The February 2010 Council on Governmental Relations (COGR) meeting report offers a thorough overview of the key policy, administrative, and compliance issues facing U.S. research universities. The report details significant discussions regarding the precarious state of research infrastructure, emphasizing deferred maintenance and funding shortfalls, and highlights the role of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) in temporarily reviving infrastructure investment—though concerns remain about long-term support. University representatives shared their experiences managing ARRA requirements, addressing challenges related to administrative coordination, strained resources, ongoing compliance and audit scrutiny, as well as the continued difficulty of maintaining standards of transparency and accountability amidst unpredictable research funding. Various reporting issues, such as jobs accounting, vendor reporting, and compliance with statutory provisions like Buy American and Davis-Bacon, were discussed along with the evolving nature of audit practices by federal agencies, particularly around ARRA funds.
On research compliance and administration, the report outlines recent updates to responsible conduct of research (RCR) requirements from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Institutes of Health (NIH), including the documentation and training expectations for students and postdoctoral researchers receiving federal funds, and institutions' concerns about the emergence of "best practices" as de facto regulatory standards. Additional focus is given to new federal guidance on integrity and performance reporting, requirements for DUNS numbers and CCR registration for award recipients and subrecipients, and a proposed FDA rule on timely reporting of data falsification. The report further notes concerns about increased scrutiny in NIH Vertebrate Animal Section reviews and the potential overlap or conflict with institutional review responsibilities.
Significant attention is paid to contracts and intellectual property issues, including heightened federal interest in the commercialization of academic research, technology transfer practices, and the ongoing debate around the Kauffman Foundation’s proposal for faculty choice in invention management. The report highlights continued uncertainties stemming from court decisions—such as Stanford v. Roche—on ownership and management of federally funded inventions and the implications for Bayh-Dole implementation and university patent practices. Additional updates cover export control compliance in the context of deemed exports and possible new regulatory burdens for universities—especially regarding foreign researchers—and efforts to streamline materials transfer agreements in collaboration with the NIH. Throughout the report, COGR emphasizes both the need for proactive engagement with federal agencies and the importance of coordination among universities to address the shared challenges of research administration and compliance in a rapidly evolving policy environment.
