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.
Featured
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...
Resources
Point of Contact
Matt Owens
President
All Reducing Red Tape Articles
Simplifying Research Regulations and Policies: Optimizing American Science – A NASEM Report (October 2025 COGR Meeting)
This presentation summarizes findings and recommendations from the September 2025 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) report Simplifying Research Regulations and Policies: Optimizing American Science.
Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education
Slide presentations shared during the October 23-24, 2025 COGR meeting in Washington D.C.
Navigating the Storm: Institutional Perspectives on a Changing Federal Landscape: June 2025 COGR Meeting
The document summarizes a COGR (Council on Governmental Relations) session titled "Navigating the Storm: Institutional Perspectives on a Changing Federal Landscape," held on June 6, 2025. The agenda was structured to facilitate collaborative discussions among institutional representatives on the evolving challenges in the federal research landscape, including cybersecurity compliance, re
Overview of the Executive Orders & Agency Responses: Implications for Institutions: February 2025 Meeting
The document provides a detailed overview of several recent executive orders (EOs) issued in early 2025 and analyzes their legal implications and immediate impacts on research institutions and federal agencies. The discussed EOs primarily target diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, gender-related policies, merit-based opportunities, foreign aid, and environmental and climate program
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,
Institutional Cost of Compliance & Administrative Burden: Where Do We Go from Here?: October 2023 Meeting
The document presents a detailed examination of the increasing institutional costs and administrative burdens associated with compliance in research settings, focusing on research security requirements as driven by new federal mandates. Data from COGR surveys and institutional case studies, such as those from the University of California, Irvine and Duke University, illustrate the evolving landsca
