The October 2016 COGR Meeting Report provides a detailed account of ongoing policy, regulatory, and administrative issues impacting research universities and other research-intensive institutions. Key topics include regulatory reforms such as the NIH's Good Clinical Practice (GCP) training policy and the single IRB mandate for multi-site studies, both of which have prompted requests for implementation extensions and additional guidance due to concerns about logistics, costs, and policy definitions. The report also references the pending finalization of the Common Rule, reflecting continued debate over proposed changes to human subjects protections, with calls from the research community for greater clarity and simplification.
COGR updates on costing policies trace ongoing institutional adaptation to federal rules, including anticipated extensions to uniform procurement standards, discussions around the indirect cost rate-setting process, and recent Department of Justice actions highlighting audit risks associated with facility classification for federal awards. Efforts are underway to address disparities in cost recovery for off-campus research centers, software capitalization policy inconsistencies, and to reconcile institutional and federal definitions and thresholds. In contracts and intellectual property, major issues include the rollout of new Department of Defense cybersecurity regulations, the application of DOE requirements for foreign nationals, and a survey of university technology transfer policies aimed at aligning institutional and public interests. Additionally, research compliance updates detail interactions with federal oversight offices, evolving audit expectations, and the implementation of new data management and dual use research policies. Across these domains, COGR continues to facilitate communication between member institutions and federal agencies, advocating for balanced, practical compliance requirements and preparing for ongoing regulatory transition.
