Please join us on Thursday, January 29th from 12-1pm for a best practice discussion about International and Research Partner Due Diligence. Sponsored jointly by the Berkeley International Group (BIG) and Berkeley Research Administrator’s Group (BRAG) staff organization communities of practice, this one-hour webinar will provide university administrators with a framework for conducting due diligence on prospective partners and sponsors, with a focus on international partnerships and research. Participants will learn to identify potential reputational, legal, and financial risks while exploring strategies to verify organizational values and funding sources. The session covers essential "red flags" in partnership proposals and agreements, and provides practical tools for evaluating long-term alignment with institutional missions and principles. By the end of the hour, attendees will be equipped with a standardized vetting checklist to streamline their evaluation process and ensure institutional integrity in every new collaboration.
Presenters:
-
Judy Chock is the Executive Director of Research Security at UC Berkeley, a role she assumed in October 2025. She is an attorney and former FBI Special Agent with extensive experience in program management, multi-agency collaboration, and the development of institutional frameworks.
-
Eric Giegerich is the Director of the Industry Alliances Office (IAO) at UC Berkeley, a position he has held since May 2013. He is a seasoned industry contracts and technology transfer professional who specializes in facilitating large-scale research collaborations and innovation programs between the university and industry partners.
The Berkeley International Group (BIG) is a registered People and Culture staff organization community of practice facilitated by a volunteer staff leadership team from international-related units. BIG convenes UC Berkeley colleagues with professional interests in international education, intercultural learning, global affairs, and international exchange, and serves as a community to share knowledge and strengthen Berkeley’s international activities and operations.
The mission of the Berkeley Research Administrators Group (BRAG) is to provide a forum for collegial interaction in the research administration community. We do this by facilitating presentations by subject matter experts, creating an environment to foster peer-to-peer exchanges, and seeking and sharing best practices. BRAG is a forum for discussion and sharing of problems, information and best practices that Berkeley research administrators encounter during their not-so-routine workday.