The October 2011 meeting report of the Council on Governmental Relations (COGR) provides a detailed overview of current federal policies, regulatory reforms, and compliance issues affecting research universities and other research institutions. Key topics discussed include updates on federal costing policies, such as the progress of the A-21 Task Force in reviewing effort reporting and F&A (facilities and administrative) rate negotiation processes, with a strong momentum toward the possible elimination of the effort reporting requirement and the streamlining of related compliance frameworks. The report also highlights ongoing concerns over the accelerated spending of ARRA funds, recent trends in F&A rate negotiations, and the 2012 audit workplans of Inspectors General at federal agencies like HHS and NSF, which focus on compliance with cost principles, indirect costs, and financial controls.
In the domain of contracts and intellectual property, the report discusses the implementation and implications of the America Invents Act, patent reform issues such as the shift from "first to invent" to "first inventor to file," and the status of prior user rights for university-owned inventions. Additional topics include university perspectives on the proposed "faculty free agency" recommendation, ongoing debates over patenting natural phenomena, and the operational challenges with the iEdison invention reporting system. Furthermore, the report addresses regulatory proposals impacting research administration, such as new privacy act training and small business subcontracting requirements for contractors.
Within research compliance and administration, updates are provided on the implementation of the revised NIH financial conflicts of interest (FCOI) policy, emphasizing the challenges posed by new travel disclosure rules and training mandates. The report also covers institutional policies on data access, sharing, and retention, as well as federal efforts to increase public access to research data and publications. Recent changes in NSF grant conditions (such as travel compliance under Open Skies agreements and reporting requirements through Research.gov) and NIH grants policy statements are outlined, alongside proposed amendments to select agent regulations by CDC and APHIS. Throughout, COGR recommends continued institutional engagement, feedback to federal agencies, and collaboration among member institutions to address evolving regulatory and compliance landscapes.
