CONTENTS:
BUDGET & APPROPRIATIONS
Congress Passes Weeklong FY17 Continuing Resolution
EXECUTIVE BRANCH
Associations Urge OMB Director to Set Up Research Policy Board
University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor Testifies on Research Over-regulation
OTHER
Leaders of AAU Universities Call for Renewal of Government-University Research Partnership
AAU Publishes “Campus Activities Report: Combating Sexual Assault and Misconduct”
BUDGET & APPROPRIATIONS
CONGRESS PASSES WEEKLONG FY17 CONTINUING RESOLUTION
With the FY17 continuing resolution (CR) set to expire at midnight, the House and Senate today approved a one-week CR (H.J. Res. 99) to provide time to reach a final deal on the FY17 omnibus appropriations package. A deal on the omnibus package appears to be close, but disagreements remains over several unrelated policy measures, reports the Washington Post.
As reported previously, AAU on March 10 sent a letter to the President and congressional leaders urging them to use completion of the FY17 appropriations process and the beginning of the FY18 budget process “to revitalize the federal government’s scientific research and higher education investment strategy.” AAU also participated in the multi-society letter on FY17 appropriations for research, and in the higher education association letter on FY17 research and student aid funding.
EXECUTIVE BRANCH
ASSOCIATIONS URGE OMB DIRECTOR TO SET UP RESEARCH POLICY BOARD
A group of three associations, including AAU, on April 26 sent a letter to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Mick Mulvaney asking him to begin setting up the Research Policy Board mandated by the 21st Century Cures Act.
The purpose of the Board, as described by a National Academies report, is to re-examine the laws, regulations, policies, and guidance governing federally funded university research and advise the federal government on how to streamline and harmonize them. Reducing the regulatory burden would enable university investigators to focus more of their time on research, said the letter.
The associations: AAU, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, and the Council on Governmental Relations, offered to meet with the Director and/or his lead staff to answer any questions and to discuss reform opportunities in more detail.
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON CHANCELLOR TESTIFIES ON RESEARCH OVER-REGULATION
Chancellor Rebecca Blank of the University of Wisconsin-Madison on April 26 testified at a hearing of the Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee on the over-regulation of research universities. The hearing was called by Committee Chair Ron Johnson (R-WI) to highlight duplicative, wasteful, and fraudulent spending in federal programs.
Chancellor Blank’s written testimony makes several recommendations:
- OMB should immediately set up the new Research Policy Board required by the 21st Century Cures Act;
- Grant application and reporting requirements should be streamlined and simplified;
- Institutional review boards and compliance officers should receive additional guidance on crafting human subjects research requirements appropriate to the risk involved, as allowed for in changes to the Common Rule; and
- Title IX enforcement should be consolidated within a single federal agency.
OTHER
LEADERS OF AAU UNIVERSITIES CALL FOR RENEWAL OF GOVERNMENT-UNIVERSITY RESEARCH PARTNERSHIP
At their spring meeting this week, the presidents and chancellors of AAU-member universities released a statement calling on policymakers to renew and strengthen the government-university research partnership that has fostered innovation, prosperity, jobs, public health, and national security.
The statement said proposals in Washington to slash federal research budgets would “cripple” the ability of universities to do their part in generating economic growth and jobs and would endanger the historic partnership “reinforced through both Republican and Democratic administrations over the past 70 years.”
AAU PUBLISHES “CAMPUS ACTIVITIES REPORT: COMBATING SEXUAL ASSAULT AND MISCONDUCT”
AAU on April 26 published a new report that describes the variety of ways in which AAU-member campuses are working to reduce campus sexual assault and misconduct and address its consequences. The goal of the report, Campus Activities Report: Combating Sexual Assault and Misconduct, is to highlight promising practices and options for prevention, education, and awareness.
The report follows up on the landmark survey AAU conducted among more than 150,000 undergraduate and graduate students in 2015 on the prevalence of sexual assault and misconduct on campuses and on student attitudes about these issues.
As part of the rollout of the report, the Washington Post interviewed a group of AAU presidents and chancellors and AAU President Mary Sue Coleman. They were: Rice University President and AAU Chair David Leebron; University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chancellor Carol Folt; and Case Western Reserve University President Barbara Snyder. The story from the interview is here.