One of the responsibilities of my office is to identify
funding opportunities for faculty members; we also
staff the regulatory committees for animal care, human subjects
and biosafety.  Recently our school established an office
called "Government Relations."  Its precise duties have not
been established yet, but they seem to include what is
pretty clearly lobbying: staying in touch with our Congressional
delegation as well as state and local officials, (perhaps even
program officers at governmental sponsors)  making our strengths,
needs, and interests known, etc.  Inevitably such work overlaps
with ours; for example, GR from time to time sends us info from
the Federal Register which we typically have already seen and
distributed to faculty members.  I don't mind the help, but the
duplication is wasteful and may lead to other double work.

1. What do Government Relations offices do at other schools?
2. Does the interface between government relations and sponsored
programs require attention, like the one between development and
SP?
3. I can visualize a scenario in which my office is urged to
"facilitate" GR's job by participating  in lobbying.  In my view,
all employees in the sponsored programs office should maintain a
very long arm's length from all such acitivities. Is this
paranoia?  Am I right about keeping an oil-and-water relationship
between SP employees and lobbying?
4. I can also visualize a scenario in which GR takes a vigorous
interest in the operation of regulatory committees, and
particularly in how they adapt to changes in existing regulations
or new regulations. Paranoia?

Peter J. Dolce
Director, Research Support Services
Meharry Medical College
P 615 327 6703
F 625 327 6738
xxxxxx@ccvax.mmc.edu