Policy Perspective
Letter to President Trump - Incoming Administration
COGR congratulates President Trump on his inauguration and urges his administration to address the growing administrative burden caused by overlapping and inconsistent federal research regulations. The letter highlights that the proliferation of federal requirements—particularly over the past decade—has imposed significant costs and diminished faculty research productivity, potentially jeopardizin
Letter to Incoming Trump Administration Officials
COGR, representing over 230 U.S. research institutions, addresses a letter to federal officials urging action to reduce administrative burdens hindering federally funded research. The organization recommends creating a centralized Research Policy Board and a dedicated leadership position to streamline and harmonize research regulations, advocating for unified regulatory frameworks across agencies,
2025 Administration Transition and Resources
A compilation of resources related to the 2025 Administration Transition.
COGR Submits Comments to Department of Commerce on Ethical Guidelines for Research Using Pervasive Data
COGR, representing over 220 U.S. research institutions, submitted comments to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) regarding the development of ethical guidelines for research using pervasive data. COGR underscores the complexity of the existing regulatory landscape and cautions against NTIA introducing additional guidelines, recommending instead that the Departmen
UPDATED: Summary of Recent Significant Updates to the NIH Genomic Data Sharing Policy
This document summarizes significant recent updates to the NIH Genomic Data Sharing (GDS) Policy, focusing on new and stricter cybersecurity requirements and access terms for researchers and developers accessing controlled-access human genomic data in NIH repositories. Effective January 25, 2025, institutions must ensure that IT systems used for accessing or storing genomic data comply with NIST S
F&A Survey Capstone: Cost Reimbursement Rates, Actual Reimbursement, and Growing Regulatory Burden
The COGR 2023 F&A Survey Capstone analyzes data from 120 research institutions to assess trends and challenges in the reimbursement of Facilities and Administrative (F&A) costs associated with federally funded research. The report finds that universities are increasingly subsidizing research due to regulatory limits—particularly the 26% cap on administrative cost reimbursement—despite grow
Costs of Federally Sponsored Research
Federally sponsored research incurs both direct costs, such as researcher and student salaries, project-specific supplies, equipment, and travel, and facilities and administrative (F&A) costs, which cover essential infrastructure and support services including security, compliance, maintenance, safety, utilities, and shared research resources. F&A costs, often referred to as indirect costs
COGR Response to NSF RFI on CHIPS and Science Act, Section 10343
The Council on Governmental Relations (COGR) submitted a detailed response to the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Request for Information concerning the incorporation of ethical, social, safety, and security considerations into the agency’s merit review process, as mandated by the CHIPS and Science Act, Section 10343. COGR emphasizes the importance of clear and consistent definitions of risk c
Frequently Asked Questions about Facilities and Administrative (F&A) Costs of Federally Sponsored University Research
This document provides a comprehensive overview of Facilities and Administrative (F&A) costs—often referred to as indirect costs—associated with federally sponsored university research in the United States. F&A costs represent essential expenditures required to create and maintain the infrastructure and support needed for academic research, such as laboratories, compliance efforts, and res
Breaking Down the Costs of Federal Research at Universities
The document provides a detailed analysis of the cost structure associated with federally sponsored research at universities, explaining both the direct and indirect (facilities and administrative, or F&A) costs that comprise research budgets. It highlights the longstanding and mutually beneficial partnership between the federal government and research universities, underscoring the wide-rangi
