Branch Campus Certification for Federal R&D Awards (S4423)

Current understanding

S4423 would amend the Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act to condition federal R&D award eligibility on an institution of higher education certifying that it does not operate certain (as-yet-specified) branch campuses. The bill is at the introduced stage in the Senate and, if enacted, would add a new eligibility gate for IHEs applying to covered R&D programs without creating a broader regulatory regime. Practical impact on institutions would depend on which branch campuses are covered (likely those in or affiliated with adversary jurisdictions) and on implementing agency guidance.

Evidence log

• 2026-04-28 — A bill to amend the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 to prohibit certain institutions of higher education from receiving research and development awards, and for other purposes.: cross-connection with s4424-ndaa-ihe-rd-award-prohibition: Companion Senate bills (sequential numbering) both restricting federal R&D awards to certain IHEs — S4423 works through an R&D Competition and Innovation Act branch-campus certification, while S4424 amends the FY2021 NDAA to impose an outright prohibition. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-04-28 — A bill to amend the Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act to require each institution of higher education to certify as part of an application for a research and development award that such institution does not operate certain branch campuses, and for other purposes.: cross-connection with united-states-research-protection-act: Both tighten conditions on federally funded research at IHEs based on foreign-nexus considerations — one via researcher participation in malign foreign talent programs, the other via institutional branch-campus operations. (novelty: 2)

Open questions

Related