The Council on Governmental Relations (COGR) announced details for its meeting scheduled for February 23-24, 2012, at the Washington Marriott Hotel in Washington, D.C. The agenda includes several key sessions addressing timely topics relevant to research administration and compliance for COGR member institutions. The Thursday program opens with concurrent sessions, one focusing on the outlook for costing policies in 2012, particularly the implementation of changes to OMB Circular A-21, and another session dedicated to institutional strategies for complying with new Public Health Service/National Institutes of Health conflicts of interest policies by August 24, 2012. Notably, OMB Controller Danny Werfel will update attendees on federal efforts to reduce administrative cost and burden related to A-21.
The agenda also features a guest talk by Dr. Christopher T. Hill on the evolving role of universities in economic development and job creation, followed by a session exploring the increasing federal emphasis on public access to research data and publications. Representatives from leading federal agencies will discuss challenges and policy trends regarding data access, sharing, and retention. On Friday, the meeting continues with updates from university-industry partnerships and COGR committee reports covering research compliance, intellectual property, and costing policies, concluding with open discussions informed by member-submitted questions. Attendance is restricted to employees of member institutions and associated organizations, with logistical information provided concerning hotel reservations, registration, and session materials.
