The following is a letter from 164 national organizations writing to express support for the work of the Joint Associations Group on Indirect Costs (JAG)'s effort to develop a new, more transparent model to support the essential costs of research.
Dear Chair Cole, Ranking Member DeLauro, Chair Collins, and Vice Chair Murray:
The 164 undersigned national organizations write to express our support for the work of the Joint Associations Group on Indirect Costs (JAG)’s effort to develop a new, more transparent model for ensuring that institutions’ essential research costs are adequately supported. We also express appreciation for language supporting the JAG effort included in some of the FY 2026 annual appropriations bills and accompanying reports and ask that your committees continue to include and strengthen language in the final spending bills supporting the JAG work and prohibiting the Office of Management and Budget from instituting arbitrary caps on costs essential to conducting high quality scientific research.
The federal government’s investment in research leads to cures, transformative technologies, and new industries that save lives, improve Americans’ health, create new jobs, and help ensure national security. Expenses like physical lab operation and maintenance, utility costs, security, data processing, regulatory compliance, and other needs (currently collectively known as
“indirect costs” or “facilities and administrative” or “F&A” support) are essential to conduct research and inseparable from support for research itself. Efforts to cut support for these essential research costs undoubtedly would lead to less research in the U.S., undermining our global leadership in science and ultimately reducing the number of American-made scientific and technological driven innovations resulting from federally funded research.
We believe that the recommendations put forward by the JAG would enhance transparency and accountability associated with federally funded research without undermining overall support critical to American science. Informed by experts from within, across, and beyond the research community and designed to accommodate institutions of all types and sizes, the JAG’s proposed Financial Accountability In Research (FAIR) model is a new approach to supporting essential
research costs. While granular details of the model will need to continue to be refined through its implementation process, we believe the core of the model addresses the themes that lawmakers and policymakers have prioritized while also ensuring American leadership in science and innovation continues.
We ask lawmakers to support the work that has been done by the JAG by:
- Including appropriations bill language supporting the work of the JAG and the development and implementation of the FAIR model by the executive branch;
- Blocking any federal agency or OMB action to cap or otherwise change existing negotiated F&A rates until they have worked with the stakeholder community to develop a clear plan for implementation of a new system based on the FAIR model framework;
- Ensuring at least a two-year transition period for agencies and institutions to make the necessary changes to an alternative model; and
- Preserving continued support for F&A expenses at existing levels until the new model is fully implemented.
These key elements, in addition to other relevant adjustments to research agency budget caps and related policies, will be essential to ensure the success of any new model for supporting research across the nation. We urge Congress to ensure that the legislative process affords these
protections to ensure that the nation’s research enterprise continues to thrive. Thank you, and please contact Tannaz Rasouli ([email protected]) at the Association of American Medical Colleges with any questions.
Sincerely,
164 organizations as of September 22, 2025
AACTE: American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education Academy for Radiology and Biomedical Imaging Research
ACPA-College Student Educators International ACT for NIH
Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine (AAIM) Alliance for Aging Research
Alliance of Dedicated Cancer Centers ALS Association
American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology American Academy of Neurology
American Academy of Nursing
American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus American Association for the Advancement of Science
American Association of Chairs of Departments of Psychiatry (AACDP)
American Association of Colleges of Nursing American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy
American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers American Association of Directors of Psychiatric Residency Training American Association of Physics Teachers
American Association of State Colleges and Universities American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges American Brain Tumor Association
American Chemical Society
American College of Academic Addiction Medicine American College of Clinical Pharmacology American College of Neuropsychopharmacology American College of Physicians
American College of Radiology American Council of Learned Societies
American Gastroenterological Association American Geriatrics Society
American Indian Higher Education Consortium American Neurological Association
American Pediatric Society (APS) American Physical Society American Physiological Society
American Psychological Association Services American Roentgen Ray Society
American Society for Investigative Pathology American Society for Microbiology American Society for Radiation Oncology American Society for Reproductive Medicine American Society of Echocardiography American Society of Human Genetics American Society of Nephrology
American Society of Plant Biologists American Society of Transplant Surgeons
American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene American Statistical Association
American Surgical Association American Thoracic Society Americans for Medical Progress
Association for Academic Pathology (AAPath) Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration Association for Institutional Research Association for Psychological Science
Association of Academic Chairs of Emergency Medicine Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries
Association of Academic Leaders of Neurology, formerly Association of University Professors of Neurology
Association of Academic Physiatrists Association of Bioethics Program Directors Association of Departments of Family Medicine
Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors Association of Governing Boards
Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities Association of Population Centers
Association of Professors of Dermatology
Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics Association of Research Libraries
Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology Barth Syndrome Foundation
BDSRA Foundation Biophysical Society Cancer and Careers
Center for Endometriosis Care
Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance Chris "CJ" Johnson Foundation Inc
College and University Professional Association for Human Resources Consortium of Social Science Associations
Council for Advancement and Support of Education Council for Christian Colleges & Universities Council of Graduate Schools
Council of Pediatric Subspecialties Council on Social Work Education CURE Epilepsy
Cures Within Reach
Dravet Syndrome Foundation Dysautonomia International
ECAN Esophageal Cancer Action Network EDUCAUSE
Entomological Society of America EPSCoR/IDeA Coalition EPSCoR/IDeA Foundation
Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) Federation of Associations in Behavioral and Brain Sciences
FORCE: Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered Gerontological Society of America
Good Days HealthyWomen Hope for HIE
Human Factors and Ergonomics Society IITC INC.
International Bipolar Foundation
International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders (IFFGD) International Society for Stem Cell Research
Kidney Cancer Association
LEAD Coalition (Leaders Engaged on Alzheimer’s Disease) Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome (LGS) Foundation
M-CM Network Men's Health Network METAvivor
NASPA-Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education National Alliance for Eye and Vision Research
National Association for Biomedical Research (NABR) National Association for College Admission Counseling National Association For Continence
National Council of University Research Administrators National Kidney Foundation
National Multiple Sclerosis Society
New Jersey Association for Biomedical Research North American Vascular Biology Organization Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance
Patient-Led Research Collaborative Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society
Pennsylvania Society for Biomedical Research Phi Beta Kappa Society
PKD Foundation
Population Association of America Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation Radiological Society of North America Sjogren’s Foundation
Social Affective Neuroscience Society (SANS) Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine
Society for Neuroscience Society for Pediatric Radiology
Society for Pediatric Research (SPR)
Society for Social Work and Research Society of Behavioral Medicine
Society of Chairs of Academic Radiology Departments Society of Directors of Research in Medical Education Society of General Internal Medicine
Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Society of Teachers of Family Medicine
Society of University Surgeons
SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics Teaching Kitchen Collaborative
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA)
The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) The Judy Nicholson Foundation
The National Pancreas Foundation The Obesity Society
The STARR Coalition TMCF
TSC Alliance
United for Medical Research
UPCEA - The Online and Professional Education Association v-ATPase Alliance
VHL Alliance
Vision Sciences Society wAIHA Warriors