Universities stand at the intersection of open inquiry and societal responsibility. In light of the war in Ukraine, which has starkly illustrated how quickly scientific advances can be repurposed for conflict, research that touches national security—whether in cryptography, dual‑use technologies, or emerging weapon systems—carries especially high stakes. This workshop seeks to bring together scholars, administrators, ethicists, and policy makers to explore the complex terrain of security‑relevant research (SRR) within higher‑education institutions. 

We aim to frame the conversation around fundamental questions such as: 

• What qualifies as security‑relevant research? 

• What processes and structures should be a part of universities to enable the responsible conducting of SRR? 

• What responsibilities do individual researchers have regarding SRR? 

• In what ways do contemporary funding structures and government contracts influence visibility and scrutiny of SRR? 

Advocates emphasize that academic freedom fuels innovation, peer review safeguards rigor, and university‑based research can offer transparent, ethical alternatives to opaque military labs. Critics highlight concerns about accelerating arms races, exposing students to dual‑use dilemmas, and creating conflicts of interest with industry or defense sponsors.  

One goal of the workshop is that the insights, case studies, and draft guidelines generated during the workshop could later be assembled into an edited volume. The aim is to capture the diverse perspectives and emerging best‑practice recommendations in a scholarly collection that can serve as a reference for institutions grappling with security‑relevant research.