Stony Brook Joins SUNY Chancellor in Nation’s Capital to Advocate for Federal Research and Education Support

SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. traveled to Capitol Hill on July 22 to champion a range of federal priorities critical to SUNY campuses, including Stony Brook University. In meetings with congressional members and staff, King emphasized the importance of strong federal support for scientific research, higher education funding, student financial aid and public hospitals. Joining Chancellor King were Will Schwartz, SUNY vice chancellor for government relations; Whitney Riggs, SUNY director of federal relations; and Lauren Brookmeyer, Stony Brook University associate vice president for federal relations and head of the D.C. office.

One of the key issues on Chancellor King's agenda was the proposed FAIR (Facilities and Administrative Indirect Recovery) model, a new approach to reimbursing research institutions for the real costs of federally funded research. King urged Congress to support legislative language that would block any immediate federal agency action to impose a 15 percent cap on indirect cost reimbursement rates - an idea recently floated by agencies including the NIH, NSF, DOE and DOD.

"Research doesn't happen in a vacuum - it requires physical labs, utilities, security, and compliance infrastructure," SUNY Chancellor King said. "SUNY and institutions like Stony Brook play a vital role in driving scientific innovation, and we must ensure that they have the resources to continue the groundbreaking, life-saving research that is underway across the SUNY System."

The recently assembled Joint Associations Group (JAG) on Indirect Costs, representing a wide variety of colleges, universities, medical schools, hospitals and medical centers, and independent research institutions, launched the effort in April to explore alternative indirect costs models, assembling a team of subject matter experts (SME) with extensive experience in both direct and indirect costs. These experts conducted a thorough evaluation of the existing indirect costs framework and assessed potential alternatives. The FAIR framework emphasizes transparency, sustainability and shared accountability in supporting the indirect costs of research - expenses like lab maintenance, data processing and regulatory compliance.

In addition to research priorities, King also pressed for protecting critical student financial aid and investments in public hospitals - both central pillars of SUNY's mission and essential for equity and public health across New York State.

Stony Brook University's (SBU) Office of Federal Relations joined Chancellor King for a key meeting with Congressman Nick LaLota, helping to coordinate the discussion and ensure that Stony Brook and SUNY priorities were front and center. The SBU federal relations team plays an integral role for higher education, academic research and public health advocacy in Washington, D.C., and is proud to work closely with SUNY's Washington-based federal relations office to amplify the system's shared goals. This strong partnership enhances SUNY's presence in the nation's capital and strengthens its ability to advocate effectively for policies that support world-class research, accessible education and public health infrastructure.