Reducing Red Tape
Effective regulation of Federally sponsored research is vital to the public trust. The number of research regulations and requirements has increased for decades, resulting in duplication, inefficiencies, and costly administrative and financial burdens. Advancing effective research policy—while reducing red tape—is a core COGR mission priority.
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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...
COGR Letters to Trump Administration on Reducing Red Tape Affecting Research
COGR congratulates President Trump on his inauguration and urges his administration to address the growing administrative burden caused by overlapping and...
Actionable Ideas to Improve Government Efficiency Affecting the Performance of Research
COGR provides a set of specific, actionable recommendations to enhance the efficiency of federal regulations affecting fundamental research, focusing on areas such...
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Matt Owens
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All Reducing Red Tape Articles
OMB QA M-25-13 (RESCINDED)
The document communicates guidance from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regarding the implementation of President Trump’s Executive Orders, specifically instructing federal agencies to temporarily pause, where legally permissible, grant, loan, or federal financial assistance programs implicated by these orders. Programs affected relate to directives such as curtailing certain diversity,
Cost of Compliance: Results from the COGR Survey on the Cost of Complying with the New NIH DMS Policy
The document summarizes the findings from a 2022 COGR survey assessing the financial and administrative burdens imposed by the new NIH Data Management and Sharing (DMS) Policy, effective January 2023, which expanded data management requirements to all NIH-funded research projects generating scientific data. The survey, completed by 34 institutions (29 mid-size to large and 5 smaller institutions),
Research Security and the Cost of Compliance—Phase I Report, Disclosure Requirements Now Available
COGR conducted Phase I of the survey described in this report to quantify the considerable time and resources (financial and otherwise) that research institutions have invested (or will invest) to achieve compliance with the Disclosure Requirements. COGR is providing this Phase I report to research institutions and federal research funding agencies in the hope that it will both encou
Multi Association Letter to House and Senate Leaders on Research Relief
The letter to Congressional leaders urges the inclusion of $26 billion in supplemental funding for federal science agencies in the next pandemic relief package. The authors, representing major higher education and research associations, emphasize that COVID-19 has severely disrupted federally funded research, particularly harming early-career researchers, and existing relief funds do not cover the
Multi Association Letter to Incoming Administration on Regulatory Actions
The letter, dated November 18, 2020, is addressed to President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris by a coalition of higher education associations, representing a wide range of academic institutions and professional organizations. The signatories express broad support for the new administration's intent to reverse several Trump-era policies and urge swift action on issues c
Multi-Association Letter to Biden Administration on Regulatory Actions
The letter, dated November 18, 2020, is addressed to President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris by a coalition of leading higher education associations, represented by Ted Mitchell, President of the American Council on Education. The authors express their readiness to collaborate with the incoming administration and present a comprehensive set of policy recommendations aimed
Exploring Regulatory Barriers: June 2019 Meeting
The document, authored by Bridget C.E. Dooling and Susan E. Dudley for the Council on Government Relations, outlines the U.S. federal regulatory process and examines its implications for academic research. Beginning with an overview of the regulatory lifecycle—from congressional authorization, agency rule development, and public comment, through executive and judicial review—the document highlight
COGR Survey on Institutional Resources in Support of Research Rigor and Reproducibility: October 2018 Meeting
The 2018 COGR survey examined the range and accessibility of resources provided by research institutions to support rigor, reproducibility, and overall research quality. With responses from 34% of member institutions, the survey revealed that while a substantial proportion offer critical resources—such as grant development support (95%), computing assistance (80%), biostatistics support (78%), and
Coalition of Stakeholders, Encouraging Good Guidance – August 28, 2013
The document represents a formal communication from the Coalition in Support of Innovative Grants Reform (CSI), a consortium of prominent organizations representing universities, research institutions, nonprofits, state and local governments, and financial officers. Addressed to key federal officials at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Department of Health and Human Services, the
