Texas A&M University’s Bush School for Government and Public Service will extend its commitment to national and research security through the addition of the pioneering Research and Innovative Security and Competitiveness (RISC) Institute. This strategic realignment, which will be official June 1, will expand the school’s research and workforce development efforts and broaden its national and international impact.
“This transition has been years in the making,” said Bush School Dean John B. Sherman. “The Bush School will make sure the RISC Institute is supported, expanded, and elevated for years to come.”
Since its founding in 2023, RISC has been part of The Texas A&M University System’s Research Security Office. The institute was initially envisioned as an externally facing component that would translate the Research Security Office’s groundbreaking and award-winning work. As a result, RISC has provided critical research security support to the U.S. State Department as well as numerous international governments and organizations.
The transition to the Bush School broadens the institute’s scope of work. “This realignment reflects a deliberate and strategic alignment of mission, not simply an organizational shift,” said Kevin Gamache. “The RISC Institute has consistently operated at the intersection of research, policy, and global security. By moving into the Bush School, we are positioning the institute where policy, leadership development, and international affairs converge. This strengthens our ability to influence both practice and policy in research security, which will ultimately enhance our ability to serve universities, government partners, and the broader national interest.
The Bush School will tap RISC’s extensive expertise to develop the next generation of leaders in research security.As a result, the school plans to launch an innovative Research Security Graduate Certificate that will equip professionals with critical competencies in research security, compliance and risk mitigation. This fully online graduate-level program will include electives designed to expand students’ preparedness across the fast-growing research security landscape.
Moving forward, Gamache anticipates that the Bush School’s academic offerings in this area will continue to grow due to the rapidly changing nature of research security. “Since 2019, research security has really evolved not only in the United States but in our like-minded partners,” he said. “We’re seeing the development of a research security culture and the professionalization of research security, so the Bush School gives us a great platform to advance our work in that area. The graduate certificate will be the first education program of its kind focused on research security.”
RISC’s alignment with the Bush School is also expected to significantly expand its research footprint. Currently, Gamache serves as principal investigator and director for the National Science Foundation’s Securing the Entire U.S. Research Ecosystem (SECURE) Analytics cooperative agreement, which focuses on advancing research security and developing a software platform for academic institutions and health systems, small- and medium-sized businesses, national laboratories, and non-profit research organizations.
In addition to these expanded offerings, RISC will continue publishing the weekly RISC Institute Media Bulletin, a curated analysis of global developments, emerging risks, and policy updates for research security professionals, administrators and policymakers. RISC also coordinates the annual Academic Security and Counter Exploitation (ASCE) Conference, which has become the largest research security training event globally, and delivers operational training to research security professionals to build sustainable institutional capability.
Ultimately, the addition of RISC to the Bush School positions the school to be at the forefront of discussions on one of today’s toughest policy challenges. “Research security is not about limiting collaboration; it’s about ensuring that collaboration is conducted with integrity, transparency, and awareness of risk,” Gamache said. “This realignment places research security exactly where it belongs—at the intersection of policy, public service, and international affairs. The Bush School develops leaders equipped to handle complex global challenges. Research security is one of the most important of those challenges today.”
