Awarded by the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) and the Office of Counterintelligence, the Jack Donnelly Award recognizes institutions that demonstrate exceptional commitment to protecting sensitive and classified research from foreign intelligence threats. The Texas A&M University System’s Research Security Office—led by Chief Research Security Officer Dr. Kevin Gamache—has now achieved this distinction a record four times (2017, 2019, 2023, and 2024), more than any other academic institution. The research security program at Texas A&M, the first in the nation, was established by Dr. Gamache in 2016, and he was the first appointed Chief Research Security Officer in the U.S.
The World’s Preeminent Research Security Gathering
The ASCE conference, spearheaded by the RISC Institute and held annually since 2017, has grown into the world’s largest and most influential research security training event, with a convergence of 650+ leaders from federal agencies, 150+ universities and 25+ countries. The 2026 conference marks its tenth year as the premier global forum for research security training, professional development, networking, and international collaboration.
Texas A&M’s role as host underscores the institution’s global leadership in building a secure and resilient research environment that protects U.S. innovation while enabling productive international engagement.
State Leadership: Texas A&M Selected as Inaugural Chair of the Texas Higher Education Research Security Council
Texas A&M’s leadership in research security extends beyond the national stage and deep into Texas’ statewide policy framework.
As part of HB 127 adopted by the 89th Texas Legislature, the State of Texas established the Texas Higher Education Research Security Council and SB 1273 designated the A&M System as the first presiding officer of the newly formed council. A&M is uniquely positioned to lead, thanks to its pioneering approach, unrivaled expertise and longstanding commitment to research security. This initiative ensures that Texas institutions remain national leaders in research excellence while safeguarding our intellectual property, proprietary data, and innovation ecosystem.
This designation recognizes the A&M System’s:
- Early and sustained leadership in building a comprehensive research security program (dating back to 2016).
- Pivotal role in shaping statewide approaches to transparency, threat awareness, and research protection.
This state appointment, combined with the System’s repeated national recognition and decade of hosting the world’s preeminent annual research security conference, positions Texas A&M as the unparalleled leader in America’s research enterprise at every level: federal, state, and institutional.
