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 federal agencies—specifically advocating for the harmonization of human subjects and animal research regulations, aligning ClinicalTrials.gov registration policies with statutory authority, clarifying the intended use of the “Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals,” and modernizing the process for Animal Welfare Assurances. The recommendations aim to reduce unnecessary costs and inefficiencies while maintaining strong protections in research practices, and COGR also indicated support for related input from the National Association for Biomedical Research.