NEW REPORT INDICATES UNIVERSITIES BEAR THE BRUNT OF INDIRECT COSTS
A January 2026 report requested by the Association of American Universities (AAU) and the Council on Governmental Relations (COGR), both of which Duke is a member, found that universities in the United States chronically under‑recover indirect costs associated with federally funded research. The report estimates that universities absorbed $6.8 billion in unreimbursed indirect costs in FY 23 and argues that longstanding federal caps disproportionately limit cost recovery at universities compared to private industry and federal labs. The findings come amid last year's agency proposals to cap indirect cost rates at 15 percent, which the report warns would further strain research infrastructure.
