The Council on Governmental Relations is an association of research universities located in the District of Columbia.
Since its inception in 1948, COGR has been continuously involved in the development of all major financial and administrative aspects of federally-funded research.
Today, COGR's primary function is to provide advice and information to its membership and to make certain that federal agencies understand academic operations and the impact of proposed regulations on colleges and universities. COGR helps to develop policies and practices that fairly reflect the mutual interests and separate obligations of federal agencies and universities in research and graduate education.
COGR holds three meetings each year to keep its membership informed of any and all issues facing research institutions today. The next meeting will be held at the Washington Marriott Hotel on June 6 and 7, 2013. The following meetings are October 24 and 25, 2013; February 27 and 28, 2014; and June 12 and 13, 2014. COGR meetings are open for COGR members only.
Latest News!
September 9, 2013 - Military Electronics and Equipment and the Commerce Control List
COGR and AAU have written two letters on the transfer of military electronic equipment from the United States Munitions List to the Commerce Control List; one to the Department of State (click here for the letter) and one to the Commerce Department (click here for the letter). Also, COGR and AAU supported the letter from the Association of University Export Control Officers (AUECO) on the subject. Click here for the AUECO letter
August 29, 2013 - COGR August 2013 Update
COGR has published its latest Update. Click here for the document.
August 7, 2013 - COGR Letters to NIH and HHS Addressing PMS Subaccounts
COGR submitted an initial letter to NIH and a follow-up letter to HHS raising concerns with the timeline for the NIH implementation of PMS subaccounts, as described in NIH Notice NOT-OD-13-079. Click here for the initial letter to NIH and here for the follow-up to HHS.
July 31, 2013 - COGR Response and Addendum Letter to OMB Proposed Guidance
COGR submitted its response to the Proposed OMB Guidance: Reform of Federal Policies Relating to Grants and Cooperative Agreements; Cost Principles and Administrative Requirements (including Single Audit Act) on May 31st. We appreciate the many, many contributions, ideas and hard work provided by the COGR membership. Click here for the COGR response.
COGR submitted an addendum letter to the Proposed OMB Guidance, which reiterates several important issues related to grants reform. Click here for the addendum letter.
July 8, 2013 - COGR and AAU Joint Responses to Export Control Rules
COGR and AAU jointly submitted three comment letters in response to proposed export control rules. One letter was submitted to the Department of Commerce concerning regulatory control of spacecraft systems and related items. Click here for the letter. One was submitted to the Department of State in response to the companion proposed rule. Click here for the letter. And one was submitted to the Department of Energy on export control compliance. Click here for the letter.
May 21, 2013 - DATA Act
COGR, AAU and APLU wrote a letter of support for H.R. 2061, a revised Digital Accountability and Transparency Act (DATA) Click here for the letter.
April 25, 2013 - April 2013 Update
COGR has published its April 2013 Update with attached joint letter from COGR/AAU on dual use research of concern and correspondence with PTO on microentities. Click here for the Update; here for the joint letter; and here for the PTO correspondence.
March 7, 2013 - COGR Assessment of Proposed OMB Guidance
COGR has published the "COGR Preliminary Assessment of Selected Items" regarding the Proposed OMB Guidance. Click here for a copy.
February 1, 2013 - OMB Proposed Guidance for Grants Reform
OMB has posted the Proposed Guidance for Grants Reform. Click
here to access the OMB website and corresponding documents.
December 20, 2012 - COGR Response to NIH FAQs for Costing Core Facilities
COGR provided NIH with a "red-line" version of the FAQs for Costing Core Facilities in response to the revised FAQs that NIH shared with the community last month. Click here for a copy of the accompanying cover letter and here for the "red-line" FAQs.
November 13, 2012 - COGR Comment Letter to NSF OIG on Awardee Implementation for a RCR Program
COGR has submitted comments to the National Science Foundation Office of Inspector General on proposed information collection of awardee implementation of the Foundation's requirement for a Responsible Conduct of Research Program. Click here for the letter.
November 5, 2012 - Joint Letter to FDA on Dispute Resolution for Biosimilar and Interchangeable Biological Products
ACE, AAMC, AAU, APLU, AUTM and COGR sent a letter to the Food and Drug Administration on proposed regulatory pathway for pre-application dispute resolution for biosimilar and interchangeable biological products. Click here for letter.
October 18 - Joint AAU/COGR Letter to the FAR on FISMA Rules
AAU and COGR have sent a letter to the General Services Administration on proposed changes to the FARS concerning "information systems that contain information provided by or generated for the Government...that will be resident on or transiting through contractor information systems." The letter is here.
October 5 - Joint Comment Letter to PTO on First Inventor to File Rules
A joint comment letter was sent to the Patent and Trademark Office on proposed Examination Guidelines on First Inventor to File Provisions. Click here for the letter.
