Message from President Randall & Senior Leadership re: NIH NOT-OD-25-068
On February 7, 2025, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) issued NOT-OD-25-068 Supplemental Guidance to the 2024 NIH Grants Policy Statement on Indirect Cost Rates.
The notice cuts the University's standard indirect cost rate to 15% across all NIIH grants. In response to this NIH notice, University senior leadership have issued the following statement:
Message from University of Utah President Taylor Randall, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Mitzi Montoya, Senior Vice President for Health Sciences Dr. Bob Carter and Vice President for Research Dr. Erin Rothwell
In times of uncertainty, one thing remains clear: The power of research to illuminate the path forward.
The University of Utah is a community of thinkers and doers—people unafraid to cross boundaries and ask big questions. That spirit has never been more essential.
We are committed and have a variety of mechanisms to ensure that research at the University of Utah remains strong, even as we navigate policy changes like shifts in our F&A rate at NIH. The University of Utah is well positioned to navigate these changes with vision and resources.
Senior leadership is meeting multiple times a week to engage these shifts. We will also continue our VPR Townhalls every week moving forward on Tuesdays at 12 pm to ensure support and awareness for our research community. Our next meeting is this Tuesday, February 11th. At this meeting, we will provide updates on our advocacy efforts with the AAU, APLU and other organizations to support efforts to legal challenges.
Through past challenges—whether responding to COVID-19, securing research funding in shifting landscapes, or forging new collaborations—our community has remained resilient. We solve problems because they matter. From identifying the gene linked to breast cancer to developing software that protects wildland firefighters, our researchers take on the toughest challenges. And when policies shift, research continues. Because discovery doesn’t pause.
To those asking, “What should I do now?”—keep moving forward. Also, know we are committed to research and will ensure it remains one of our greatest assets. Keep imagining what’s possible. Research is one of our greatest assets, and we are committed to ensuring it remains a defining strength of this institution. The University of Utah has always been at the center of discovery, and together, we will continue to lead