The document summarizes a presentation delivered at the October 2017 COGR Meeting in Washington, D.C., focused on exploring alternatives to traditional effort reporting in research administration. Initiated by the National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA) in January 2016, the Cohort project brought together 90 diverse research institutions to develop and promote model policies and procedures aimed at reducing administrative burden, ensuring compliance with federal regulations, minimizing audit risk, and supporting ethical research practices. The Cohort's foundational work, particularly the Internal Control Framework, underpins these efforts, providing guidance for institutions transitioning to alternative compliance systems.
The discussion topics covered a range of issues, including the development and implementation status of the Cohort model and its Internal Control Framework, institutional experiences with alternative systems—highlighted by SUNY-Buffalo’s recent audit—and engagement with the audit community. Additional topics addressed the evolving expectations of auditors, challenges in compliance tracking (such as commitments versus effort), and the impact of alternative systems on administrative efficiency and faculty satisfaction. The Cohort also examined varying interpretations of federal regulations by different agencies and deliberated on advocacy strategies for broader reform. The session concluded with reflections on lessons learned and outlined next steps for advancing research administration practices away from traditional effort reporting.
