The fact that there are problems in the indirect costs system does not come as a complete surprise to university presidents, administrators, and principal investigators. In 1987 the Association of American Universities appointed an Ad Hoc Committee on Indirect Costs, chaired by Cornelius Pings, provost of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. The Pings Committee was charged with studying indirect costs and recommending ways to simplify the system and to reduce variations in the rate. It is hard to argue with the overall success of the partnership in basic research between the federal government and the research universities. Federal sponsorship of research has grown from insignificant levels in the period immediately following World War II to the present situation, in which most U.S. basic research is conducted at colleges and universities. The access to the enthusiasm and fresh ideas of graduate and even undergraduate students permits a research ...
Finding The Way To Confidence, Accountability
There is clearly a problem with the process by which universities recover their indirect costs of research. Congressional hearings, media reports, and discussion by university scientists and administrators all reflect a widespread loss of confidence in the present process, and that loss of confidence is in itself a significant problem. Universities must regain public confidence that the expenditure of public funds is handled in a fair and prudent fashion. The fact that there are problems in th
Written byMarvin Ebel
| 5 min read
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