Staff application for permission to access to security-sensitive material

Instructions

(a)All staff, who, as part of their academic work, intend to access or are accessing security-sensitive material are required to complete this form and submit it to their Head of School.

(b)‘Security-sensitive’ material includes, but is not limited to:

  • material which might be thought to encourage the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism,
  • material which would be useful in the commission of acts of terrorism,
  • material which glorifies acts of terrorism.

(c)The Head of School will consider the request and make a recommendation to the Dean of Postgraduate Research Studies, who is responsible for the decision on the application.

(d)You will then be informed of the decision and, if permission has been granted, the conditions which apply to your access to and storage of security-sensitive material.

Academic and Governance Services

Staff application for permission to access to security-sensitive material

Section 1: Application Details

Personal details
Name / Click here to enter text. /
Employee number / Click here to enter text. /
School/Department / Click here to enter text. /
Research division / Click here to enter text. /
AREA OF RESEARCH AND/OR TEACHING
I wish to access security-sensitive material, either in hard copy or online, in connection with my research/teaching
Research: please outline the area of research
Teaching: please outline the area of teaching (including module codes and titles and/or dissertation/research supervision) to which this request relates
Module code(s): / Module title (s):
Dissertation/thesis/research project
If you are supervising a dissertation/thesis/research project (whether undergraduate, taught postgraduate, postgraduate research student, please indicate its topic and scope, its working title, and the name of the student whom you are supervising
Topic and scope of dissertation: / Name of student:
Please state the period for which access to security-sensitive material is requested.
PREVIOUS APPLICATIONS
Have you previously submitted an Application for access to security-sensitive material, in relation to this or any other module?
YES / NO (Please delete as appropriate)
If you have answered ‘Yes’, please state when you submitted the form, the research/teaching area to which the previous application related, and the decision on the application:
Date of previous application:
Research/teaching area:
Application approved: / Yes / No (Please delete, as appropriate)
MATERIALS
Please provide an indicative list of the materials or websites which you expect to access.
We recognise that the list will not be exhaustive and that, as the project develops, you may wish to access further materials. If the scope of your project changes or you wish to access materials significantly different from those indicated, you are required to submit a new application providing information in relation to the redefined scope of your work
Indicative list of materials or websites which you expect to access:
RELEVANCE
Please explain the relevance of these materials to the topic of your work and why it is important that you have access to them.
Relevance of materials to topic:
INDICATIVE CONDITIONS
In cases where access to security-sensitive material is approved, the following minimum conditions will normally apply (please note that further conditions may be stipulated):
  1. Security-sensitive material will be accessed through, and stored on, designated University-owned IT equipment supported by the University’s central IT Department, and not on any personally-owned device or locally-attached storage;
  2. the material will be viewed in a secure, or other agreed, setting, where the material cannot be accessed by other students;
  3. the material must not be shared or exchanged with persons other than other designated members of staff;
  4. printed material of a sensitive nature must be held in a secure place;
  5. the provisions of the University’s IT Regulations (Section 9) relating to Monitoring will apply;
  6. the student’s arrangements for holding and accessing material and the material accessed online may be audited by the University Security Manager, and the audit may involve interviews with the student and/or supervisor;
  7. the University may share information with the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), Office for Students, Counter-Terrorist Unit and other relevant authorities, where it is lawful and appropriate for it to do so.
If a member of staff breaches the conditions for access to security-sensitive material, the Dean of Postgraduate Research Studies may determine that consent for the access to security- sensitive material be withdrawn, which may entail the member of staff not being able to continue with the research.
Potentialconsequences
Youareadvisedthat:
(a) security-sensitive websitesmaybesubjecttosurveillancebythepolice, and that accessingthose sitesmight leadtopoliceenquiries;
(b)a breach of the conditions specified above or any further conditions could lead to intervention by the police and render you vulnerable to arrest and prosecution.
Declaration
Please read the above information carefully and, if you wish to proceed with your request, sign the following declaration:
I confirm that:
(a) I understand the information provided above, including the indicative conditions and the advice relating to the risks contained above; and
(b)I wish to apply for permission to access security-sensitive material in connection exclusively with my University programme;
(c)The information which I have provided above is, to the best of my knowledge, accurate.
Signed: / Date:

.

Section 2: to be completed by the Head of School

HoS details
Please circle A or B and provide further information, as required
A / I recommend that this application be approved
EITHER
subject to the standard conditions
OR
subject to the standard conditions and further conditions, as stated below.
Further conditions: /
B / I recommend that this application be declined on the following grounds:
Signature / /
Name:
School
Date:

Section 3: Dean for Postgraduate Research Studies:

Dean’s details
Please circle A or B and provide further information, as required
A / I recommend that this application be approved
subject to the standard conditions
OR
subject to the standard conditions and further conditions, as recommended above by the Head of School
OR
subject to the standard conditions and further conditions as stated below:
Further conditions: /
B / I recommend that this application be declined on the following grounds:
1.On the grounds specified by the Head of School
2.On the following (additional) grounds
Signature / /
Name:
Date:
Governance
Student Informed / Date
Confirmation of acceptance of conditions received from student / Date

©University of Reading 2018 v2Tuesday 23 October 2018Page 1