Seeking Public Input: More Research, Less Paperwork for Federal Researchers

Today, OSTP issued a request for information (RFI) seeking public input on ways to reduce the burdens on Federal scientists as they apply for funding from other Federal agencies.

Researchers across our Nation’s Federal laboratories are doing important work in an array of scientific domains—from biomedicine, robotics, national security, and epidemiology, to Earth observations, ocean science, and nanotechnology. It’s our job to help ensure that Federal interagency research funding is awarded to the best and brightest researcher applicants, while minimizing unnecessary paper work and unclear requirements. That means doing what we can to reduce the administrative burden on Federal researchers as they navigate cumbersome applications and awards for competitive grants, contracts, or other funding vehicles provided by a Federal agency other than their own.

OSTP will use the information provided through the RFI to determine whether there are particular policy steps that may be taken better enable U.S. Government scientists and engineers to compete for funding from research programs within other agencies.

For information and instructions on how to submit input, please check out the RFI and visit OSTP’s “Share Your Input” page. Comments are due by April 14, 2014.

Reed Skaggs is Assistant Director for Defense Programs at OSTP.