While federal regulations and reporting requirements are mostly well intentioned, research universities are among the most regulated entities in the country and often must comply with regulations that are not sensible or scaled to risk. The AAU works with the federal government to harmonize, streamline, and when possible eliminate unnecessary regulations and reporting requirements to maximize federal investments in research while still ensuring public accountability. AAU also helps its member universities to review their existing institutional policies and procedures to ensure that they are not adding unnecessary and costly requirements on themselves.
A recent report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) emphasizes the need for immediate, system-wide change to reduce regulatory burdens on research.
Reducing Regulatory Burden | Leading Research Universities Report | Higher Education Regulation | Research Administration & Regulation
AAU and APLU sent a joint letter to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in response to their RFI on Deregulation, where they "recommend several areas to simplify federal regulations to increase efficiency of the U.S. scientific enterprise and reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens on university researchers."
AAU and others sent a letter to Jessica Looman, Acting Administrator of the Wage and Hour Division, at the Department of Labor, requesting that the Department hold stakeholder meetings prior to the development and issuance of its anticipated proposed rulemaking on “white collar” exemptions to the overtime regulations under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
AAU joined over 100 organizations sending a letter to Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh requesting that the Department of Labor hold stakeholder meetings prior to the development and issuance of its anticipated proposed rulemaking on “white collar” exemptions to the overtime regulations under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
AAU joined more than 200 organizations in sending a letter urging state governors across the United States to maintain and expand licensure and telehealth flexibilities for the duration of the federal COVID-19 public health emergency.
AAU joined CUPA-HR-led comments in response to the Labor Department’s proposed overtime rule, which formally rescinds the Department’s 2016 rule. The rule, published in March 2019, would increase the annual salary threshold that determines which employees qualify for overtime pay from $455 to $679 per week (equivalent to $35,308 per year).
AAU urges Congress and the Administration to harmonize, streamline, and eliminate unnecessary, duplicative regulations and reporting requirements.
AAU sent Trump's transition team a comprehensive set of policy recommendations aimed at helping the nation sustain its preeminence in research, innovation, and higher education.
Reducing Regulatory Burden | Federal Budget | Recommendation | Research Administration & Regulation | National Institutes of Health | National Science Foundation | Department of Defense | Department of Energy | NASA | Department of Education
AAU and COGR today issued a statement of support for draft legislation issued by Representative Lipinski to reduce the burden of federal regulation on research.
This letter is in response to the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) January 26, 2016 Request for Information (RFI), asking for comments on regulations that should be modified, expanded, streamlined, or repealed to increase flexibility and reduce burden.