The letter, sent by Wendy D. Streitz, President of the Council on Governmental Relations (COGR), to Dr. Eric Lander, Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), articulates COGR's support for OSTP’s priority of reducing administrative burden in federally funded research. Streitz acknowledges OSTP's ongoing efforts to improve clarity and harmonization in research security and related administrative requirements, emphasizing that complex or inconsistent rules can hinder compliance and optimal outcomes. In response to Dr. Lander’s interest in actionable solutions, COGR offers several specific recommendations, focusing on immediate and practical steps to alleviate administrative complexities for research institutions.
Key recommendations include greater agency solicitation of institutional input during the implementation of NSPM-33 guidance, promotion of inter-agency harmonization—such as the adoption of the National Institutes of Health’s two-stage (“Just-In-Time”) proposal review process across agencies—and wider adoption of federal-wide Research Terms and Conditions (RTCs) to streamline award administration. COGR also urges enhanced use of application programming interfaces (APIs) to reduce redundant and inefficient data entry across disparate agency systems. The letter underscores the disproportionate burden placed on universities, particularly those unable to fully recover administrative costs, and highlights how these challenges limit the participation of smaller institutions and those serving disadvantaged populations. COGR concludes by affirming its appreciation for OSTP's work and encourages further leadership to advance these recommendations in pursuit of more efficient and effective research administration.
This letter provides specific suggestions to OSTP for achieving its objective of reducing administrative burden associated with federally funded research, including suggestions regarding research security requirements.
