Federal Initiatives
The Office of Research and Federal Relations is responsible for supporting the A&M System’s research mission and oversight of System interaction at the federal level, especially on Capitol Hill. All A&M System members—the nine universities, seven agencies and health science center—are actively seeking support at the federal level.
The federal initiatives are developed annually, and the process begins in mid-summer. We ask each System member to develop its federal initiatives for the upcoming federal fiscal year, and the Office of Research and Federal Relations is responsible for carrying them forward from the point of conception to ultimate conclusion. Federal initiatives should be submitted to the Office of Research and Federal Relations through your system Chief Executive Officers. Principal Investigators should not submit initiatives directly to the Office of Research and Federal Relations.
Many initiatives involve requests for action by Congress, while others are focused on federal agencies. Not all initiatives involve seeking federal funds but may deal with “authorizing” legislation being considered by Congress. This can address key policy issues impacting the System.
After we receive the initiatives, we carry out an assessment with the purpose of improving each one. This is done in coordination with administrators and researchers across the System.
We also seek to identify cross-cutting, collaborative opportunities with other institutions of higher education in Texas and elsewhere, and with the private sector. The Washington, D.C., office carries the initiatives forward to the appropriate Congressional offices.