Unburden American science

Science is one of the greatest engines of health, prosperity, and security across the world. Yet, in the United States, the enterprise is now under tremendous stress from an array of pressures, including threats to federal support for both the direct and indirect costs of research. But funding instability is not the only issue. One major problem is that regulatory and policy requirements force researchers to spend nearly half of their research time on paperwork associated with receiving federal grants and contracts, not on discovery. The situation is made worse when research institutions themselves layer on additional requirements to ensure compliance. The administrative tasks are unnecessarily complex, duplicative, and, in some cases, contradictory. They also waste taxpayer dollars intended for scientific discovery and innovation. Given the current political focus on streamlining federal regulations, there is a clear opportunity to finally solve this burdensome problem.