New rules hope to shine a spotlight on foreign interference at universities.

The new rules call on Australian universities to name their research partners and financial donors.

The federal government directive comes in the wake of concerns about China's influence in Australia and a 2018 cyber attack on the Australian National University.

The changes seek to increase scrutiny on the political ties of research collaborators, the end goal of the research and the objectives of foreign governments.

They will also require universities to review intellectual property rights and whether foreign military organisations might benefit.

The voluntary guidelines ask universities to consider the “dual-use” of their research, such as facial recognition technology being used by the Chinese government to track down ethnic Uighurs.

“We've got to make sure that we continue to adapt, because with the foreign interference threat at unprecedented levels, it will evolve,” says Federal Education Minister Dan Tehan.

Mr Tehan was asked why the guidelines are not compulsory, and said the best approach is a collaborative one.

“If we can get a change of culture on our campuses ... that is the best way that we can ensure that we deal with the threat of foreign interference.”

The guidelines also ask universities to remind students of the risks of foreign interference.

The Federal Government says its intelligence agencies are ready to help universities identify risks and respond.

Universities would also be asked to list their collaborators on the Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme.