An important note to Harvard’s Research Admin Community:

The University released this Memo with further prohibitions on acceptance of gifts or grants from ByteDance or TikTok, as corporate entities.

Please read the entire memo, but at a high-level:

1. The acceptance of gifts or grants from ByteDance or TikTok, as Corporate Entities, are prohibited, due to the risk to research security and institutional federal funding. 
2. This does not include personal philanthropy from individuals who may have an affiliation with ByteDance or TikTok. Such gifts would be reviewed and considered through a normal gift process (e.g., GPC).
3. Other research activities or collaborations with ByteDance or TikTok must be escalated to OVPR for review on a case-by-case basis. 

Please note, this does not alter Harvard’s approach to complying with Far Clause 52.204-27 Prohibition on ByteDance Covered Applications.  When this FAR Clause is present in incoming awards, either directly in federally sponsored contract to Harvard or flowed down to Harvard in a subcontract from a prime recipient of federal funding, we must collect Harvard’s ByteDance Attestation Forms prohibiting use of ByteDance applications (TikTok, etc.) from individuals engaged in the project before executing agreements.