The document outlines a comprehensive suite of recommended actions aimed at reducing administrative burden within research institutions. These recommendations span a wide range of operational areas including administrative support, animal research oversight (IACUC), conflict of interest management, contract negotiations, electronic systems integration, export control, financial management, human subjects research, international research, laboratory safety, personnel management, proposal and report preparation, procurement, subcontracting, technology transfer, and training. The proposed actions focus on streamlining processes, standardizing procedures, leveraging technology, and shifting toward risk-based and tiered approaches. Examples include allowing greater administrative flexibility and authority, simplifying forms and data entry, consolidating reviews, adopting automated dashboards and interfaces, and implementing templates and best-practice workflows.
Additionally, the recommendations emphasize the importance of reducing redundancies, avoiding unnecessary documentation, and aligning institutional policies with federal regulations and industry standards. They advocate for more flexible and efficient approval mechanisms, tailored and risk-appropriate training, strategic centralization of certain administrative functions, and the use of decision-support tools. The collective goal is to optimize institutional resources, minimize non-value-added activities for investigators and staff, and improve overall compliance and operational efficiency without compromising research integrity or participant safety. The approach is measured and balanced, seeking to maintain necessary oversight while relieving excessive administrative workloads that can impede research productivity.
Reports from the National Academies, National Science Board, Federal Demonstration Partnership and others have highlighted increasing regulatory burden for federally funded research. Many of the recommendations for reducing burden target federal regulations and policies. Part 1 of the National Academies report, Optimizing the Nation’s Investment in Academic Research, also recommended that research institutions review policies developed to comply with federal regulations to determine whether the institution has created additional and unnecessary administrative burden.
The checklist COGR has created highlights actions that more closely adhere to regulation and policy or otherwise offer the potential to reduce administrative work in a number of areas including those researchers have identified as being particularly burdensome. Many of the approximately 100 actions put forward have previously been initiated at some of our member institutions with positive effect. However, we note that they may not be relevant, or applicable, to all institutions and that institutions may have reasons for establishing criteria that exceed the minimum regulatory requirements (e.g., state law). The list is intended to represent action taken, and ideas to consider, rather than a recommended action plan. We will continue to modify and expand the checklist in response to member feedback.
