The workshop, held on September 27, 2023, and organized by the Council on Governmental Relations (COGR), addressed institutional compliance with evolving federal research security requirements, particularly those stemming from NSPM-33 and the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act. Presentations and discussions focused on current and forthcoming mandates from agencies such as NSF, NIH, DOE, and DOD, emphasizing disclosure obligations, cyber and data security, training, and organizational structure. Participants explored best practices, shared institutional resources available via the COGR member portal, and assessed readiness for compliance through interactive polls. The session also detailed the phases and methodology of a forthcoming COGR survey intended to quantify the administrative and financial impacts of compliance measures, using burden factors to translate qualitative assessment into cost estimates for affected units and personnel.
A case study from the University of Pittsburgh illustrated real-world preparations, including establishing a responsible office, creating new data governance and compliance policies, and requesting budgetary resources for foreign travel management, cybersecurity, and training. Attendees discussed the organizational challenges of designating research security leads, networking across campus, and identifying resource-intensive compliance areas such as information technology, export controls, and conflict of interest management. The workshop underscored the collective need for data-driven advocacy to inform federal policy and funding decisions, recognizing the growing administrative burden and associated costs that compliance imposes on research institutions while emphasizing collaborative strategies to meet evolving federal expectations.
