A message to the campus from Mike Malone and Laura Vandenberg on 1/28/25
Dear Colleagues,
Recent and emerging developments in federal funding for higher education are raising well-founded and serious concerns both on campus and nationally. Several organizations have objected strongly to these actions, including the APLU and members of the US Senate Committee on Appropriations.
We are closely monitoring these developments including the OMB notice yesterday on “Temporary Pause of Agency Grant, Loan, and Other Financial Assistance Programs.”
Some agencies, such as the Department of Justice (DOJ), have notified grant recipients that funds cannot be drawn down after 5 p.m. today until further notice. However, we do not currently have directives to halt specific activities supported by DOJ funding. In cases like this, the sponsored activities should continue and the campus will provide the necessary funding until the grant funds can be drawn down again.
In contrast, the US Department of Energy (DOE) has directed that any activities that focus on ”diversity, equity and inclusion, Community Benefits Programs, and Justice40 requirements” under their sponsorship be suspended. Costs for these activities incurred after 1/27/2025 will not be reimbursed. Accordingly, PIs should pause these activities and expect to be contacted by their DOE Grants Officer to modify awards accordingly. We do not interpret this as a cancellation of the entire award, but rather as an award modification.
We also received a similar notice suspending activities funded by the USAID and US State Department, directing those activities and tasks that focus on diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility must be suspended as of 1/26/25.
We expect additional guidance from other federal agencies and will provide further periodic updates as the situation develops. If PIs or staff receive communications about existing federal awards, please share those with the Office of Post Award management (OPAM) (@email) and the Vice Chancellor for Research and Engagement (@email) so that we can provide you with clarity and guidance. Due to the volume of requests and the need to provide support to those PIs most directly impacted by stop-work orders, OPAM may be unable to respond immediately to inquiries concerning specific awards.
Considering these developments, PIs are advised to be conservative about large expenditures but should otherwise continue activities necessary to meet contractual obligations until any of those obligations are modified by the funder.
In the weeks ahead, we will host in-person and hybrid meetings with an opportunity for you to ask questions about the impact of these actions and advisories on campus research. Please also continue to review the updates posted here: R&E news
We are acutely aware of the distress that many researchers are experiencing as a result of this situation and will do our best to mitigate the impacts and keep our community informed.
Sincerely,
Mike Malone
Vice Chancellor for Research & Engagement
Laura Vandenberg
Associate Vice Chancellor for Research & Engagement
Vice Provost for Research