The Council on Governmental Relations (COGR) May 2016 Update provides a detailed overview of current policy developments, regulatory changes, and advocacy efforts impacting research institutions, particularly in grants management, federal compliance, and research administration. Key highlights include updates on the Office of Grants Policy within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), focusing on roles, grants closeouts, and financial reporting reconciliations. COGR continues active engagement with federal agencies, particularly regarding the implementation and potential revision of procurement standards under Uniform Guidance, where institutions have raised significant concerns about administrative burdens of low micro-purchase thresholds. COGR has implemented surveys to gather institutional input, which will influence OMB’s review and potentially delay or modify implementation.
The document also addresses ongoing regulatory challenges and proposed reforms in areas such as conflict of interest, subrecipient monitoring, cost allocation, and the implications of new federal audit requirements. There are notable discussions on Affordable Care Act compliance for graduate students, equitable treatment of off-campus research centers, federal safeguarding of contractor information systems, and export control regulations affecting university research. Policy topics include ongoing debates over drug pricing, march-in rights under Bayh-Dole, upcoming patent and open source software developments, and changes in overtime rules affecting academic research personnel. Comprehensive analyses are presented on broad regulatory reforms such as changes to the Common Rule for human subjects research and expected updates from federal agencies (NIH, NSF) regarding IRB policies and large facility administration. Throughout, COGR emphasizes its commitment to advocacy, transparent dialogue with federal agencies, and providing timely guidance and support to research institutions amidst a rapidly evolving regulatory environment.
