The 2017 COGR Survey of Facilities & Administrative (F&A) Rates provides a detailed analysis of trends in research operating costs across U.S. research universities over a ten-year period, from FY2007 to FY2017. The survey, conducted online with input from 145 institutions, captures a representative cross-section of universities under different federal cognizant agencies, including regions managed by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Office of Naval Research (ONR). The findings reveal a moderate but steady increase in F&A rates, with the average rate for research universities rising from 51.2% to 55.0%, representing an annualized increase of approximately 0.8%. The survey also notes improvements in the quality of F&A rate proposals and negotiations, leading to outcomes that are more equitable and evidence-based.
Despite these rising rates, an analysis of NIH data indicates that the proportion of indirect costs has remained stable for over a decade. The report highlights that private, NIH-focused institutions have experienced the smallest rate increases, while general university contributions to R&D have reached an unprecedented high—over 24% of total expenditures, based on NSF HERD 2015 data. The COGR offers institutions the opportunity to update their data and provides de-identified negotiation experiences to foster transparency and shared insight. The survey results, historical rate information, and further data are made accessible to participating institutions to support ongoing policy development and financial management in research administration.
