Research and Development Efficiency Act

The Research and Development Efficiency Act (H.R. 5056) is a bill that would instruct the Office of Science and Technology Policy to establish a working group under the authority of the National Science and Technology Council to review federal regulations affecting research and research universities and make recommendations on how to streamline them and reduce the regulatory burden on such researchers.[1]

Research and Development Efficiency Act
Full titleTo improve the efficiency of Federal research and development, and for other purposes.
Introduced in113th United States Congress
Introduced onJuly 10, 2014
Sponsored byRep. Larry Bucshon (R, IN-8)
Number of co-sponsors1
Agencies affectedUnited States Congress, Office of Management and Budget, Office of Science and Technology Policy
Legislative history

The bill was introduced and passed in the United States House of Representatives during the 113th United States Congress.

Background

The National Science Board conducted a survey that found that an average of 42 percent of a federal research grant recipient's time is spent on administrative tasks.[2]

Provisions of the bill

According to a description from Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), the bill "establishes a working group to review federal regulations affecting research universities in order to eliminate redundant and duplicative federal regulation."[2]

Procedural history

The Research and Development Efficiency Act was introduced into the United States House of Representatives on July 10, 2014 by Rep. Larry Bucshon (R, IN-8).[3] It was referred to the United States House Committee on Science, Space and Technology. On July 14, 2014, the House voted to pass the bill in a voice vote.[3]

Debate and discussion

The Association of American Universities (AAU) supported the bill, arguing that the legislation "can lead to a long-needed reduction in the regulatory burden currently imposed on universities and their faculty members who conduct research on behalf of the federal government."[4] According to the AAU, "too often federal requirements" for accounting for federal grant money "are ill-conceived, ineffective, and/or duplicative."[4] This wastes the researchers' times and "reduces the time they can devote to discovery and innovation and increases institutional compliance costs."[4]

Rep. Lamar Smith supported the bill, saying that it was "an important step to ensure federal research dollars are being spent on research and not on regulatory requirements."[5]

Rep. Bucshon, who introduced the bill, said that his goal is "to alleviate some of the burden placed on our research universities so they can get back to their main goal of conducting basic science research."[6]

See also

References
  1. "Text of the Research and Development Efficiency Act". govtrack.us. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
  2. "Rep. Royce Applauds Passage of Education Reform Bills, Urges Senate Action". House Office of Ed Royce. 15 July 2014. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
  3. "H.R. 5056 - All Actions". United States Congress. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
  4. "AAU Statement on the Research and Development Efficiency Act". Association of American Universities. 14 July 2014. Archived from the original on 25 July 2014. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
  5. "Bipartisan Support for Dr. Bucshon's Bill to Alleviate Burden on Research Universities". House Office of Rep. Bucshon. 15 July 2014. Archived from the original on 18 July 2014. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
  6. "Dr. Bucshon Urges Colleagues to Support Bill to Alleviate Burden on Research and Research Universities". House Office of Rep. Bucshon. 14 July 2014. Archived from the original on 18 July 2014. Retrieved 17 July 2014.

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