Register here for the October Meeting (COGR Members Only)
All times listed below are in EDT.
Questions for each session may be sent in advance to Toni Russo at trusso@cogr.edu. Be sure to indicate the session title in your email.
Registered attendees will receive their Zoom connection information a few days in advance of the meeting start date.
Wednesday, October 21:
12:00 Noon - 1:00 pm: Dr. Holden Thorp, Editor-in-Chief, Science, Family of Journals. Dr. Thorp will discuss high impact publishing in the age of COVID-19, exploring the intersection between science and public policy and the increasing importance of scientists as advocates for scientific truth.
1:45 pm - 3:15 pm: COVID-19's Impact to Research- Institutional and Federal Perspectives. This panel will include: Dr. Michael Lauer, Deputy Director for Extramural Research, NIH; Dr. Stephen Binkley, Principal Deputy Director in the Office of Science, Department of Energy; Dr. Tanju Karanfil, Vice President of Research at Clemson University; Dr. Melur (Ram) Ramasubramanian, Vice President of Research at the University of Virginia and will be moderated by James Luther, Associate VP of Finance and the Research Costing Compliance Officer, Duke University. Each panelist will provide perspective on how their organization has been impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic, and further, how they understand the more “macro” impact to research throughout the country. After each panelist presents, the panel will participate in a roundtable addressing the impact on research going forward, new opportunities and challenges, and additional questions raised by the audience.
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm: Changes to Institutional Research Disclosure Practices in the Era of Foreign Influence. Federal funding agencies’ focus on inappropriate foreign influence on research have prompted institutions to consider changes to their practices regarding the collection and review of information on faculty members’ external activities and interests. In this session, Dr. Max Weber, Vice President and Chief Compliance and Ethics Officer at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and Dr. Allison Ratterman, Director of the Office of Research Integrity at the University of Louisville will discuss changes to their reporting and research security practices made to address foreign influence concerns. The session also will present a summary of results from COGR’s Survey on Institutional Disclosure Practices administered in July-August 2020.
Thursday, October 22:
11:30 am - 1:00 pm: Uniform Guidance Panel Discussion. With the Uniform Guidance effective date drawing near on November 12, 2020, a panel of university representatives will discuss important revisions and nuances that will impact university policies, procedures, and operations.
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm: COVID-19's Impact on Research from a People Perspective. This session will examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on research personnel with a focus on early-stage investigators, under-represented researchers, and international research. Panelists for this session include Dr. Kay Lund, Director of the Division of Biomedical Research Workforce, Dr. Brendan Cantwell, Associate Professor of Educational Administration at Michigan State University and Dr. Kyle Myers, Assistant Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School. Panelists will discuss research in this area as well as on-the-ground impacts.
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm: Research Security and Intellectual Property Hot Topics. Members of COGR’s Research Security and Intellectual Property (RSIP) Committee will discuss a number of hot topics in RSIP’s areas of focus. They include (not necessarily in order) the recent prohibitions in federal grants and contracts on the purchase and use of certain telecommunications equipment (i.e. Huawei, etc.); the recent Commerce/BIS ANPR on “Foundational Technologies” and possible COGR responses; developments with regard to Section 117 foreign gifts and contracts reporting; the current status of the DOD Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification initiative and the implications for COGR member institutions; and concerns with regard to intellectual property relating to the COVID pandemic, including calls for the government to exercise march-in rights or other actions to control the pricing and distribution of vaccines and therapeutics. Other topics may be included depending on developments. The session may also include guest speakers on some topics. Please submit your questions in advance to Robert Hardy at rhardy@cogr.edu.
Friday, October 23:
11:30 am - 12:30 pm: An Update from the National Science Foundation, Office of the Inspector General (NSF, OIG). Mark Bell, Assistant Inspector General, Office of Audits, and Ken Lish, Director Contract Grant Audits, will provide an overview of current activity and work plan items for the NSF OIG. There will be time for Q&A at the end of their presentation. . If you have advance questions, send them to David Kennedy at dkennedy@cogr.edu and we will try to address as many questions as possible during the session.
1:30 pm - 2:30 pm: Federal and Single Audit Update. Mike Vernick, Partner, Hogan Lovells LLP, and Jeff Silber, Senior Director of Sponsored Financial Services, Cornell University, will provide an overview of the current federal and institutional (single audit) landscapes as applicable to both audit activity and recent DOJ settlements. There will be time for Q&A at the end of their presentation.
3:30 pm - 5:00 pm: Committee Reports. COGR Committee Chairs will update the Membership on the issues being addressed by each Committee.
