{"id":21144,"date":"2026-01-23T13:39:55","date_gmt":"2026-01-23T13:39:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/documentarchive\/?p=21144"},"modified":"2026-01-23T13:39:55","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T13:39:55","slug":"from-blue-dragon-to-woodstock-does-classified-human-subjects-research-revealed-after-7-year-wait","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/documentarchive\/from-blue-dragon-to-woodstock-does-classified-human-subjects-research-revealed-after-7-year-wait\/","title":{"rendered":"From Blue Dragon to Woodstock: DOE\u2019s Classified Human Subjects Research Revealed After 7 Year Wait"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"DOE<\/a><\/p>\n

Human Subjects Research, commonly abbreviated as HSR, refers to scientific studies that involve data obtained directly from living individuals. Such research can include physical interventions, behavioral testing, biometric data collection, or the analysis of large datasets derived from human activity. Within the Department of Energy, HSR is governed by a framework of ethical, legal, and oversight requirements designed to protect individual rights while allowing research deemed necessary for national security or scientific advancement.<\/p>\n

A newly released Department of Energy document sheds fresh light on a subset of this research that remains classified in whole or in part. The release, obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request filed by The Black Vault in March 2019, was not finalized until January 22, 2026, nearly seven years later. The responsive record is a single-page attachment titled \u201cProjects that are Classified HSR, FY 2018 DOE Report,\u201d which was released in full, and expands the public knowledge about HSRs that was first derived from a previously released document to the Federation of American Scientists<\/a> (FAS) in 2017.<\/p>\n

Why These Lists Exist<\/h3>\n

The requirement to compile and publish lists of classified HSR projects stems from DOE Notice 443.1<\/a>, issued as part of broader reforms following revelations in the 1990s about Cold War-era human radiation experiments. Those experiments, some conducted without informed consent, prompted public outrage, congressional scrutiny, and the establishment of a presidential advisory committee to examine the government\u2019s historical record.<\/p>\n

In response, the Department of Energy formalized stricter oversight of human subjects research, including classified work. DOE Notice 443.1 requires that classified HSR projects be tracked and reported, even if substantive details remain protected. The intent is to ensure accountability, ethical review, and senior-level awareness of research involving human participants.<\/p>\n

DOE Notice 443.1 was later superseded by DOE Order 443.1C<\/a>, which remains in force today and preserves the requirement to track and oversee classified human subjects research. Those protections were further reinforced in 2020 when DOE codified its human subjects framework in federal regulation under 10 C.F.R. Part 745<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Earlier Public Disclosure<\/h3>\n
\"\"<\/a>
August 2018 release to the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) via FOIA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In August 2018, the Federation of American Scientists published an article titled \u201cClassified Human Subjects Research Continues at DOE<\/a>,\u201d written by Steven Aftergood. That reporting was based on a DOE FOIA release covering FY 2017 and revealed ten classified HSR projects with opaque code names such as \u201cTristan,\u201d \u201cIdaho Bailiff,\u201d and \u201cMoose Drool.\u201d<\/p>\n

The FY 2017 list, released under FOIA case HQ-2018-00158-F<\/a>, showed that classified human subjects research was ongoing and formally acknowledged within DOE oversight channels. At the time, it offered one of the rare public glimpses into this tightly controlled area of research.<\/p>\n

The New FOIA Release: FY 2018<\/h3>\n

The newly released document obtained by The Black Vault represents the subsequent fiscal year: FY 2018. According to the DOE\u2019s final response letter, the request sought \u201cthe most recent list, as issued under DOE Notice 443.1, of the list of Human Subjects Research (HSR) projects that are classified in whole or in part.\u201d The search was conducted by both the Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence and the Office of Science.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
New release by the DOE to The Black Vault in January 2026. Highlighted programs were highlighted by the DOE for an unknown reason.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The FY 2018 list shows that the number of classified HSR projects increased from ten in FY 2017 to eleven open projects in FY 2018. Several projects carried over from the earlier list, while new entries appeared.<\/p>\n

Projects listed as classified in whole during FY 2018 include:<\/p>\n