Policy Perspective
COGR, AAMC, AAU, and APLU Submit Joint Comments to NIH on Publication Cost Limits
The Association of American Medical Colleges, Association of American Universities, Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, and COGR submitted joint feedback to the NIH opposing proposed limitations on allowable publishing costs for NIH-funded research, arguing that such limits could impede effective dissemination, create inequities among institutions, and hinder early-career researcher
COGR Advocates for Full Reinstatement of NIH Grants in Joint Association Letter to Director, Dr. Bhattacharya
The letter, signed by leading higher education associations representing the majority of U.S. biomedical research institutions, urges NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to reinstate all NIH grants terminated under directives recently found unlawful by a federal court. While some grants are being reinstated due to court orders, the associations highlight that many others, terminated under the same d
COGR Submits Comments in Response to DHHS RFI: Ensuring Lawful Regulation and Unleashing Innovation to Make America Healthy Again
COGR, representing over 230 U.S. research universities and affiliated institutions, submitted detailed feedback to the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) on streamlining federal research regulations to reduce administrative burden, enhance regulatory consistency, and foster innovation. COGR's letter highlights the need to eliminate duplicative or inconsistent requirements across federa
COGR Submits Letter to EPA on NPRM Regarding Methylene Chloride; Regulation Under the Toxic Substances Control Act; Compliance Date Extensions
COGR, representing over 230 U.S. research institutions, submitted comments to the EPA regarding compliance date extensions for regulations on methylene chloride under TSCA. While supporting the 18-month extension, COGR questions the legal foundation for the underlying regulations, noting that the executive orders justifying them have since been revoked, and highlights that existing OSHA standards
COGR Responds to OPM Proposed Rule on Schedule F Changes
The Council on Governmental Relations (COGR), representing over 225 major U.S. research institutions, submitted comments in response to the Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) proposed rule aimed at improving performance, accountability, and responsiveness in the civil service. COGR's remarks focus particularly on the aspects of the rule that would potentially reclassify certain federal re
COGR Submits Response to OMB RFI on Deregulation
COGR responded to an Office of Management and Budget Request for Information on regulatory reform, advocating for significant reduction and harmonization of federal research regulations to minimize administrative burden and enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of federally funded research. The letter notes widespread duplication, inconsistency, and outdated requirements across federal agencies
COGR Initiates Contact with Newly Appointed NIH Director Regarding the Partnership Between NIH and Research Institutions and Requests Clarifications on NIH Policies
COGR has written to Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), seeking clarification on recent NIH policy changes that have caused confusion and uncertainty within the research community. COGR requests detailed guidance on issues such as research award terminations, appeals processes, funding disruptions, centralized peer review, no-cost extensions, program changes
COGR Joins Community Letter to NIH Requesting a Meeting to Discuss the Future Implementation of U.S. Government Policy for Oversight of DURC and PEPP
The letter, dated March 24, 2025, is a formal communication addressed to Dr. Matthew Memoli, Acting Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), from the leadership of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM), the Association for Biosafety and Biosecurity International (ABSA), and the Council on Governmental Relations (COGR). The organizations collectively express concerns regarding the
COGR Partners in Multi-Association Response Regarding FAR Case 2017-016, “Federal Acquisition Regulation: Controlled Unclassified Information” (Proposed Rule)
The joint comments submitted by major higher education associations—including the American Council on Education (ACE), Association of American Universities (AAU), Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), COGR, and EDUCAUSE—critique and provide recommendations on the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Case 2017-016, which introduces regulations governing Controlled Unclassified I
