The Research Security Program defines Countries of Concern as:
- China
- Iran
- North Korea
- Rusia
- Burma
- Cuba
- Eritrea
- Pakistan
- Saudi Arabia
- Tajikistan
- Turkmenistan
The CHIPS and Science Act (2022) defined Countries of Concern as China, Iran, North Korea and Russia. The Secretary of Commerce can determine if additional countries fit into that definition. As noted in CHIPS, entities owned, controlled, or subject to the jurisdiction of a Country of Concern may also be subject to restriction.
Designation as a Country of Concern does not mean research collaborations with individuals in or visiting scholars from those countries are banned. Rather, this designation is used by federal agencies and the Research Security Program as a risk marker.
For Research Security reviews, Countries of Concern also include the Countries of Particular Concern, as designated by the Secretary of State. In addition to the above countries, those countries include: Burma, Cuba, Eritrea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan.