Research Business Models Subcommittee

1
Research Business Models Subcommittee

• Themes of Public Comments

Geoff Grant December 9, 2003
2
Emerging Themes and Principles

• Important topics that are central to the specific
  public comments
• Overarching principles provide a rationale to
  address topics today and in the future
• Policies flow from principles
• Work in process to be vetted out by the Research
  Business Models Subcommittee
• These are themes, not a complete summary of
  public comments

3
Science

• Principle Maximize the public investment in
  science by maximizing the intellectual capital of
  our scientists
• Investigator initiated research is fundamental to
  the development of new knowledge
• Science increasingly occurs at the intersections
  of traditional disciplines by,
• Multidisciplinary teams, large and small, within
  and across institutions, including Federal Labs
  and other partners
• Facilitate opportunities and remove barriers to
  collaboration
• Provide stable and predictable support for
  research facilities and instrumentation
  independent of individual projects
• Provide flexibility for specialized scientific
  service centers to replace instrumentation and
  technology
• Provide consistent support for graduate and
  postdoctoral students on salary, stipends,
  tuition, benefits, etc.
• Facilitate acknowledgement and recognition of
  multiple co-investigators
• Focus investigator effort on science and minimize
  unnecessary administration

4
Partnership

• Principle Collaborate on Business Systems While
  Supporting Outstanding Research Projects
• Each party has a stake in the performance,
  success, and financial viability of the other
• The business relationship with many institutions
  is predictable and should be managed at an
  organizational level, not a transactional level
• Other, smaller organizations have less capacity
  to deal with requirements and require more
  outreach and support
• Reaffirm and codify the principles of the
  partnership
• Align or harmonize principles, regulation,
  agency policy, and audit practice
• Seek agreement among agencies, the audit
  community, and the research community on
  acceptable principles and business standards
• Promote agency and institutional good practices,
  norms, standard interpretations, and models for
  implementation
• Coordinate policy development with partners to
  avoid unintended adverse consequences

5
Accountability

• Principle Make it Easy to Do the Right Thing
• Facilitate stewardship and accountability by
  emphasizing principles and streamlining
  procedures
• Emphasize accountability thru scientific
  outcomes, with tolerance for risk and negative
  findings, evaluated through publications and
  progress reports
• Streamline compliance procedures to facilitate
  follow through
• Examine the viability of business-business
  models for working together
• Consider accrediting institutional oversight
  systems
• Maintain Single Audit Act A-133
• Reduce or eliminate multiple and overlapping
  agency audit requirements
• Emphasize good practices, not negative testing of
  financial and administrative transactions
• Eliminate or streamline subrecipient monitoring
• Eliminate CAS requirements or only incorporate
  the principles

6
Costs and Infrastructure

• Principle Let Science Drive Administration, Not
  Administration Drive Science
• Promoting fair and equitable cost reimbursement
  is essential to the conduct of research
• A compliance infrastructure is as essential to
  the conduct of research as the quality of
  facilities, instrumentation, and other resources
• Research administration fosters quality science
  and collaboration among investigators,
  institutions, and agencies
• A sound business model cannot tolerate a hybrid
  of conflicting goals or inconsistent practices
  among partners
• Equitable, effective, and appropriate costing and
  regulatory systems that reflect the diversity of
  research providers
• Curtail shifting legitimate research costs or the
  costs of research administration to recipients
• Caps on administration, salary, tuition, etc.
  undermine the institutions ability to carry out
  research
• Reimburse the reasonable costs of compliance to
  enhance the effectiveness of the research
  enterprise
• Standardize award notices, terms, letter of
  credit, and reporting procedures
• Establish one eGov. solution for proposal and
  reporting interfaces

7
Summary

• Science-
• Principle Maximize the Public Investment in
  Science by Maximizing the Intellectual Capital of
  Our Scientists
• Partnership-
• Principle Collaborate on Business Systems While
  Supporting Outstanding Research Projects
• Accountability-
• Principle Make it Easy to Do the Right Thing
• Costs and Infrastructure-
• Principle Let Science Drive Administration, Not
  Administration Drive Science

8
Conclusion

• Next Steps will be outlined Wednesday
• Questions? Comments?
• Thank you