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
President
All Reducing Red Tape Articles
Updated: Considerations for a Federal Government Shutdown
COGR has prepared a list of items research institutions should consider in the event of a federal government shutdown to manage federally sponsored projects. This is not official guidance but rather an accumulation of past shutdown experiences with information and guidance that has been received to date. This list will be updated as more information is available.
Considerations - Federal Government Shutdown
This document provides a comprehensive overview of key considerations for research institutions in the event of a federal government shutdown, drawing on experiences from previous shutdowns. It emphasizes proactive communication across campuses, the importance of monitoring federal award expenditures, and the necessity of clear guidance for all stakeholders, including faculty, staff, and subrecipi
COGR Summary of Executive Orders (V.17)
COGR's Summary Tracker of Executive Orders issued in the current Administration.
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 research regulations to minimize administrative burden and enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of federally funded research. The letter notes widespread duplication, inconsistency, and outdated requirements across federal agencies
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 as grant reporting, proposal submission, research security, financial compliance, and oversight. In the document COGR identifies inefficiencies stemming from inconsistent agency requirements, redundant reporting, overlapping oversight,
Letter to Incoming Trump Administration Officials
COGR, representing over 230 U.S. research institutions, addresses a letter to federal officials urging action to reduce administrative burdens hindering federally funded research. The organization recommends creating a centralized Research Policy Board and a dedicated leadership position to streamline and harmonize research regulations, advocating for unified regulatory frameworks across agencies,
Changes in Federal Research Requirements Since 1991
COGR annually updates this document that lists new and significantly modified federal research regulations, laws, policy guidance and other requirements affecting federally sponsored research. The document highlights 270 requirements implemented between 1991-2024 and that 62% of these have been enacted in the last decade, necessitating ongoing adaptations by research institutions and raising conce
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
