Background: Collecting data on research institutions’ compliance costs is difficult because expenses are incurred at various administrative levels and across multiple offices. Further, expenses vary depending on a research institution’s size and research portfolio. Nonetheless, basic information regarding research institutions’ compliance costs is very important to advocacy efforts concerning regulatory burden and fair allocation of research costs.
Purpose: This questionnaire asks research institutions to provide data on operating costs (e.g., salaries/fringe benefits, equipment, materials, systems, software, applications, licenses, consultants, vendors, etc.) of central institutional units/programs whose primary focus is on the conduct of regulatorily required research compliance activities.
Methodology and Limitations: To help simplify completion, the questionnaire seeks operating costs from top-line budget information for central institutional units/programs that have their own operating budgets. We acknowledge that the costs captured will not fully encompass ALL compliance costs research institutions incur centrally, across other units, or at the school, laboratory, or researcher level. We also acknowledge that compliance costs may be related to federal, state, and/or institutional requirements. Despite these limitations, we believe that data from this questionnaire will provide a defensible estimate of core compliance costs. Additionally, we have included questions on research portfolios to help address some of these limitations, and we will acknowledge these limitations in reporting the data.
Use of Data Collected: The information will be used to assist COGR and its partner higher education associations in their advocacy efforts concerning the true costs of compliance and the fact that institutions are unable to recover many of these costs. Any results from this questionnaire will be presented in a deidentified and aggregated format. Institutions may also choose to submit information in a deidentified manner.
Due Date: We appreciate your answers to this questionnaire by March 31, 2026, but we will continue to accept results until the survey closes.
Point of Contact: Kristin West, Director of Research Ethics & Compliance:
kwest@cogr.edu