The document explores the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the U.S. research enterprise, incorporating both federal and institutional perspectives. It highlights findings from a Council on Governmental Relations (COGR) report that quantifies research output losses between 20% and 40% and financial disinvestment amounting to hundreds of millions at individual institutions—projected to reach tens of billions nationwide. The Research Impact Metric (RIM) Model is introduced as a flexible tool to estimate these losses, account for disruptions, and guide federal assistance needs. The report underscores profound challenges facing researchers, such as restricted facility access, delayed projects, increased inefficiencies due to health and safety protocols, and a risk of losing a generation of graduate and post-doctoral researchers, particularly affecting underrepresented groups. Key data confirm marked reductions in expenditures, widespread reliance on no-cost extensions, and persistent financial risks, all of which jeopardize U.S. scientific competitiveness.
Federal agencies such as the NIH and DOE have responded with accommodations, flexibility in grant management, and robust scientific initiatives, leveraging national laboratories, computational resources, and collaborative consortia to address pandemic-related challenges in research and public health. Both agencies and institutions have initiated surveys to assess ongoing disruptions, with federal leaders emphasizing the need to sustain the longstanding government-research partnership. The document calls for substantial investment and systemic adaptation to the “Pandemic Normal” in research practice, including rethinking proposal and budget processes, protecting the research community, and ensuring diversity and equity in scientific advancement. It concludes that while COVID-19 has caused unprecedented disruption, it presents an opportunity to reassess and strengthen the U.S. research ecosystem through collaborative, data-driven policymaking and renewal of support for early-career researchers and institutional resilience.
