Comment from Alan Gaul
Alan GaulOpposeAcademic
Summary: A postdoctoral researcher at an R1 university opposes the proposed changes to federal financial assistance regulations regarding publication and public relations costs. They argue that these restrictions would hinder the dissemination of research results, which they believe should be shared openly to benefit the public and advance scientific progress.
I am a postdoctoral researcher at an R1 university, and I have been funded by multiple NSF grants with the purpose of conducting scientific research that could lead to advancements benefiting the US public. The best way to share the results of my research with scientific colleagues, so that they may build on my research and contribute to these beneficial advancements, is to publish my results in high quality, high impact, peer-reviewed journals. Independent peer review by subject matter experts is the Gold Standard that inspires trust that the published results are accurate. However, the proposed changes to provision §200.461 would make “publication costs … unallowable under Federal awards.” In combination with the changes to provisions §200.421, which would make all public relations costs unallowable, these proposed changes would severely restrict my ability to communicate the results of my research to anybody, ranging from scientific peers to the general public. The results of publicly funded research should be widely disseminated, not suppressed, so that science can progress and the public can benefit.