Sensitive material in a research thesis/portfolio
Information about sensitive material in a thesis
When submitting a thesis, candidates are asked whether it contains material that the New Zealand Government might consider sensitive under the Trusted Security – Protective Security Requirements (PSR) framework.
This question helps ensure that sensitive research is not sent to examiners in countries about which our government has concerns. If the thesis or portfolio might contain sensitive material, candidates and supervisors should discuss this before submission and agree whether anything needs to be declared. Both are asked about this in the submission form. Declaring sensitive content early helps avoid delays in the examination process.
If you are unsure about whether your thesis contains such material, think about the following questions:
- Does your thesis involve technology subject to export control regulation?
- Does your research involve technology that could be considered dual-use? (for example: AI detection of fish species underwater could be applied also to AI detection of enemy aircraft; chemical compounds that might have a military use)
- Does your research involve collaboration with an overseas university connected to that country’s military?
If you answer “yes” to any of these, your thesis may fall under the Protective Security Requirements (PSR) framework.
More information
Intranet
Trusted-research-protective-security-requirements
External links