The document provides a comprehensive overview of the activities and updates shared during the COGR Virtual Meeting held from February 27 to March 1, 2024. Key highlights include a detailed description of the Golden Goose Award, which celebrates federally funded basic scientific research that has led to significant, often unforeseen societal impacts. The award process, high-profile honorees, and nomination guidelines are discussed, emphasizing the award's role in illustrating the unpredictable trajectory and value of fundamental research. Further sections detail institutional responses to the HHS-OIG questionnaire regarding research funding scenarios, underscoring varying interpretations, policy restrictions, and the challenges institutions face in survey distribution and completion.
The report then turns to current issues and activities across COGR’s main committees: Research, Ethics & Compliance (REC); Research Security & Intellectual Property (RSIP); Costing and Financial Compliance (CFC); and Contracts & Grants Administration (CGA). These updates include ongoing policy reviews and regulatory commentaries, such as revisions to research security guidelines, federal data access policy changes, evolving federal regulations on data transfer and research misconduct, and cybersecurity requirements. Additionally, the document addresses practical concerns like financial compliance, indirect cost limitations, and system access challenges, highlighting the organization’s advocacy and collaborative efforts with federal agencies and other associations. The update concludes with committee member lists and contact information for COGR staff, facilitating engagement and further inquiry by member institutions. Overall, the summary reflects COGR’s commitment to supporting research administration through policy advocacy, regulatory interpretation, and best practice dissemination.
