Subcommittee on Research Business Models Appropriate Costs of the Research Enterprise

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Subcommittee on Research Business Models
Appropriate Costs of the Research Enterprise

• Denise McCartney
• Associate Vice Chancellor for Research
  Administration
• Washington University
• November 17, 2003

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The Scientific Partnership

• The Scientific Partnership is Beneficial but
  Complex
• University-Government relationships
• Relationships with Industry
• Collaboration with Community Agencies
• Hospital Academic Medical Schools

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The Scientific Partnership

• University Government Partnership has a clear
  impact on
• Research programs and direction
• Measures of academic quality
• Faculty leadership and participation
• Costs to support research
• Policies, procedures, technology
• Compliance Programs

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Changes to the PartnershipAffect Business Models

• Rapid pace of scientific change
• Unique models of collaborative research
• Potential impact on funding mechanisms
• Changing requirements for facilities
• Role of technology in research
• Omics requires data mining and correlation to
  clinical systems
• Robotics
• Support for networks and relational databases

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Changes to the PartnershipAffect Business Models

• Rapid pace of scientific change
• Role of Clinical Researcher
• Clinical Practice vs. Research Mission
• Need to train and retrain them
• Multiple compliance responsibilities
• Competitive Compensation

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Changes to the PartnershipAffect Business Models

• Increased Compliance Requirements
• New or revised regulations, requirements or
  guidelines
• Responses of University, departments, agencies or
  inspectors general
• Variability of research programs may not allow
  for uniform implementation

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Changes to the PartnershipAffect Business Models

• Rapid Pace of Administrative Change
• Need to support new scientific initiatives and
  collaborations
• Development of new organizational models
• Research Program
• Compliance Offices

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Changes to the PartnershipAffect Business Models

• Rapid Pace of Administrative Change
• Impact of Technology
• E-grants
• University Administrative systems
• Increased Accountability
• More oversight, monitoring
• Implied compliance expectations
• Implementation of Different Agency Practices

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Results of These Changes

• Unrecovered University Costs
• Unfunded Mandates
• Cost Sharing
• Capital Costs funded through depreciation
• Increased Administrative Complexity
• Adds Costs
• More sophisticated skill sets needed

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What are Potential Solutions

• Recover True Costs of Research
• COGR Cost of Doing Business Report
• Under recovery of FA expenses due to
  administrative cap
• Variable agency polices limiting reimbursement
  for expenses
• Costs associated with regulated and unfunded
  compliance requirements

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What are Potential Solutions

• Reduce the Complexity of Business Processes
• Assess the value of new compliance initiatives
• Do these initiatives enhance the stewardship of
  funds, protection of subjects and the ethical
  conduct of research?

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What are Potential Solutions

• Reduce the Complexity of Business Processes
• Assess the value of new compliance initiatives
• Does the new initiative fairly balance
  accountability and responsibility
• How to assess the impacts of the new initiatives?
• How to measure the outcomes?

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What are Potential Solutions

• Reduce the Complexity of Business Processes
• Assess the costs of -7new compliance initiatives
• Explore options to offset the costs of
  significant new compliance requirements?
• Are the costs worth the outcomes?
• Do the agencies have the resources to implement?

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What are Potential Solutions

• Reduce the Complexity of Business Processes
• Establish a single electronic platform that
• Eliminates the need for Universities to develop
  technology and procedures for multiple agency
  systems
• Contains costs
• Reduces complexity
• Maintains the quality of scientific proposals,
  images and data

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What are Potential Solutions

• Reduce the Complexity of Business Processes
• Reduce variable agency practices around common
  functions
• Scientific Integrity Policies
• COI reporting
• CV Formats

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What are Potential Solutions

• Recognize Existing Accountability Models
• Many mechanisms already exist for monitoring
  accountability
• Peer Review
• Publication reviews, progress reports
• Effective compliance committees that modify
  behavior
• Audits and other monitoring mechanisms
• Accreditation programs
• Is there potential here?

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What are Potential Solutions

• Recognize Existing Accountability Models
• Science is inherently self-correcting
• Publications
• Process of scientific validation
• Allow for the spontaneity of Science
• Unexpected results
• Negative results

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Risks of the Potential Solutions

• New Models for Collaborative Research may require
  new administrative models
• Space allocation and reporting
• Faculty appointment, promotions and tenure
• Without additional appropriations, increased FA
  costs may impact
• Direct Costs Available for Research
• Investigator Competitiveness
• Investigator Satisfaction

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Risks of the Potential Solutions

• Reduced Business Complexity Reduces Diversity
• Institutional Culture
• Reduced Flexibility
• Impact on smaller institutions
• Accreditation may result in too much
  standardization
• Proliferation of accreditation programs
• Technological Solutions to adopt single
  electronic platform may not be available