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Impact of a Looming Government Shutdown and Immediate Considerations for the Research Community

In anticipation of a possible shutdown, consider taking action TODAY

Submit proposals TODAY

During a shutdown, OSP will continue to review, approve and submit proposals to federal sponsors to the greatest extent possible. However, in some cases new applications may not be accepted.  

Request extensions and resolve pending programmatic issues TODAY

During a shutdown, federal employees will not be available to conduct routine business and some federal government systems will be unavailable.  NCE's requiring agency approval may not be processed until normal operations resume and processing times are likely to be longer.

Mitigate potential student impacts TODAY

During a shutdown, stipends and payments are likely to be suspended. It is recommended that the campus Graduate Division and/or Financial Aid Office identify any students who are working on federally-funded research projects for course credit. If the students cannot complete such work due to a federal shutdown, the campus should explore whether the students can engage in unaffected activities that could count for partial credit (for example, a classroom component or independent study). Students who fall below a certain number of units per quarter (or semester) could risk jeopardizing their student aid financial packages and should consult with a campus financial aid advisor.

Expectations in the Event of a Shutdown

  • Agencies will be prohibited from issuing new awards (including extensions, continued funding increments, supplements, and renewals).
  • Award actions currently under negotiation will be put on hold.
  • Federal employees will not be available to conduct routine business and administrative functions. Supervisory support questions, general inquiries, and prior approval requests are likely to go unanswered until normal operations resume.
  • Proposals may not be accepted and proposal reviews are likely to be delayed until normal operations resume.
  • Payments will not be processed and draw downs may be on hold.
  • Preliminary spending on awards and award modifications not yet received is the decision of the unit that will administer the award. The additional risk caused by the shutdown should be carefully considered. 
  • Work on federal awards currently in hand may continue to the extent that funding is available and such performance does not require federal staff intervention, unless the federal sponsor issues a stop-work order.

Read more about government shutdowns and higher education here

Considerations for Impact in the Event of a Shutdown

The overall impact will depend on the length of the shutdown as well as the guidance from the Office of Management and Budget and each of the federal agencies.
  • The determination of how long federally funded projects can be supported by the University depends on the resources at each individual campus and any alternate financial resources.
  • The longer the shutdown continues, the more difficult it will be for those directly impacted by the shutdown. Contingency planning should take into account what resources are available to support federally-funded projects and staff for short-term and long-term scenarios (e.g., a few days, a few weeks, or more than a month).
The VPR and OSP are monitoring the situation closely and will provide more information as it becomes available. 

  For questions or feedback, please contact:

Last Updated: 12/20/24