US Blacklists 130 Research Entities in China, Russia, and Iran Over Technology Transfer Risks

The US Department of War has released an updated list formally designating 130 academic and research institutions in China, Russia, and Iran for engaging in activities that facilitate unauthorized technology transfer, according to an official announcement on July 24.

Published under Section 1286 of the FY19 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the Fiscal Year 2025 update identifies foreign entities confirmed to increase the risk of US government-funded research and development being diverted toward adversarial state interests.

Advising domestic researchers, universities, and industrial partners to exercise strict caution regarding funding or data-sharing agreements with listed institutions, Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering Emil Michael stated that “the Department of War is strengthening its commitment to protect taxpayer-funded research and preserving the integrity of the American scientific enterprise.”

The expanded federal blacklist comes as Russian academic and technological institutions already face mounting isolation under multi-wave Western sanctions campaigns, according to reporting by The Moscow Times. High-profile institutions, such as the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MFTI), have been progressively placed under US export controls and SDN listings, alongside inclusion in the European Union’s 20th sanctions package over specialized programs in uncrewed aerial vehicle technology.

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Furthermore, the sanctions pressure extends deep into Russia’s natural resources sector, with the US Treasury having previously designated key technical training centers including Saint Petersburg Mining University, the Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas, and the Russian State Geological Prospecting University, according to The Moscow Times.

While Western sanctions and tech-transfer blacklists continue to isolate Russian institutions and depress their international scientific output, Ukrainian higher education has expanded its global footprint, with a record 22 Ukrainian universities securing positions in the 2026 Times Higher Education World University Rankings despite ongoing wartime damage to domestic educational infrastructure.

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