The document outlines the agenda for the Council on Governmental Relations (COGR) meeting scheduled for October 24-25, 2019, at the Washington Marriott Hotel in Washington, D.C. The first day features a series of sessions addressing key administrative, compliance, and policy issues affecting research institutions. These sessions include discussions on the evolving landscape of effort reporting under Uniform Guidance, institutional conflict of commitment policies amidst heightened scrutiny regarding foreign influence, updates from the Office of Science and Technology Policy on research environment initiatives (JCORE), and complexities surrounding foreign subrecipient monitoring. Further, the agenda includes a significant panel on science and security—addressing legal, enforcement, and policy implications involving multiple federal agencies, such as the Department of Justice, Department of State, and Department of Energy—followed by a keynote address and an evening networking dinner.
The second day is reserved for COGR general membership and begins with a review and discussion of preliminary results from the recent membership survey, focusing on engagement, logistics, and communications. The agenda then shifts to an institutional perspectives session on science and security, highlighting on-the-ground experiences and strategies for addressing foreign influence concerns. The meeting concludes with committee reports on prevailing and emerging issues such as Section 117 reporting and NIH misconduct FAQs. The overall program emphasizes interactive dialogue, sharing of best practices, and responsive policy adjustments in the face of evolving federal expectations and research integrity challenges.
