involving Iran are subject to U.S. sanctions requirements and may require review before commitments or payments are made.
Transactions may include:
- Registration or conference fees
- Lodging and travel expenses
- Reimbursements
- Purchases of goods or services
- Honoraria or other payments
- Research-related expenses
- Payments associated with agreements or collaborations
Researchers should consult ORS before making or committing to research-related payments involving Iran. ORS will coordinate with the appropriate University offices, as needed, to identify applicable requirements.
Research equipment, materials, software, technology, technical information, and other research assets transferred to Iran are subject to U.S. export control requirements.
Contact ORS before:
- Shipping research equipment or materials to Iran.
- Hand-carrying University equipment, scientific instruments, or research materials to Iran.
- Transferring software or source code.
- Sharing technology or technical information.
- Electronically transferring research information that may be subject to export control requirements.
- Transferring biological materials, chemicals, samples, prototypes, or other research assets.
- Providing research equipment or other items to individuals or organizations in Iran.
ORS will determine whether U.S. Government authorization is required before the transfer occurs.
Activities involving Iran may require screening of participating individuals and organizations against applicable U.S. Government restricted party lists.
Researchers should provide ORS with information about participating institutions, collaborators, sponsors, vendors, service providers, and other organizations involved in the proposed activity.
ORS conducts Restricted Entity Screening and additional review, as appropriate, to identify restrictions that may affect the proposed activity.
Research involving Iran may also be subject to federal sponsor requirements, research agreements, disclosure requirements, University travel procedures, information protection requirements, or other institutional requirements.
Researchers should review applicable sponsor and project requirements before beginning an activity involving Iran.
ORS assists researchers in identifying research security, export control, and sponsor requirements and coordinates with other University offices, as appropriate.
Related Guidance
| Related Guidance | Description |
|---|---|
| International Travel | Guidance for international travel involving research, teaching, field work, conferences, or other University activities. |
| International Collaborations | Guidance for planning, establishing, conducting, and managing research collaborations with international researchers, institutions, companies, and organizations. |
| Conferences, Professional Activities & External Appointments | Guidance for participating in conferences, meetings, seminars, workshops, professional societies, external appointments, teaching, lectures, and other scholarly activities involving international organizations or conducted outside the United States. |
| Foreign-Sponsored Research | Guidance for proposing, conducting, and managing research funded or otherwise supported by foreign governments, universities, companies, foundations, or other foreign organizations. |
| International Transfers (Shipments, Hand-Carry & Electronic Transmissions) | Guidance for shipping, mailing, hand-carrying, or electronically transferring research equipment, materials, software, technology, technical information, or research information internationally. |
| Sharing Research Information | Guidance for sharing research information, data, software, technology, technical information, presentations, publications, or other research outputs with collaborators, sponsors, companies, government agencies, or other third parties. |
| Restricted Entity Screening | Guidance for screening collaborators, organizations, vendors, and sponsors against U.S. government restricted party lists. |
| Sponsor & Agreement Requirements | Guidance for reviewing and complying with research security, export control, information protection, publication, and other project-specific requirements contained in sponsor solicitations, award terms, and research agreements. |
| Sanctions & Embargo Programs | Guidance for understanding U.S. sanctions programs and conducting research activities involving sanctioned destinations. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I travel to Iran for University research or professional activities?
Possibly. University-related activities involving Iran are subject to U.S. sanctions requirements, and additional export control, sponsor, or institutional requirements may also apply.
Contact ORS before making travel arrangements so the proposed activities, transactions, and research assets can be reviewed.
Can I collaborate with a researcher or institution in Iran?
Possibly.
Requirements depend on the participating individuals and organizations, proposed research activities, services or information being provided, financial transactions, and other circumstances.
ORS will review the proposed collaboration to identify applicable sanctions, export control, sponsor, research security, and institutional requirements.
Can I attend or present at a conference involving Iran?
Possibly.
Conferences and professional activities involving Iran may be subject to U.S. sanctions or export control requirements depending on the location, host organization, nature of the activity, services being provided, and information or research assets involved.
Contact ORS before committing to participate when sanctions, export control, or other research security requirements may apply.
Can I teach, train, consult, or provide other professional services involving Iran?
Possibly.
Providing teaching, training, consulting, technical assistance, or other professional services involving Iran is subject to U.S. sanctions requirements and may require U.S. Government authorization depending on the activity.
Contact ORS before providing these services.
Can I ship or send research equipment, software, or research information to Iran?
Possibly.
Equipment, materials, software, technology, technical information, biological materials, chemicals, samples, and other research assets transferred to Iran are subject to U.S. export control requirements.
Contact ORS before shipping, hand-carrying, or electronically transferring research assets to Iran.
Can I make payments to individuals or organizations in Iran?
Possibly.
Financial transactions involving Iran are subject to U.S. sanctions requirements and may be restricted or require authorization.
Contact ORS before making or committing to research-related financial transactions involving Iran.
Can I host researchers or visitors from Iran?
Yes, in many circumstances. A person's Iranian citizenship or nationality does not, by itself, mean that the individual cannot participate in University research activities.
Additional review may be appropriate when the proposed activity involves export-controlled technology or technical information, sponsor-restricted research, government-controlled information, proprietary technical information, or other restricted research assets.
Contact ORS when you are uncertain whether access restrictions or other requirements apply.
Do virtual activities involving Iran require review?
They may. Virtual collaborations, meetings, training, consulting, technical assistance, software sharing, data sharing, and other remote activities may involve U.S. sanctions or export control requirements even when no one travels to Iran.
Contact ORS before providing services, software, technology, technical information, or other research resources remotely when you are uncertain whether restrictions apply.
Need Assistance?
Activities involving Iran are subject to U.S. sanctions and export control requirements and may also involve research security, sponsor, financial, contractual, and other institutional requirements.
Contact the Office of Research Security before making University-related travel arrangements, entering into agreements, making or committing to payments, transferring research information or materials, providing services, or beginning research activities involving Iran.
Early consultation helps identify applicable requirements and determine whether additional review or U.S. Government authorization is required before the proposed activity proceeds.